TikTok unveils advanced Brand Suitability Controls, giving advertisers unprecedented choice

TikTok this week announced a suite of new brand suitability features designed to give advertisers unmatched control over the content that appears alongside their campaigns. These innovations include Category Exclusion, Vertical Sensitivity controls, and a unified Brand Safety Hub within TikTok Ads Manager.

Building upon the existing TikTok Inventory Filter, these tools offer brands precision and flexibility when it comes to the environment their ads occupy.

Prioritizing Brand Safety and Suitability

TikTok emphasizes its unwavering commitment to fostering a safe and positive online environment for users and brands alike. Stringent enforcement of Community Guidelines is the foundation, but the company recognizes that brands have unique values and preferences. These new tools empower advertisers to tailor their brand's presence around content that aligns most closely with their identity and messaging goals.

"We're committed to creating the most trusted entertainment platform where brands can safely engage and interact with their communities. From launching our Inventory Filter in 2022 to scaling it to 60+ markets with full coverage by our measurement partners, we've been consistently investing in innovation that empowers advertisers with choice," said Blake Chandlee, President of Global Business Solutions at TikTok.

Beyond the Inventory Filter: New Layers of Control

TikTok's new features go further than existing solutions in the market:

• Category Exclusion: Advertisers can now opt-out of 4 specific content categories: Gambling & Lotteries, Violent Video Games, Combat Sports, and Youth Content. This enables fine-grained control to ensure brand messaging remains consistent. For instance, a technology company might promote its gaming line in the Violent Video Games category but choose to avoid it when promoting its productivity tools.
• Vertical Sensitivity: Advertisers can now select specific verticals (e.g., Pets, Beauty, Travel, Technology) to avoid content topically related to their chosen vertical. This protects against potential conflicts, such as a financial brand excluding potentially risky financial advice content.

"We are thrilled to have been early testers of Category Exclusion and to have helped shape the product offering as it stands today. It has already helped us tremendously - allowing us to opt in to blocking specific categories, like Violent Video Games and Gambling & Lotteries, that do not resonate with our brand positioning and messaging, " said Jordan Dennis, SVP, Client Services & Insights at Gallery Media Group. "We look forward to continuing to leverage this solution and ensuring that we protect and foster our brand on TikTok."

Third-Party Verification for Peace of Mind

TikTok recognizes the importance of trust for brands. The platform partners with leading third-party measurement providers, including DoubleVerify (DV), Integral Ad Science (IAS), and Zefr, to offer independent verification of brand safety and suitability.

IAS enhances TikTok brand safety & suitability reporting

Integral Ad Science (IAS) this week unveiled new advancements in its Brand Safety and Suitability measurement solutions tailored for TikTok, the rapidly growing short-form video platform.

PPC LandLuís Daniel Rijo

These partners evaluate content against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) Brand Safety Floor and Suitability Framework. In the past year, they've measured over 130 billion impressions for thousands of TikTok advertisers across more than 32 languages. Success rates for these new controls have averaged 98.6%, showcasing TikTok's commitment to providing brand-safe environments.

DoubleVerify enhances AI-powered brand protection tools for TikTok advertisers

The release of 16 new content categories aligns with TikTok’s newly launched Inventory Filters, empowering brands to precisely target their advertising on the popular platform.

PPC LandLuís Daniel Rijo

TikTok has centralized its brand safety tools into a convenient Brand Safety Hub within TikTok Ads Manager (TTAM). Advertisers can define their safety and suitability settings once at the account level, applying them automatically to future campaigns. This eliminates repetitive steps and offers a consolidated view of their brand's preferences.

Category Exclusion and the Brand Safety Hub are now available globally within all markets where TikTok advertising exists. Vertical Sensitivity is currently available in select markets.

Vertical Sensitivity

TikTok's Vertical Sensitivity is a new feature giving advertisers greater control over where their ads appear. This solution offers brands a layer of protection by allowing them to exclude content they deem misaligned with their brand positioning.

How it Works

Vertical Sensitivity works by filtering content based on specific categories or "verticals." These verticals include:

• Beauty
• Food
• Pets
• Fashion & Retail
• Travel
• Financial Services
• Technology
• Automotive
• Gaming
• Professional Services
• Entertainment

Advertisers can choose which verticals they'd like to exclude, ensuring their ads won't be shown alongside potentially controversial or negative content within that category.

Vertical Sensitivity is available in Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK. It can be accessed within the TikTok Ads Manager and is compatible with various ad objectives and formats.