TikTok introduced two new controls to give advertisers more choice regarding where their content appears:

• Category Exclusion.
• Vertical Sensitivity controls.

Additionally, the social media platform is merging account-level controls for all brand safety and suitability solutions within TikTok Ads Manager (TTAM) to make using these new tools even easier.

Why we care. Ads appearing alongside content that doesn’t align with your brand identity isn’t ideal. Not only does it conflict with their company’s message, but it also likely makes it harder to reach and engage with high-value consumers.

Category Exclusion. This new feature allows advertises to control whether their ad is served next to four non-standard categories:

• ******** and lotteries.
• ******* video games.
• Combat sports.
• Youth content.

By managing association with these content categories, brands can ensure consistency in messaging. Category Exclusion only applies to content that doesn’t breach TikTok’s Community Guidelines – for example, although the platform does now allow the promotion of ******** services, content featuring ******** in entertainment, such as movies, is allowed.

Vertical Sensitivity. Advertisers can utilize this feature to choose their industry vertical and avoid content related to that vertical that they deem incompatible with their brand positioning, providing an extra layer of brand protection. For instance, a travel brand that typically focuses on nature-themed content may opt out of appearing alongside content about volcanoes or floods.

TikTok now offers 11 verticals to choose from:

• Pets.
• Beauty.
• Food.
• Fashion/Retail.
• Travel.
• Financial Services.
• Technology.
• Automotive.
• Gaming.
• Professional Services.
• Entertainment.

Verified third-party results. TikTok also expanded its partnerships with DoubleVerify (DV), Integral Ad Science (IAS), and Zefr to include post-campaign measurement of these new controls

Unified TikTok Ads Manager hub. Additionally, the platform has introduced the Brand Safety Hub in TikTok Ads Manager to simplify brand safety measures and provide consistency for advertisers. This hub offers advertisers a smoother process, enabling them to set brand safety and suitability preferences at the account level, which then become default settings for future campaigns. It’s designed for advertisers who have clear preferences and want them applied automatically with minimal effort.

What TikTok is saying. TikTok said in a statement:

• “Beyond brand safety, we respect that brands know their values best. As such, they may have preferences as to where they show up, especially when it comes to the content next to their ads.”
• “That’s why we’re committed to continuously innovating beyond traditional suitability standards—to build solutions that empower advertisers with even more control.”
• “The new controls go above and beyond common industry standards and guidance for protections, including the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) Brand Suitability Framework.”

Deep dive. Read TikTok’s announcement in full for more information.