Why is There a Need for Ad Review Software in Today’s Market?
- Increased volume of ad inventory
- Harsher scrutiny and penalties from regulatory bodies
- More brand collaborations and influencer partnerships
- Internal pressure points
The reason for increasing ad volumes can be attributed to more media dollars being directed towards digital marketing. Digital marketing often requires multiple executions in various formats. And while the solution to generating content at scale has been met with automation and generative AI tools, many businesses have not applied the same thinking to managing compliance around the output efficiently i.e. How on earth do marketing compliance reviewers manage the avalanche of approval requests? Looking at Statista’s projected digital ad spend, it’s an issue that is only going to compound.
Harsher Regulatory Scrutiny and Penalties
Advertising and marketing regulations continue to evolve in line with new media channels, marketing tactics, technology and societal norms. Given the rapid changes in all of these areas over the last few years, rule changes have come thick and fast. Staying on top of and interpreting ever changing rules has become a large but also critical task. That’s because aside from being good corporate citizens, the pressure being applied by regulators has been dialed up. Regulators themselves are deploying AI-powered ad compliance software as a first line of defense against misleading advertising claims and bad practice. They are leveraging technology to take a far more proactive approach to compliance monitoring and no longer wait for complaints to be lodged to take action. For example, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Ad Monitoring compliance software scanned over 3 million online ads during 2023 which resulted in 27,378 ads being amended or withdrawn. Given the success of their ad monitoring tool, they are continuing the program and are on track to scan 10 million ads by the close of 2024.
Due to the ASA’s success, other regulators across the globe have plans to pilot similar technology. This means that advertisers have a far greater chance of being pulled up for even the slightest breach – no matter how inadvertent. There is a need for them to safeguard their own advertising output using ad review software that’s every bit as effective as that used by regulators.
While the majority of brands strive to stay within code for ethical reasons, the added incentive to avoid crippling multimillion dollar fines and reputational damage arising from compliance breaches is a key driver.
More Brand Collaborations and Influencer Partnerships
Aside from increased volume and regulatory scrutiny, the third, albeit lesser, factor impacting Marketing Compliance team’s workloads are brand approvals. Brand collaborations and influencer tie-ins have proved particularly effective amongst Gen Z and Millennials and it’s a trend that is set to continue. However there is an additional workload arising from these licensing and cross promotional agreements. First comes the additional brand policing on work originating from creators who are less familiar with, or don’t have access to, the latest brand guidelines. This usually results in misalignments that take at least double the revision time for a singular branded ad. Secondly, influencer partnerships require close monitoring as in many jurisdictions brands are responsible for compliance violations irrespective of the actions of a third party.
Internal Pressure Points
Along with external influences, internal factors are also contributing to the need for an ad compliance review platform. It’s no secret there is frustration and tension between Marketing and Compliance teams. In fact, IntelligenceBank has conducted research into the issues in the report titled ‘How to Resolve the Divide Between Marketing and Compliance Teams’. In summary, while each department has their own motivations and benefits they get out of deploying ad compliance software, there’s also some shared joy.
What Industries Need Ad Approval Software?
Virtually all industries need to ensure their ads are within legal, regulatory and brand guidelines. However, ad compliance software is particularly valuable in industries that are heavily regulated, where legal and compliance risks are high, and the stakes for non-compliance can be significant and even devastating. However, its benefits extend beyond these sectors, making it an essential tool for all businesses with active advertising.
