Tesco & McDonald’s first advertisers to commit to IAB UK’s Gold Standard

In an industry first, two leading UK advertisers have publicly pledged their support for IAB UK’s Gold Standard by committing to work with certified digital advertising suppliers wherever possible. Tesco and McDonald’s will also encourage any digital advertising suppliers that aren’t currently Gold Standard certified to sign up, as well as internally educating their teams about the benefits of the initiative.

Gold Standard certification began at the start of 2018, with the initiative bringing together industry programmes to combat ad fraud, increase brand safety and improve the digital advertising experience for users. Companies need to take three steps to certify: implement IAB Tech Labs’ ads.txt, undergo an independent JICWEBS DTSG audit and adhere to the principles set out by the Coalition for Better Ads. There are currently 95 media owners, media agencies and ad tech companies certified. 

Advertisers’ commitment to support Gold Standard companies marks a landmark step in ensuring best practice principles are met within the industry. By prioritising Gold Standard companies, advertisers can effectively drive change downstream in the digital supply chain.

Commenting on the announcement, IAB UK’s Chief Digital Officer Tim Elkington said: “Since its inception, Gold Standard adoption has been really strong. The fact that advertisers are now getting behind the initiative is crucial in cementing its effectiveness. Tesco and McDonald’s are leading by example when it comes to advertisers’ responsibility to improve digital advertising. It’s only by having all parts of the industry on board that we can affect real change.” 

Nick Ashley, Head of Media and Campaign Planning at Tesco, added: "We’re delighted to be among the first advertisers to support IAB UK’s Gold Standard. It’s in all of our best interests to collectively raise online ad standards, as we strive to communicate to our customers in the most helpful, relevant and effective way. The IAB Gold Standard is a clear start to building better standards across the industry; moving forward we also encourage all stakeholders to agree a single industry-wide set of standards that we can all get behind."

IAB UK is aiming to build an alliance of digital advertisers committed to supporting the Gold Standard. You can find out more here.