The Digital Trading Standards Group (DTSG) is a new initiative being set up to develop best practice guidelines aimed at reducing the risk of unsafe ad placement within the digital trading ecosystem.

ABC has been asked to facilitate this new group which will be made up of individuals representing 9 different organisation types involved within the trading and delivery of online advertising;

• Advertiser
• Agency
• Demand Side Platform (DSP)
• Agency Trading Desk (ATD)
• Ad Network
• Ad Exchange
• Sales House
• Supply Side Platform (SSP)
• Publisher

The group recently put forward three key principles to JICWEBS, the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards. These new trading principles effectively signal the evolution of the current IASH code (http://www.iash.co.uk), ensuring that best practice for online trading keeps in step with developments in trading methods.

The new principles cover the relationship between trading partners as follows;

1. Primary Agreements: Which include statements of how the organisation applies best endeavours to minimise risk of misplacement of advertising, including enabling ad take down on effective notice.
2. Exceptions: If required, specific prior agreement for trades outside of 1 (above).
3. Compliance: Agreement to validate best endeavours to comply with 1 and 2

JICWEBS has formally approved these principles bringing them under the umbrella of existing industry agreed online measurement metrics and best practice principles.

With best practice principles in place the group are now working to establish bilateral agreements between trading partners and a verification programme to demonstrate compliance with the principles.

For more information about the DTSG including details of how to ensure your views are represented contact Laura Foskett.

View a copy of the current IASH code