In this episode of The Partner Marketing Podcast, Matthias hosts a conversation with Daniel Karlovic, Founder and CEO of AdPolice, and Ryan Irvine, the company’s Head of Global Sales. The discussion centers on the critical role of Brand protection in Partner and Affiliate Marketing, with a specific focus on how AdPolice enables Brands and networks to safeguard their branded terms across paid search and other digital channels.
The episode offers both technical insight and strategic perspective, making it a valuable resource for affiliate managers, digital marketers, and Brand leaders looking to maintain control over their Brand presence online.
The Origin and Evolution of AdPolice
Matthias: "A very warm welcome to the Partner Marketing Podcast. My guests today are Daniel Karlovic and Ryan Irvine. Daniel is the founder and CEO of AdPolice, and Ryan is responsible for global sales. AdPolice is a highly specialized global tool that protects Brands against fraud. Hello, Daniel and Ryan. It's great having you here today in The Partner Marketing Podcast; welcome! Starting with AdPolice, Daniel, what inspired you to found AdPolice?"
Daniel: "Hi, Matthias. Thank you for inviting us. So, AdPolice was founded in 2008. At that time, I was responsible for online marketing, especially for paid search and affiliate marketing. And I was a little bit frustrated about a few affiliates. They were engaging in ad hijacking and stealing commissions from the Brands that I work for. And that was the starting point of AdPolice."
Daniel continues by sharing that the company initially specialized in detecting unauthorized use of Brand keywords, especially on Google Ads. Over time, its offering has grown to cover not only paid search but also display advertising, Google Shopping, marketplaces like Amazon, and other environments where Brand abuse can occur.
The company has become a recognized global leader in Brand protection services. With its headquarters in Germany, AdPolice now supports clients across Europe and North America. While its early focus was primarily on large Brands, it is now also actively collaborating with affiliate networks and Partner Marketing platforms, including Tradedoubler. This shift reflects a broader trend in the industry: Brands are increasingly aware that Brand protection must extend into all performance-based marketing activities, including those managed by partners and affiliates.
Understanding the Brand Protection Challenge in Online Marketing
Matthias: "Having fraud in your online marketing channels – independently of what channel it is - has quite an impact on your performance and the way you steer your online marketing activities. Ryan, could you please explain why?"
Ryan: "Essentially the way that it works is that for ad hijacking in particular, it's an inflating balloon that will eventually pop because what will happen is you'll see the sales dilute from the paid search channel but overall when reviewing both, there will be a lot of people that will say, there'll be no change in the amount of sales that are generated and the Brand sooner or later will recognize that they're paying the same amount or they're paying more for the acquisition per sale in terms of affiliate commissions, but they'll recognize that there's been no uplift in sales across the channel overall. So that is really where it comes to the breaking point, and what we then make Brands realize is to be proactive in this situation in terms of being able to cut out the bad stuff within the program, understand the real figures, and then they can reinvest that money back into partnerships that actually build up real value to the Brand itself."
Throughout the episode, Daniel and Ryan emphasize that affiliate and Partner Marketing environments are particularly susceptible to Brand abuse. One of the most frequent issues is when affiliates - either knowingly or unknowingly - bid on a Brand’s branded keywords in search engines like Google. These violations can take several forms, including bidding on exact match Brand terms, using Brand names in ad copy or URLs, or deploying redirect tactics that mislead consumers into believing they are clicking on an official Brand ad.
This behavior can significantly harm Brands in multiple ways. Firstly, it leads to higher costs in paid search campaigns because unauthorized parties increase the cost-per-click (CPC) for branded keywords. Secondly, it causes Brands to lose conversions and attribution, as traffic meant for their own direct channels is funneled through affiliate links. Thirdly, it damages consumer trust, especially when misleading ads lead to confusing or poor-quality landing pages. Lastly, and critically, it creates a compliance risk, as it can violate both internal affiliate agreements and the policies of advertising platforms like Google.
AdPolice’s Technology and Approach to Monitoring
To combat these issues, AdPolice has developed a sophisticated technology platform that can simulate real user behavior across different regions and devices. This allows it to detect violations in a way that replicates actual user journeys. The system operates around the clock, using VPNs to simulate different geographic locations and devices, which is essential to uncover geo-targeted or dayparted violations that might otherwise escape detection.
Ryan: "So essentially, what AdPolice does is we simulate a real search user query, and we will search your keyword, and we'll identify all ads being placed on said keyword at the time of searching it. And this can be a Publisher within your program; it could even be a competitor's affiliate to help with your recruitment strategy. It could be resellers that are bidding on various keywords that are not authorized within your reseller agreements. Ultimately, as well, it could just be wider competitor intelligence. So understanding who are your top competitors on your branded keywords. Are there any agreements that you can form with said competitors, or can you just understand and inform the wider bidding strategy?"
