Australia and New Zealand have recorded the lowest brand suitability violation rates in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the 2025 Global Insights: APAC Report released today by DoubleVerify.
The annual report draws on over one trillion impressions across desktop, mobile and connected TV environments, alongside global surveys of marketers and consumers. This year’s analysis shows ANZ’s brand suitability violation rate dropped 10 per cent year-on-year to 5.1 per cent, the lowest in APAC.
This decline comes amid growing consumer expectations around ad placement. Nearly half (47 per cent) of Australian consumers said they would stop using a brand if its ads appeared next to false or offensive content.
Despite gains in suitability, the region still contends with challenges. Fraud and Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) in ANZ remain high, with the third-highest rate in APAC. A 36 per cent rise in nonhuman data centre traffic in Australia contributed to the trend.
Attention index below APAC average
While ANZ improved viewability, with authentic and display viewable rates increasing to 70 per cent and 73 per cent respectively, attention remains an issue. The ANZ Attention Index sits at 99, compared to the APAC regional average of 114. That places ANZ below the global benchmark of 100, despite medium-sized desktop display ads across APAC outperforming global norms by 24 per cent.
Conrad Tallariti, Managing Director, APAC at DoubleVerify, said the results reflect both progress and risk: “ANZ has made significant strides in brand suitability, yet the risk of violations can escalate at any moment and strong attention must be top of mind to ensure ads in brand-safe environments truly resonate with consumers.”
“Advertisers here are navigating increasingly fragmented environments where attention is hard-won and brand reputation can shift in an instant,” he added. “Our latest findings emphasise the importance of real-time, region-specific insights to help brands maximise ROI, minimise waste, and ensure their media investments deliver both protection and performance.”
Social reels driving performance
Social media continues to be a core focus for ANZ marketers. The report found that 68 per cent of ANZ advertisers are already active on social platforms, with most planning to increase spend in the next 12 months.
Reels emerged as the most effective format, with 81 per cent of marketers ranking them as top performers.
Global takeaways
• Global brand suitability violations declined 15 per cent, with “Unsuitable Category” violations comprising 65 per cent of incidents.
• Fraud/SIVT dropped globally by 7 per cent, though bot fraud increased in mobile apps.
• The Authentic Viewable Rate rose 3 per cent to 70 per cent globally, aided by efforts to address “TV Off” measurement issues.
• APAC had the highest Attention Index globally—14 per cent above the benchmark—while North America lagged at 96.
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify, said: “Success now depends on precise, real-time insights that ensure every impression meets the highest standards of quality and effectiveness. That’s what drives meaningful outcomes in today’s media environment.”
The full 2025 Global Insights: APAC Report is available here.
Top image: Conrad Tallariti