Understanding GARM Brand Safety Scores
Podscan provides brand safety assessments based on GARM (Global Alliance for Responsible Media) standards. These scores help advertisers and brands evaluate content suitability before sponsorship or partnership decisions.
What is GARM?
The Global Alliance for Responsible Media is an industry initiative that established a common framework for categorizing digital media content risk. GARM standards are widely used by advertisers to ensure brand-safe ad placements.
Where to Find Brand Safety Scores
On Podcast Pages
The Podcast Details page displays:
- Overall risk level: Safe, Low, Medium, High, or Policy Violation
- Risk distribution: Breakdown showing how many episodes fall into each safety level
On Episode Pages
Individual episodes show:
- GARM Brand Safety Shield: Episode-specific risk indicator
- Available in episode listings and Episode Details view
In Alert Mentions
Mentions from alerts include brand safety indicators when available, helping you quickly assess content suitability.
Understanding Risk Levels
Level | Meaning | Typical Content |
|---|---|---|
Safe | No identified concerns | General audience content |
Low | Minor sensitivity | Mild language, some mature themes |
Medium | Moderate concerns | Adult themes, strong opinions |
High | Significant concerns | Explicit content, controversial topics |
Policy Violation | Unsuitable for most brands | Extreme content |
How Podscan Calculates Scores
Brand safety assessments analyze:
- Transcript content for sensitive topics
- Language and tone analysis
- Topic classification against GARM categories
- Historical episode patterns
Scores are calculated per episode and aggregated at the podcast level.
Using Brand Safety for Sponsorship Decisions
Pre-Partnership Due Diligence
- Search for potential sponsor targets
- Review overall podcast brand safety distribution
- Check recent episodes for consistency
- Factor safety levels into partnership decisions
Campaign Monitoring
Set up alerts with brand safety awareness:
- Track when your brand is mentioned
- Note the safety level of content where mentions appear
- Prioritize response to mentions in Safe/Low risk content
- Monitor for mentions in potentially problematic content
Building Media Plans
When creating podcast advertising plans:
- Filter or sort by brand safety level
- Add Safe/Low risk podcasts to your sponsorship Lists
- Export with safety data for client reporting
Brand Safety in Lists
When you add podcasts to a List, the Demographics View includes:
- Aggregate safety distribution across the list
- Helpful for evaluating an entire media plan's risk profile
Filtering by Brand Safety
While browsing podcasts or creating alerts, consider using:
- Category restrictions to focus on lower-risk content areas
- Audience size filters (larger shows often have stricter content policies)
- Language filters for markets with different standards
Important Considerations
Contextual judgment: Automated scoring can't capture all nuance. A podcast discussing health topics may score Medium due to medical terminology, even if perfectly brand-safe.
Episode variation: Individual episodes may differ from podcast averages. Review recent episodes for current content patterns.
Industry standards: What's appropriate varies by brand and industry. A pharmaceutical company may accept different content than a children's product brand.
Verification recommended: Use GARM scores as a screening tool, then review actual content before major partnership decisions.
GARM Categories
GARM standards assess content across categories including:
- Adult & Explicit Sexual Content
- Arms & Ammunition
- Crime & Harmful Acts
- Death, Injury, or Military Conflict
- Debated Sensitive Social Topics
- Drugs & Tobacco
- Hate Speech & Discrimination
- Obscenity & Profanity
- Spam & Malware
- Terrorism
Podscan's scoring reflects analysis across these standard categories.
Updated on: 18/12/2025
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