[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: Integrity becomes advertising's new currency

As digital advertising scales across connected TV, video, and the open web, the industry faces intensifying scrutiny around fraud, brand safety, and content integrity.

With third-party data losing reliability and fraudulent activity growing more sophisticated, advertisers and publishers alike are demanding solutions that ensure their investments reach genuine audiences in safe environments. Recent partnerships and integrations highlight how leading ad tech companies are addressing these challenges.

Seedtag has deepened its collaboration with HUMAN Security, embedding HUMAN’s Ad Fraud Defense directly into its infrastructure. This integration filters fraudulent traffic in real time, protecting campaigns and publishers.

Protected by Mediaocean has partnered with the IWF to strengthen brand safety and protect children online. By embedding IWF’s intelligence datasets into its verification platform, Protected ensures ads avoid harmful or criminal content.

ShowHeroes has aligned with DoubleVerify to merge its SemanticHero contextual AI with DV’s marketplace verification suite. This dual approach enhances brand suitability, fraud prevention, and contextual targeting without relying on third-party cookies.

Primis has expanded its partnership with HUMAN Security, shifting from post-bid monitoring to proactive pre-bid filtering.

Across these initiatives, a common theme emerges: advertising integrity is no longer optional—it is central to performance. By combining AI-driven contextual analysis, pre-bid fraud filtering, and trusted nonprofit intelligence, companies are reshaping how campaigns are planned, verified, and activated.

Campaigns of the week

Amsterdam-based agency Natwerk has developed the campaign for BiFi Chicken, which is being rolled out this week across Germany. The campaign will appear on television, online and social media.

Developed with agency Doner, the campaign emphasizes Jeep Cherokee’s more than 50-year legacy in the SUV market.

Lacoste has launched an exclusive capsule collection celebrating brand ambassador Novak Djokovic, transforming its signature crocodile emblem into a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). The collection, unveiled in New York on August 22, marks Djokovic’s achievements and long-standing partnership with the French sportswear label.

Agencies and accounts

L’Oréal Benelux has awarded its influencer marketing account to Samy Road following a pitch process. Since Samy Road is not yet active in the Benelux region, the agency will collaborate with Amsterdam-based Team5PM.

Motel One has handed its media account to Mediaplus, following a competitive pitch, as the German budget design hotel chain steps up its international expansion.The win covers media strategy, planning, and buying across the DACH region and the UK.

BT Group, the UK’s provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications, has appointed Uncommon Creative Studio as its new strategic and creative partner for the BT brand, following one of the most closely watched creative reviews in the industry.

Captains of Industry

This week, Marketing Report interviewed Lucas Nutbey, a senior strategist at DEPT, about his role in helping the digital agency align the global digital-first philosophy with the diverse needs of EMEA markets.

Partnerships and acquistions

Spectrum Reach, the advertising sales arm of Charter Communications, has acquired ShowSeeker, a cloud-based order management provider. The move is designed to simplify the media buying process for advertisers and strengthen Spectrum Reach’s portfolio of marketing solutions across the United States.

VIOOH, thepremium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform, has announced a new programmatic advertising partnership with Vengo, one of the largest premium U.S. DOOH media owners.

Omnicom has received majority bondholder consent in its exchange offer for outstanding Interpublic Group (IPG) notes, marking a key step in its pending acquisition of IPG.

Other major news of the week

YouTube continued its dominance as television’s leading media distributor in July, marking its sixth straight month at No. 1 on Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge.

Oxford Road has released The State of Audio Advertising: The Chief Audio Officer’s Guide to Finding Our Frequency. The report outlines the key forces shaping audio advertising in 2025 and provides a framework for navigating a fragmented market.

Aardman and TikTok have teamed up to offer Shaun the Sheep’s ultimate fan a once-in-a-lifetime prize: the chance to be sculpted in clay by Aardman’s award-winning animators.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One

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