Who Should Own Advertising Data? Thoughts from the 2023 POSSIBLE Event

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by MMA / Ipsos

By Robert Cardarelli, EVP Attribution & Analytics

POSSIBLE 2023 EventI recently had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the 2023 POSSIBLE event in Miami–seeing AdTech, Advertisers, and Publishers come together to address critical topics that are shaping the future of digital marketing. So many exciting discussions! Two talk tracks near and dear to me are how we, as an industry, think about the future of data strategy and AI technology. Such important topics address how we shape customer experiences, unlock value for advertisers, and prepare us for a world where data is used responsibly.

And, of course, there was LL Cool J, Elon Musk, A-Rod, and Bon Jovi. It was an impressive event on all fronts, particularly in how today’s leaders think about the role of AI and what society and business leaders need to do to embrace it.

The panel I participated in, “Whose Data is it Anyway?,” hosted by our partner, Adform touched on an important topic: who should own advertising data? This is a complex question — especially in the context of privacy, walled gardens, and emerging regulations. I was thrilled to be on a panel with various industry leaders to share perspectives on data ownership.

While there are many perspectives one could take on this topic, one thing is clear: there is still much work to be done to gain alignment—and protecting user privacy is essential. Take it from the POV of each stakeholder:

  •  Advertisers argue that brands should own their advertising data. They invest significant resources in executing campaigns, and the data generated from those campaigns can provide valuable insights for optimizing their strategies, audiences, and effectiveness of their investments. Ownership gives brands more transparency and independence to reach their goals.

 

  • Platforms such as Meta, Google, and others reason that they should own the data generated by their tech. They provide tools and access to find audiences that advertisers target to run their campaigns effectively. Data ownership from the platform’s POV is necessary to improve their solutions and provide personalized experiences.

 

  • AdTech Solutions use data to enhance their algorithms, improve targeting, and deliver stronger ROI for their agency and client partners. They can optimize ad delivery and campaign performance by collecting vast amounts of data that enable targeted and efficient advertising.

 

Clearly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for such an important topic. Striking a balance between privacy, efficiency, and transparency is crucial in shaping the future of advertising data ownership.

More specifics on our partnership with Adform can be found here.