The Acceptable Ads Committee held its 10th board meeting on July 6, 2023. During the meeting, the Committee introduced two new group representatives and discussed future initiatives including the importance of continued industry leadership in sustainability and establishing fiscal self-sufficiency, and recruiting efforts thus far.
Introducing valuable new contributors to the Committee
The Acceptable Ads Committee introduced two new representatives:
- James Groh, an experienced EMEA digital marketer from a publicly traded company, will represent the Advertiser Group.
- Ratio Vidakovic, a highly knowledgeable researcher and academic in the digital media space, will represent the Researcher/Academia Group.
Industry leadership and sustainability efforts
The Committee has increased awareness of its efforts throughout the industry, particularly through raising awareness around Acceptable Ads and sustainable advertising practices. Collaborations with organizations like Ad Net Zero, as well as contributing to the GARM Sustainability Quick Action Guide and hosting of a Cannes breakfast session, have added to the industry dialogue and showed the AAC’s commitment to sustainability.
The Committee recognizes the need for an independent, reputable source to drive sustainable initiatives and promote transparency and is forming a working group to investigate how best to incorporate sustainability efforts into the Acceptable Ads Standard.
Recruitment and participation
Recruiting efforts have been fruitful with a notable increase in active members, including from leading organizations such as Amazon and Door Dash. Ongoing conversations with potential members show that there is interest and promise in furthering the growth of the AAC. Therefore, quality of participation will remain a key focus for the Committee in the coming year to ensure meaningful contribution and engagement.
Acceptable Ads ad refresh implementation
Last year, the Committee evaluated ad refreshing as a permissible ad type. After extensive user research and industry input, the Committee revised the Standard to allow refreshing ads under certain circumstances. The revisions included a six-month probationary period to monitor the impact on users and other industry stakeholders. The Committee reviewed the corresponding data and was pleased that the inclusion of refreshing ads had a meaningful impact on publisher revenue, without increased user complaints beyond the normal expected range.
The Acceptable Ads Committee thanks all of its representatives and members for their continued commitment and support. We remain committed to fostering a sustainable digital media industry that appropriately balances the needs of users with the commercial interests of other stakeholders.
Sincerely,
Terry Taouss
President of the Acceptable Ads Committee
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