When an unauthorised party, often a publisher acting outside program terms, runs ads that impersonate or closely mimic an advertiser's own paid search or display creative to intercept traffic intended for the brand's official ads. It differs from brand bidding by involving deceptive or copied ad creative rather than just keyword targeting.
A rogue affiliate copies an advertiser's exact ad headline and display URL styling, then runs it alongside the real ad in search results, confusing shoppers into clicking the affiliate's version and diverting commission-generating traffic away from the brand's own campaign.
Most advertisers first document the offending ad with screenshots, then report the breach to the affiliate network for immediate program termination and commission clawback under program terms. Persistent or deceptive cases may also warrant a direct complaint to the ad platform, since impersonation can breach its own advertising policies.
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