One of the standout capabilities of AdPolice’s system is its ability to identify hidden redirects. Many violators attempt to cloak their behavior by redirecting users through intermediary URLs or using JavaScript to mask their final destinations. AdPolice’s crawlers are specifically designed to detect these tactics. The company also compiles both real-time and historical data, providing clients with evidence-rich reports that clearly identify who is in violation, what keywords are being targeted, and what action needs to be taken.
Partnerships with Networks
The episode also explores how AdPolice collaborates directly with networks to streamline the enforcement process. The partnership between AdPolice and Tradedoubler, for example, enables data from AdPolice to be directly integrated into the Tradedoubler platform. This means Brands on the network can receive automated alerts, view detailed violation reports, and take quick action against offending affiliates - all within their regular affiliate management workflow.
This kind of integration reduces operational friction for affiliate managers, who no longer need to spend time manually checking compliance or interpreting logs. For affiliate networks, the benefit is twofold: they can maintain a trustworthy ecosystem for their Brands while reducing internal costs associated with fraud detection and enforcement. From a reputational standpoint, a proactive Brand protection system also signals to Brands that the network is serious about compliance and integrity.
Case Examples and Measurable Outcomes
Daniel and Ryan note that Brands who implement AdPolice typically see immediate and measurable improvements. For example, once Brand bidding violations are flagged and acted upon, there is often an immediate drop in illegitimate PPC activity. This leads to lower CPCs for the Brand, as fewer entities are artificially inflating auction prices. Additionally, conversion rates often improve because users are more likely to reach the correct landing page without being diverted.
Another important benefit is that legitimate affiliates - those who follow the rules - tend to perform better in an environment with proper compliance enforcement. These affiliates benefit from fairer competition and a more predictable commission structure. In some cases, Brands have seen improvements in both ROI and partner satisfaction simply by introducing active monitoring of Brand terms.
Daniel: "And appreciate it's not always black and white, but really, for ad hijacking, there should be zero tolerance. Some Brands will allow a Publisher to stay after ad hijacking, but I would deem that to be intentional fraud. However, Brand bidding is often not considered as serious as ad hijacking. Still, there need to be clear steps involved highlighting who are the authorized affiliates to be running PPC campaigns and then all those that don't have a clear next-step process in order to stop that activity, to allow the affiliates that you have authorized PPC rights to, to continue those campaigns. If you are not enforcing compliance and essentially helping those affiliates out that you've given authorized rights to, it will just increase their own costs on running those campaigns, which is just not healthy for forming that relationship.”
Current Industry Trends and New Challenges
Ryan explains that violators are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In addition to cloaking and redirection, some affiliates are now using artificial intelligence to generate dynamic ad copy or rotate landing pages, making it harder for manual spot-checks to detect violations. Other tactics include the use of URL masking, dayparting (showing ads only during specific times of day), and geo-fencing (targeting specific regions while avoiding others).
These developments make it clear that passive monitoring is no longer sufficient. Violations often occur at night, on weekends, or in specific markets, meaning that enforcement must be continuous and technology-driven. Daniel adds that many Brands still rely on occasional audits or tip-offs to uncover abuse, which leaves large exposure gaps.
Strategic Advice for Brands and Affiliate Managers
Daniel and Ryan recommend that Brands begin by defining a clear Brand policy that includes explicit rules about keyword bidding and redirect behavior. These rules should be incorporated into affiliate agreements and shared with network partners. Beyond policy, the key is to implement an active monitoring solution that can track Brand usage in real-time and at scale.
They also stress the importance of clear communication with affiliates. Many violations are not malicious but stem from misunderstandings or poor onboarding. Educating partners about what constitutes compliance, and providing feedback when issues arise, can go a long way toward building a sustainable and mutually beneficial affiliate program.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AdPolice and Brand Protection
The episode concludes with a forward-looking view on AdPolice’s roadmap. The company is currently investing in expanded analytics and automation to make violation detection and enforcement even faster. It is also exploring new monitoring opportunities beyond search, including influencer marketing, marketplace monitoring (e.g., Amazon, eBay), and social media Brand usage.
Daniel emphasizes that AdPolice aims to become a standard compliance layer for affiliate marketing, much like fraud detection tools are standard for credit card processing. As digital advertising ecosystems become more complex, the need for consistent, global Brand protection will only grow. AdPolice intends to lead the way in providing that protection.
Matthias closes the episode by highlighting the critical importance of integrating Brand protection into overall Partner Marketing strategies. He reflects on how tools like AdPolice not only ensure compliance but also improve the efficiency and performance of marketing efforts. For Tradedoubler and its partners, the collaboration with AdPolice represents a step forward in building a more trustworthy and results-driven marketing ecosystem.
Listen to the entire episode on Spotify, Apple Podcast, our website, and all other podcast platforms.
About The Partner Marketing Podcast
The podcast brings together thought leaders and professionals from across the globe. In each episode, our host, Matthias, sits down with guests to discuss the evolving world of Partner Marketing and share personal stories.
For more details, please visit www.tradedoubler.com/podcast