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Bountiful Cow proves “RA: Unblocked” drives brand impact by challenging brand safety norms

New research shows ads placed alongside ‘brand unsafe’ content on premium publisher sites deliver stronger brand results

Independent media agency Bountiful Cow has today revealed groundbreaking research that confirms its proprietary programmatic tool, RA: Unblocked, significantly boosts brand performance by unlocking premium inventory currently excluded by traditional brand safety filters.

Launched in partnership with Ozone in late 2024, RA: Unblocked was designed to challenge the industry’s over-reliance on blunt brand safety technology that routinely blocks quality content – particularly from trusted news publishers – based on keywords alone.

The new research, led by Bountiful Cow’s Head of Digital Charlotte Powers, proves that brands can unlock greater engagement and effectiveness by removing unnecessary brand safety restrictions and embracing credible news environments.

Key results include:

  • An Attention Index of 126 for “brand unsafe” content, compared to 120 for content where brand safety filters were applied
  • Brand lift of 40% on “unsafe” content versus 18% on “safe” content
  • Significant uplift across all three brand metrics: action intent, preference, and consideration

The study was run using Bountiful Cow’s Prospero platform, with launch partners Hilltop Honey, Numan and The Body Coach, and activated across Ozone’s network of premium UK news publishers. It tested two media lines – one with brand safety filters applied, and one with no filters – in live campaign conditions.

“We’re delighted the results of “RA: Unblocked” confirm what we’ve long believed: quality publishers are brand safe, full stop. It’s time advertisers stop avoiding news and start supporting the very environments that drive results and support a healthy democracy. Editors already do the work to ensure high standards. Brands should back them — not block them.”

Adam Foley

CEO, Bountiful Cow
“Brand safety tech, in its current form, is blocking quality mainstream news content — from politics to football — based on blunt keywords. Our study shows this fear is misplaced. Removing overzealous filters not only improves visibility, but ads benefited from the trusted context, driving stronger engagement and brand perception.

“We’re committed to applying these insights across all future campaigns, with a clear goal: to curate a list of premium news sites across our partners that can deliver high-volume display and video impressions — without excluding hard news.”

Charlotte Powers

Head of Digital, Bountiful Cow, and Project Research Lead
“The team at Bountiful Cow put the theory to the test and the results speak for themselves – whatever the subject matter, advertising in trusted news brands works.  I really hope these results act as a catalyst for action-orientated change across the ad industry.” 

Jo Allan

CEO, Newsworks

RA: Unblocked is part of Bountiful Cow’s broader Relative Advantage framework, which helps challenger brands find overlooked opportunities across media, strategy and creativity. The agency recently expanded its offering with BC2, a new consultancy arm focused on holistic brand growth.

For a copy of the full RA: Unblocked study or to find out more, contact [email protected].

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