- Financial Services and Banking
FinServices and banking are highly regulated sectors where advertising must adhere to strict guidelines to protect consumers from misleading financial advice. Regulatory bodies like the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in the UK and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) set clear rules and codes, particularly around disclosures, product suitability and comparisons and the accuracy of the information. Financial institutions can use ad approval software to ensure that all promotional content complies with these regulations, mitigating the risk of legal actions, fines, or reputational damage. - Insurance
Insurance companies face similar regulatory challenges when advertising their products. Regulations require that all disclaimers, coverage details, and terms and conditions are clearly presented to consumers. Misleading advertising in this industry can lead to consumer complaints and legal penalties. Ad review software helps insurance firms maintain compliance while also managing a large volume of marketing content across multiple platforms. - Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
In the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, ads are closely monitored to ensure that all claims made are substantiated and do not mislead consumers. Regulatory bodies such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the U.S. enforce strict rules regarding drug advertisements, including requirements for clear disclosures, side effects, and contraindications. Ad approval software ensures that marketing materials meet these strict guidelines, preventing potentially costly violations. Furthermore, with the rise of digital marketing, it is increasingly important to have a system in place that can keep up with rapidly changing regulations. - Higher Education
The higher education sector is increasingly subject to scrutiny when it comes to advertising, particularly regarding misleading claims about academic programs, job placement rates, or financial aid. Regulations set by the Department of Education and other accrediting bodies require that educational institutions provide accurate, clear, and truthful information in all marketing materials. Ad approval software helps these institutions avoid making misleading statements and ensures they adhere to federal and state advertising regulations, protecting students, their reputation and avoiding legal penalties. - Gambling and Wagering
The gambling and wagering industry is heavily regulated due to concerns around consumer protection, responsible gambling practices, and advertising to vulnerable populations such as children and those with gambling addiction. Regulations often specify the type of language that can be used in advertising, such as prohibiting claims of guaranteed winnings and, in fact, declaring the odds are not in the consumers favor. Disclaimers are complex and can differ by region, audience and medium. Ad approval software helps companies in this sector ensure compliance with stringent regulations, manage content approval, and safeguard their brands from the reputational risks associated with non-compliance.
On top of the legal and regulatory mandates, each organization has its own benchmarks for communication as well as unique brand guidelines.
Ad review tools can benefit any business that finds themselves battling to keep up with demand for approvals and certainly those that have exposed themselves to penalties due to corners being cut or simple human error.
Who Uses Advertising Compliance Software and Why?
Although obviously relied upon by Marketing, Compliance and Legal teams, advertising monitoring software is used by a diverse group of stakeholders within an organization. And while each role has their unique responsibilities, they are all working towards a common goal—ensuring that marketing content is legally compliant, on-brand, free from risk and launched on time.
Marketing Departments
- Accelerate Time-to-Market: By automating the compliance checking process, marketing teams can quickly identify and address potential issues before launching ads.
- Maintain Brand Consistency: Ad compliance software ensures that every piece of creative adheres to brand guidelines, ensuring consistency across campaigns, media channels, and regions.
- Brief Creative: The most important part of the advertising process is the brief. Getting as much information right at this stage is critical to a faster process. Marketers use advertising compliance software to generate correct disclaimers for each campaign asset and link to brand approved and in-license assets.
- Track Changes and Approvals: The workflow management features of ad compliance software allow marketing teams to track revisions, approvals, and version histories, providing transparency in the approval process.
- Proofing: Ad compliance tools allow Marketing to do an initial sweep for brand errors and compliance risks and fix any faults prior to passing work on to Compliance.
- Distributing Approved Content: An end-to-end advertising compliance platform will allow you to distribute material directly to each media outlet.
Compliance departments are responsible for ensuring that all marketing content meets the legal and regulatory requirements. In all industries, but particularly highly regulated sectors, compliance teams use advertising review software to scrutinize ad content and ensure adherence to general and industry-specific regulations. Ad compliance tools help these teams:
- Ensuring Compliance with Advertising Laws: Ad monitoring tools are used to check materials follow local, national, and international laws, such as truth-in-advertising standards and product disclaimers.
- Risk Mitigation: Compliance teams use ad review software’s risk detection capabilities to identify and mitigate potential legal or financial risks in line with their own company’s comfort level.
- Brand Review: Advertising compliance tools have the capacity to check elements such as color pallets, logos and tone of voice are all on brand.
- Auditing and Reporting: Advertising compliance software provides built-in audit trails that allow Compliance teams to generate reports for regulatory bodies or internal stakeholders. This is essential for maintaining accountability and transparency in marketing activities.
- General Proofing: As part of the process, Compliance teams often pick up grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors.
- Senior Executives and Decision-Makers: Senior management, including CEOs and CFOs, are increasingly involved in overseeing compliance and risk management efforts, particularly in industries with high regulatory scrutiny. They use insights from ad compliance software to understand risks, make informed decisions, and safeguard the company’s reputation and bottom line.
