Leaked document shows that a top ad agency is advising marketers to stop avoiding advertising around coronavirus-related content
- Magna Global, an ad-buying agency owned by Interpublic Group, is recommending advertisers stop avoiding news about the coronavirus as the topic becomes harder for brands to advertise around, according to an internal document obtained by Business Insider.
- The agency says that brand-safety companies like Integral Ad Science are blocking a "significant" amount of ad space as a result of blocklisting the term coronavirus, causing ad prices to rise and financially squeezing news publishers.
- Magna Global is also advising brands to avoid ads showing things like kissing or people at concerts that contradict guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization.
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As the amount of media coverage about coronavirus grows, one of the largest advertising holding companies is recommending that advertisers stop trying to distance themselves from the pandemic.
On March 12, Interpublic Group-owned ad-buying agency Magna Global said brands should not block the words coronavirus or COVID-19 when making digital ad buys, according to an internal document that was obtained by Business Insider. The agency also encouraged advertisers to not avoid words adjacent to coronavirus like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).
"We can appreciate that recommending that clients do not avoid COVID-19 and coronavirus coverage may seem at odds with brand safety," reads the document. "However, this is a unique and difficult time for marketers, and if coronavirus becomes the new normal, avoidance of advertising in or around the topic will not be sustainable. This is why it's important to lean in now and navigate the challenges rather than avoid the issue."
A spokesperson for Magna Global declined to comment.
It's getting harder for advertisers to avoid coronavirus-related news
Many advertisers regularly keep block lists of words that they don't want their ads to appear next to, like breaking news, controversial, or graphic content. Agencies use adtech firms like Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify to verify that their ads don't show up next to content containing the blocked words.
But Magna Global's document suggests that as coronavirus news grows and adtech vendors block significant ad inventory associated with the virus, it's becoming hard for advertisers to find inventory. The document specifically mentions Integral Ad Science. On March 9, Digiday reported that data from Integral Ad Science found that the word coronavirus was the second-most common word on news publishers' block lists, behind Trump.
The document lists two problems with blocking coronavirus-related content:
- The agency says that "it discourages publishers to provide the public with important and factual information."
- Avoiding coronavirus content has created an opportunity for opaque advertisers like face mask brands to buy ad space on news publishers.
"This is having a negative effect on the industry," reads Magna's document. "Across all publishers, we have observed that blocking the terms results in a significant amount of inventory being flagged as unsafe, to the point where no ads are running on pages."
The document also said blocking coronavirus-related terms is causing ad prices to increase, though it's not clear to what extent.
"Coronavirus is the Black Swan event of 2020 and we are seeing both advertisers and publishers seeking guidance on how to best navigate this situation," Tony Marlow, chief marketing officer of Integral Ad Science, said in a statement. "Consumers are telling us that not all industries are the same when it comes to ad adjacency to coronavirus news. They are very open to online marketing messages adjacent to coronavirus content from health, pharmaceutical and government, but are far less open to seeing similar ads from some other verticals such as travel and finance."
Magna Global recommends clients to tweak their ad messages
Magna Global also advised brands to run public service announcement-like ads called "brand responsibility" ads, which can include information and links about a company's response to coronavirus.
Many brands including retailers and restaurants have been updating their websites and sent emails this week informing customers how they are handling coronavirus. According to Magna Global, these types of messages can reach a wider audience through paid media and should be prioritized on "quality" news sites that are actively covering coronavirus.
Magna Global also said advertisers should also avoid messaging in ads that go against the recommendations from the CDC and WHO like hugging, kissing, handshakes, and showing people at sporting events or concerts.