MAM
Brand safety on YouTube: GroupM partners OpenSlate
MUMBAI: GroupM, the media investment management unit of WPP, announced it is partnering with OpenSlate to enhance brand safety on YouTube media buys. OpenSlate is a social video analytics company that maintains data about all ad-supported content on YouTube. Their data platform scores YouTube content for quality and brand safety, and provides advertisers with deep contextual insights.
OpenSlate will provide clients of GroupM’s agencies additional controls and content safeguards to support their YouTube media buys. This solution will enhance brand safety in both reservation media, including Google Preferred, and in auction-based inventory bought through AdWords or DoubleClick Bid Manager. Using independent data from OpenSlate, GroupM clients will be able to better define the type of content that should be excluded from their YouTube media buys. OpenSlate will also provide clients with contextual reporting that highlights exactly where their campaigns run. GroupM clients will be the first to access these Google-supported services from OpenSlate for Google Preferred campaigns.
“Long gone are the days when advertisers could simply rely on reaching audiences in carefully curated programming environments. Most brands today have scaled their advertising on digital platforms like YouTube, where most content is user-generated, but their needs for mature and safe ad products and environments persist,” said GroupM North America chief digital investment officer Susan Schiekofer.
“Although it is not possible to eliminate all risks in user-generated media, our clients’ hard-won brand reputations must be protected with the best efforts possible. We appreciate that Google is enabling our work with OpenSlate to provide our clients with better brand safety controls, and we believe it’s essential that all digital platforms carrying ad-supported user-generated content do the same.”
“Our initial focus is to use OpenSlate data to better ensure that GroupM’s ads run only in content that flexibly matches the brand safety parameters established by their clients,” said OpenSlate CEO Mike Henry. “Every client is unique and each has different brand values and tolerance for risk, which GroupM agencies can accommodate through their use of OpenSlate’s data and tools. Over time, more transparency about where ads are running on YouTube will strengthen the ecosystem and help advertisers better understand the role that YouTube content plays in campaign performance.”
This new solution will initially roll out in the U.S. and U.K., and plans are under way to adapt it to additional international markets.
MAM
Liqvd Asia wins Woodland digital mandate
Agency to handle social, influencers and storytelling for outdoor lifestyle brand.
MUMBAI: Liqvd Asia just laced up for the long trail because when Woodland wants to trek deeper into digital, it picks a partner that knows how to make every step count. Liqvd Asia, the digital-first marketing agency known for fusing creativity with performance, has been awarded the digital communications mandate for Woodland, adding another marquee lifestyle brand to its growing portfolio.
Under the partnership, Liqvd Asia will lead Woodland’s social media management, influencer collaborations, brand storytelling, platform-first content strategies, campaign narratives and community engagement initiatives. The focus is on strengthening the brand’s digital presence and deepening connections with younger, digitally native audiences while staying true to Woodland’s legacy of rugged outdoor footwear and apparel.
Woodland, head of digital marketing Nikita Malhotra Singh said, “Woodland is more than a brand; it’s a community of explorers and adventurers. We are thrilled to partner with Liqvd Asia to tell our story in more dynamic and interactive ways.”
Liqvd Asia, founder & managing director Arnab Mitra added, “Woodland is a brand with strong emotional recall in India, built on adventure, durability and authenticity. We’re excited to translate that legacy into digital conversations that feel current, engaging and culturally relevant.”
Liqvd Asia business head Monish Sanghavi noted, “With a brand like Woodland, the focus goes beyond managing platforms to shaping how the brand shows up in the digital world. We look forward to building a strong, consistent narrative that deepens connect with loyal consumers and younger audiences alike.”
The mandate comes as Woodland continues to evolve in an increasingly digital landscape, aiming to blend its decades-old recall with fresh, interactive storytelling across social platforms and creator ecosystems.
In a market where heritage brands must keep pace with scroll-speed audiences, Liqvd Asia isn’t just handling Woodland’s digital, it’s helping the brand trek from dusty trails to trending feeds, one authentic post at a time.
