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Share on XSocial media isn’t just a channel anymore. It’s the channel.
In 2026, social media ad spend is expected to exceed $317 billion globally, making it the largest advertising channel. But more than half of U.S. marketers say social poses the greatest brand safety risk, which may be especially prevalent as more shoppers turn to social to make purchase decisions. The pressure is on to reach consumers in the moments that matter, without sacrificing suitability, wasting spend, or putting brand reputation at risk.
The result?
A landscape where brands are spending more on social than ever before, but with a need for third-party transparency.
How does Total Media Quality (TMQ) solve the social transparency gap?
IAS’s Total Media Quality (TMQ) approach was built on a unique premise: that advertisers deserve an independent, agnostic view of every impression across every social platform. Building on what platforms report about themselves, TMQ delivers insights across brand safety, suitability, viewability, and invalid traffic – covering 15+ platforms from a single source.
TMQ isn’t just about knowing more. These insights translate directly into better performance on social. Brands using IAS Social Optimization alongside TMQ measurement have driven 29% more engagement and 16% more brand-suitable impressions — outcomes that emerge directly from having real transparency into where social ads are actually landing.
Beyond insurance: The shift to social intelligence.
For years, brand safety was treated like an insurance policy—a cost you paid hoping you’d never have to use it. That model is now obsolete.
In a landscape where AI-generated content can impersonate public figures or brands in milliseconds, winning brands are investing in granular, real-time intelligence. They don’t just want to know they are safe; they want the data to prove their media is working across every platform, every impression, and every campaign.
That is the standard IAS was built to deliver.
Want to learn more? Dive deeper into IAS Social Optimization and Total Media Quality.