- Product and Marketing Strategy Teams: These teams rely on ad compliance platforms to ensure that product and marketing strategies are aligned.
- Advertising and PR Agencies: External agencies and consultants are big contributors to advertising compliance platforms. They upload concepts and final work, access approved photography and brand elements. They can also see the approval status of each production item and provide commentary on creative or deadlines.
How Does Risk Detection Ad Compliance Scanning Work?
- AI-powered tools analyze the selected marketing material to detect non-compliant elements, including misleading claims, unauthorized use of brand assets, missing disclaimers, spelling and grammar. It provides consistent feedback and suggested alternatives in real time.
- Content is scanned against the rules your organization requires. These can be totally customizable rules built from the ground up, or rules from our library of pre-sets built specifically to industry regulation, such as Retail Banking, FINRA 2210 Communications, SEC 206(4)-1 for Investment Advisers, SEC 482 for Investment Companies, MiFID II, and ESMA Guidelines. The best part is, even the pre-set industry rules can be tailored to your organization’s appetite for risk as well as any other inclusions.
While this functionality is critical for pre-production, the scanning solution doesn’t end at content launch. What happens to active Google Ads and ‘always on’ performance content? How are they monitored for compliance over time? A thorough ad compliance software solution caters to the entire content lifecycle.
Live Google Ads
Advertisers have hundreds, if not thousands of live Google Ads live at any one time. The annual spend on search ads is $237 billion. While they are initially deemed compliant prior to launch, they may not stay that way. Regulations can change, offers can change and digital marketing teams can tinker with copy to strengthen effectiveness. Shockingly until recently there has been no way to automate compliance checking on this channel. So chances are any compliance monitoring is a manual hit and miss process at best.
How Do Workflows Help Ad Compliance?
- Streamline Collaboration: Workflows facilitate collaboration across different departments, ensuring that all stakeholders—Marketing, Compliance, Legal, and external partners—are aligned throughout the approval process. By routing content to the appropriate teams for review and approval in a structured, sequential process, workflows eliminate miscommunication and streamline the coordination between departments. This reduces delays and ensures that each step in the approval pipeline is completed efficiently.
- Provide the Scaffold for Collaborative Tools: Ad compliance software includes many tools such as the ability to generate disclaimers, mark-up work and add comments, view version history and check revisions have been made with side by side comparisons.
- Ensuring Consistent Compliance Checks: Ad compliance workflows can be configured to make it impossible to go live with work that has not passed the necessary checks with the necessary people. It also automates approval requests and triggers reminders. Status of work can also be clearly seen through dashboards and kanban boards, allowing teams to track progress and address issues promptly.
- Accelerating Approval Processes: By automating much of the approval process, workflows speed up the time it takes for marketing content to get from creation to launch. Marketing teams can quickly identify and address potential compliance issues early in the process, reducing the time spent on revisions and resubmissions.
- Tracking Revisions and Audit Trails: Workflows provide a built-in audit trail that tracks all changes, approvals, and feedback throughout the review process. This creates a clear record of who reviewed what content and when, providing valuable documentation for compliance purposes. If there are any questions or issues regarding specific ad content, teams can easily trace the history of decisions and edits, making it easier to defend compliance decisions if needed.
- Managing Multiple Stakeholders: Ad review software workflows are particularly beneficial when multiple stakeholders, such as external agencies, influencers, or freelancers, are involved in the content approval process. Ad monitoring tools help manage these collaborations by clearly defining roles, assigning tasks, and tracking progress across all teams. This ensures that everyone involved has the right level of access and visibility, reducing the risk of errors or missed approvals.
- Improving Accountability: With automated workflows, everyone involved in the approval process has clear visibility into where work is in the review pipeline and if they have fulfilled their tasks. This transparency ensures accountability, as each team member knows their responsibilities and timelines, and all stakeholders are informed about potential delays or bottlenecks.
How Does Ad Approval Compliance Software Integrate With Other Platforms?
No one platform caters to every need, that’s why Ad compliance tools must have the capacity to work seamlessly with other popular software during the content creation process. By integrating with widely-used software such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, Figma, Getty Images, MS Office, Shopify, Pantheon, Slack and more, ad approval software ensures that teams can easily create, review, and approve and distribute content without switching between multiple platforms.
