Charlamagne Tha God: Advertisers Should Rethink ‘Brand Safety.’

Charlamagne Tha God is challenging advertisers over the concept of “brand safety.”

Speaking earlier this month at the IAB’s Podcast Upfront in New York, the co-host of the Premiere Networks syndicated show “The Breakfast Club” argues the “whole concept” is a “problem.”

“You look at somebody, and you look at their audience, and you say they’re not necessarily safe,” Charlamagne said. “What does that mean? There was a time a couple of years ago, they were saying Judy Blume books weren’t safe — Judy Blume! You should say maybe that audience doesn’t necessarily align with my brand. But if you deem what’s safe and not safe, that’s not up to you, that’s up to the consumer.”

The term, and the industry it describes, emerged from the push to automate digital ad purchasing, Business Insider notes. The original purpose of “brand safety” was to prevent brand advertisements from appearing alongside sensitive or controversial content, such as violence or pornography. But over time the practice has faced criticism for unintentionally driving advertisers away from legitimate news coverage on important topics — such as the COVID-19 pandemic — ultimately stripping news organizations of crucial advertising revenue.

“Brand safety” has also landed in the culture wars in the era of President Trump, with some painting it as anti-conservative. In investigations and lawsuits, lawmakers and other high-profile conservatives have argued that the practice unfairly punished right-leaning outlets.

Charlamagne (born Lenard McKelvey) also touted the podcast medium and how it complements radio. “You can’t just have one form of content,” he said. “Like, if you have that radio show every day, you got to put it out on the podcast. You got to put it out on YouTube. You got to put the clips out on social media.”

The host also said that when it comes to a show, audience size isn’t the only consideration.

“Sometimes you have to not just look into the audience and how large the audience is and actually listen to the personality or listen to what the show is about,” he said. “And say, you know, ‘I think my brand will align with that.’ Because you can tell when somebody is just getting paid to do something. The read sounds generic, the read just sounds basic.”