IAB UK CEO Guy Phillipson has called on members of the advertising industry to quit “complaining from the sidelines” in order to address the issues circulating around their space.

Phillipson highlights that companies are “all in it together” and that known problems such as viewability and ad fraud are not ones that should be faced by the bureau alone.

“My call to action is to focus energies on working together on the evolving programme to tackle digital’s biggest issues, rather than complaining from the sidelines,” he commented. 

His rallying cry comes in the lead up to IAB UK’s promise to release a statement every day next week, clarifying its stance on five of the industry’s biggest talking points: brand safety, viewability, fraud, ad blocking and privacy.

Taking a step back

Running under the tagline ‘IAB Believes’, the initiative is said to be arriving amid what the organisation describes as “mounting criticisms” surrounding digital advertising.

With digital’s share of the overall advertising industry ramping up year on year, the IAB feels the time is right for industry associates to discuss some of the problems they face, and to also look at the progress that has been made so far.

From Monday (August 17) to Friday (August 21) the organisation will cover an issue per day with statements allaying its thoughts and findings on the chosen subject. 

Brand safety, for example, will cover off ways of maintaining processes that ensure risk-free environments for ad trading. 

There will be plenty of room for opinion from IAB reps, though, and the statement on ad-blocking especially will be one to look out for, considering the bureau’s view that the internet should be funded by ads.  

Programmatic problems?

Those of an attentive disposition will see that most of the topics are connected to the automated sale of ads, where there is a general a lack of human intervention and monitoring.

Brand safety, viewability and ad fraud have all been put under the spotlight of late as advertisers encounter some of the downsides to programmatic buying.  

“The increasing role of data and automated technologies in the online ad trading process means ad verification – be it viewability, ad fraud or brand safety – and privacy has rightly come under increasing scrutiny,” Phillipson adds. 

“However, it’s time to turn up the volume on the solid progress we’re making in tackling these issues in collaboration with partner trade bodies – domestically and overseas – and technology vendors.”

IAB Believes commences on Monday with a statement on brand safety, to be followed by ones on viewability, ad fraud, ad blocking and privacy.