The Interactive Advertising Bureau of Australia (IAB) has joined the ‘Coalition for Better Ads’ and will work with the international organisation to create local guidelines for online advertising.

The international group, which launched last September, brings together trade bodies, publishers, technology companies, advertising and media agencies, and consumer brands such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble, with an aim to improve consumers’ experience with online advertising.

Yesterday the group launched a Better Ads Standards for desktop and mobile internet advertising in North America and Europe. It now plans to launch a similar research study in Australia and New Zealand and then release local guidelines for marketers, agencies and publishers.

Vijay Solanki, CEO of IAB Australia, said that while online advertising has grown significantly in recent years, so too had the complexities.

“We are continuing to strongly drive every available option to help simplify and improve the online advertising experience for consumers and to improve the advertising value for brands.”

Solanki told The Drum, “There are lots of great conversations going on about the challenges and what we need to do to overcome them. However, much of this is taking place in silos. What excites me about this group is that you have all the key players in the same room. I think a big part of simplifying digital is speaking a common language, and that comes from working together.

“Collaboration is critical to achieving this goal and so working with other trade associations locally and internationally, as well as leading brands and publishers, will continue to underpin our approach.”

Solanki said the IAB Australia is currently exploring local bespoke research options.

The standards come as the industry grapples with issues around ad misplacement and ad blocking.

Commenting on the launch of the standards, Keith Weed, Chief Marketing Officer for Unilever said, “As an industry we have a responsibility to find better ways of making great advertising and content that really engages people. It's in everyone's interest. Better advertising leads to a better experience for the viewer and more effective advertising for brand."

It follows comments by Weed this week at Advertising Week Europe where he warned that the industry needs to "clean up across the board".

Link to the original article from The Drum can be found here.