How Does Ad Approval Software Support Brand Integrity?
There are two ways brand guidelines are maintained with ad compliance software:
First is ensuring all stakeholders have access to the latest brand assets and approved material 24/7. This is achieved by taking guidelines out of static PDFs and placing them online in a dedicated brand hub. It also involves providing access to an organized library of approved brand assets such as photography, footage and audio as well as other approved assets. This empowers employees and agencies to find everything they need while at the same time controlling what they can and can’t access.
Second is ad compliance tools ability to scan for instances where incorrect logos, color pallets, tone or messaging is used.
This interconnected, centralized system ensures that all Marketing and Compliance teams, no matter where they are, can work with the most up-to-date assets, reducing errors and ensuring brand consistency across regions and channels.
What Are the Key Considerations When Choosing Ad Compliance Software?
When selecting ad compliance software, it goes without saying you need to choose a solution that meets your organization’s specific needs. Not all businesses have the same compliance benchmarks nor volume of content to process. Here are the key considerations to keep in mind when choosing a vendor:
Ensure Industry-Specific Regulatory Requirements Are Met
Different industries have varying compliance requirements. For example, financial services, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals are subject to strict advertising regulations that must be adhered to. When choosing ad compliance software, ensure that it supports the specific regulations and compliance standards relevant to your industry. The software should also offer customizable rule sets that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your sector, whether it’s regulatory bodies like the SEC, FDA, or FCA, or internal company policies.
Integration with Existing Tools
The best ad compliance software should integrate seamlessly with the tools your team already uses. This includes content creation platforms like Adobe Creative Cloud or Canva, collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, and project management software like Trello or Asana. Integration with these tools ensures that the compliance process is streamlined and doesn’t disrupt the existing workflow. It should also connect with Digital Asset Management systems (DAMs) to ensure that brand assets are easily accessible and up to date.
Scalability and Flexibility
As your business grows, your ad compliance needs will evolve. Choose software that can scale with your business, whether you’re expanding into new markets, adding more products, or increasing the volume of ads. The software should be flexible enough to adapt to new regulatory requirements or changes in your internal processes without requiring a complete overhaul. Additionally, ensure it can handle varying levels of content volume—whether you’re managing a few campaigns or hundreds of ad creatives across multiple platforms. Potential vendors should also be able to show a clear roadmap for future feature rollouts.
Ease of Use
If your ad compliance software is difficult to use, it will introduce another challenge you don’t need. The experience must be intuitive, enabling your marketing, legal, and compliance teams to quickly adopt the system without significant training. It should have a clean interface with easy navigation and clear instructions for each team member’s role in the compliance process. Look for a vendor that provides training and personalized and responsive customer support.
Ongoing Updates
Regulations and guidelines are constantly evolving. To ensure that your ads remain compliant, choose software that regularly reviews and updates rules based on regulatory changes.
Automation and AI-Powered Tools
Automation and AI are deal breaking features of modern ad compliance software. Look for software that leverages technology to automate as many functionalities as possible including reporting and analytics.
Customization and Flexibility in Workflow Management
Every organization has unique processes for content creation, approval, and review. Choose ad compliance software that allows you to customize workflows and approval stages to fit your specific needs. For example, you may need different approval processes for digital ads, print materials, or social media campaigns. The ability to set up and manage customized workflows ensures that content moves through the approval pipeline smoothly and in accordance with your team’s established processes.
Cost and ROI
Finally, consider the cost of the software and evaluate its potential return on investment (ROI). While ad compliance software is an investment, it should ultimately save your business time, reduce the risk of compliance violations, and protect against costly fines.
Ready to Take Control of Your Ad Compliance?
Ad compliance software is an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to streamline their marketing efforts while maintaining regulatory and brand integrity. By automating the approval process, enhancing collaboration across teams, and mitigating legal risks, it empowers companies to launch campaigns quickly, efficiently, and with confidence. It has the added benefit of solving many ‘compliance adjacent’ issues that affect the entire business. Whether you’re in a highly regulated industry or a less-complex market, ad compliance software allows you to maintain consistency, safeguard your reputation, and free up your teams to focus on strategic, high-value tasks. If you’d like to find out more, please contact us for a live demonstration here.
