Belgium’s Digital Ad Trust label reaches 63% of Belgians

More than 18 months after UBA Belgium and WE MEDIA (publishers association) launched Digital Ad Trust (DAT) Belgium in 2019, the quality label has reported a national reach of 63% for display advertising through the 13 DAT-certified websites in the country.

Despite the relatively modest number of websites that have been labelled for high-quality video advertising so far, DAT Belgium in collaboration with Initiative Media also found that the label has a national reach of 34% for video.

These findings highlight the importance of local media to online advertising and that local publishers can be high-quality alternatives to advertising on the big digital platforms.

DAT Belgium certifies websites of Belgian publishers that commit to responsible advertising practices. The initiative aims to increase the quality and standards of digital campaigns and ensure greater transparency and security in the online advertising landscape.

Stéphanie Radochitzki, Digital Strategy Director at Initiative Media, said: “The DAT label allows us to select local partners that focus on the quality of the advertising experience both for advertisers (brand safety, viewability) and website visitors (ad clutter, privacy). By volunteering for an audit, DAT-certified websites are demonstrating their commitment to transparency. This is a positive approach to stand out from international players that currently seem to be turning inwards and limiting external audits. Even though the list of DAT-certified sites is still limited, the coverage potential is very promising... This shows that volume and quality can be combined."

DAT Belgium is the second DAT label in the world. The first initiative was launched in France in 2017 and a third one in Switzerland in early 2021.

For more information, contact Zaki Lahbib.