Compliance
Part of Native campaign compliance reviews
Checking labels across publisher and distributor placements
Compare sponsorship cues in rendered publisher cards, distributor units and destinations, then resolve gaps by surface.
Compare the sponsorship cue across every distinct publisher and distributor treatment booked for a campaign. A clear label on an article page does not establish that a card before a click is labelled or that a direct visit makes the paid relationship clear. For each treatment, record the exact cue and who controls its wording.
Map who controls each treatment
List all booked treatments: publisher promotions, recommendation units, email or social variants, and the sponsored destination. For each, record who controls the displayed wording, the applicable format rules, and the closest available final preview. Distinguish a publisher-supplied label from text the advertiser supplies to a distributor.
The Australian Press Council’s Guideline: Advertorials concerns newspaper and magazine content that looks editorial but is published under a commercial arrangement. It recommends “advertisement”, “advertising feature”, “special feature” or “sponsored feature” so readers are not led to believe the content is free of commercial influence.
Outbrain, operating under the Teads brand after the Outbrain–Teads merger, says its guidelines apply to advertiser or agency partners contracted with Outbrain Inc. (recently renamed Teads Holding Co.) and Outbrain UK Limited. Media owners agree to abide by them.
Key Disclosure Guidelines by Authority
- Australian Press Council Recommended Terms
- advertisement, advertising feature, special feature, sponsored feature
- Outbrain (Teads) Advertorial Policy Requirement
- Proper disclosure and adherence to Advertorial policies
- AANA Code of Ethics – Sponsorship Clarity
- Clear indication of commercial influence in content
Compare the rendered placements
Inspect each treatment alongside its headline, image, publisher name and sponsor name, including at phone width. Check that the cue is visible before a click, survives truncation and identifies the commercial role clearly. Inspect the destination near its opening and on a direct visit.
| Treatment | Evidence to inspect | Possible mismatch |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher card | Card in its intended layout | Sponsorship cue lost in a template or crop |
| Distributor unit | Rendered unit and source name | Source name suggests independent publisher endorsement |
| Sponsored page | Title and opening on a phone | Paid relationship unclear to a direct visitor |
| Email or social item | Final scheduled or sent treatment | Page disclosure expected to explain the separate promotion |
For each surface, copy the exact rendered cue and identify its wording owner. Use the Press Council’s recommended terms as a reference when assessing the publisher treatment. Check Outbrain’s proper-disclosure requirement against its Advertorial policies.
Record the comparison side by side: Publisher card — exact rendered wording: [copy cue]; wording owner: [name party]; party named: [copy name or “none”]. Distributor unit — exact rendered wording: [copy cue]; wording owner: [name party]; party named: [copy name or “none”]. Difference: [describe the difference, or “none”]. Fill this from the rendered treatments; do not treat the fields as observed labels.
The table’s mismatch entries are checks to test, not observed campaign results. For each booked treatment, record its exact rendered wording and the party that controls it. Flag a difference only when the treatments can be inspected and compared.
A mock-up may miss truncation or surrounding editorial context. Request a final preview and check the live appearance when available.
Outbrain lists advertorials as an acceptable page type when they have proper disclosure and follow its Advertorial policies.
Sponsorship Cue Consistency Across Publisher and Distributor Placements
- Publisher cardExact rendered wording: [copy cue]; Wording owner: [name party]; Party named: [copy name or "none"]
- Distributor unitExact rendered wording: [copy cue]; Wording owner: [name party]; Party named: [copy name or "none"]
- Sponsored pageTitle and opening on a phone; paid relationship unclear to direct visitor
- Email or social itemFinal scheduled or sent treatment; page disclosure expected to explain separate promotion
Resolve differences by surface
Mark each treatment clear, needs revision or unverified, with its wording owner and version. Correct and reinspect the treatment that failed; do not infer that approval of a different surface covers it. Keep a dated preview or live example to document appearance.
A delivery report answers how often a placement ran, which that example cannot establish. Recheck the cue after a change to the headline, template, surface or destination.
