New York – March 14, 2024 – Today, IAB released its annual report, “State of Data 2024: How the Digital Ad Industry is Adapting to the Privacy-by-Design Ecosystem.”

The study, conducted by IAB in partnership with BWG Strategy, surveyed over 500 advertising and data experts at brands, agencies, and publishers. It reveals the substantial operational and financial adjustments being undertaken by the digital ecosystem as it moves towards a privacy-by design architecture.

“The meaningful investments being made are proof positive of the industry’s commitment to a privacy-first orientation,” said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB. “Executives are taking notice and funding the right initiatives for the next stage of industry growth”.

Key findings from the study include:

Nearly all (95%) advertising and data decision-makers at brands, agencies, and publishers expect continued signal loss and/or privacy legislation in 2024 and beyond.

The industry is investing in hiring new subject matter experts (SMEs), updating training for their staff, creating dedicated teams, expanding their legal expertise, leveraging new technology, and increasing first-party data efforts.

82% of the respondents said the makeup and structure of their organizations have been impacted by legislation and signal loss. Nearly 80% are training or planning to train their staff directly in data/privacy-related topics, while half of companies are creating or planning to create dedicated teams/departments (49%) and hiring or planning to hire external SMEs (48%).

Respondents believe the new paradigm will challenge targeting, personalization, and measurement. 

More than half expect it to be harder to track conversions overall (55%), post-view conversions (52%), attribute campaign/channel performance (55%), measure ROI (55%), make optimizations (50%), and measure frequency (50%) and reach (47%). Nearly nine-in-ten ad buyers report shifts in personalization tactics, ad spend, and their mix of first, second, and third-party data. Over three-in-four cite selection changes in media channels and KPIs, along with more seller-direct deals.

To improve data quality, brands, agencies, and publishers are turning to first-party data and data-enrichment tools. 

The study found that 71% of brands, agencies, and publishers are currently or planning to grow their first-party datasets, nearly twice the rate of just two years ago (41%).

“To tackle data quality challenges, it’s crucial for brands, agencies, and publishers to continue to adopt innovative analytical methods including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and media mix modeling that are less dependent on tracking signals and third-party cookies,” said Angelina Eng, VP Measurement, Addressability & Data Center, IAB.

The shift to privacy-by-design is transforming media planning and buying. 

Ad spend that taps first-party data and engages audiences at scale are being prioritized. Nearly nine-in-ten ad buyers report a shift in message personalization strategies (89%), ad investment costs (87%), and over three-in-four cite selection changes in media channels (81%) and KPIs (79%), along with more seller-direct deals.

Ad buyers are shifting budgets to Connected TV, retail media, search, and social networks which rely less on cookies, provide access to valuable first-party data and precise targeting, and contain embedded measurement.

Overhauling and reinventing data processes is a costly sea change that will hurt small and medium-sized publishers and favor giants.

Large companies are investing more in identity anonymization training (79%) than small companies (64%). They are also investing more in training in privacy-preserving technologies (62%) — which can cost over $2 million annually — than small companies (44%). Signal loss is already pushing advertising budgets toward closed ecosystems at a moment when independent publishers can least afford to lose revenue.

“The industry’s embrace of privacy-by-design is the right thing for the industry and consumers alike,” Eng continued. “But if small independent publishers aren’t protected, the vibrant, independent open web that consumers love is at serious risk.”

The study, State of Data 2024: How the Digital Ad Industry is Adapting to the Privacy-by-Design Ecosystem can be downloaded here.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

About BWG Strategy
Established in 2013, BWG Strategy is a primary research firm with an unwavering commitment to data quality. Our journey began with hosting live in-person events featuring industry thought leaders in New York City. These events have established BWG as a trusted thought partner to the buyside community.​ As BWG’s reputation for investment-grade insights grew, so did the strong client following. Today, BWG’s research is leveraged by 300+ investment firms managing over $6T in assets. BWG supports multi-strategy funds, private equity and venture capital investors, as well as corporate decision makers in finding answers to their most challenging questions.​ BWG Custom Research, the firm’s fastest growing segment, delivers meticulously tailored custom research projects to help clients in their research and decision making. BWG Custom Research team is proud to serve a diverse client portfolio that spans the top private equity and management consulting firms, and Fortune 500 corporations. BWG Custom Research offers solutions for a wide array of use cases, including product marketing, mergers and acquisitions, customer and competitor studies and thought leadership. This dynamic evolution underscores BWG Strategy’s commitment to providing innovative, tailored research solutions that empower its clients to excel in an ever-changing business landscape.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com/mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post Digital Industry Moves Aggressively to Privacy-by-Design, According to IAB’s Annual State of Data Report appeared first on IAB.

Public Comment Open Until March 9, 2024

NEW YORK, February 8, 2024 – In collaboration, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Media Rating Council (MRC) have released their Augmented Reality (AR) Measurement Guidelines to establish clear and consistent definitions and measurement guidelines for ads within Augmented Reality campaigns. The guidelines are open for public comment for a 30-day period until March 9th, 2024.

The IAB AR Measurement Guidelines Task Force, working with MRC, set forth guidelines for advertisers and marketers to quantify how much media is delivered and gauge how well their media achieved their business objectives within AR media campaigns.

“Brands are increasingly utilizing AR in their media campaigns to connect with consumers in more meaningful and immersive ways,” said Zoe Soon, VP, Experience Center, IAB. “The Augmented Reality advertising market is projected to generate $1.2 Billion in revenue in the U.S. this year. Thus, as an industry, we need to establish a greater consistency on how we define and measure AR advertising to foster fairness and transparency for buyers and sellers.”

To effectively capture the impact of AR campaigns, these guidelines set a framework to establish clear and consistent definitions for ad delivery, viewability, audience, engagement, and performance. The guidelines are inclusive of AR’s interactive and immersive formats as AR can accrue non-physical interactions with products as well as the physical interactions related to browsing in the context of attribution.

“The efforts to draft these guidelines involved developing a deep understanding of the AR measurement landscape through collaboration with the IAB AR Measurement Guidelines Task Force, we created a measurement framework for ad delivery, audience, engagement, and outcomes that provides consistency with other digital measurement while reflecting unique aspects of the AR environment,” added Ron Pinelli, SVP Digital Research and Standards, MRC. “This public comment period is an opportunity for all members of the digital advertising community – brands, publishers, agencies, and ad tech companies – to join the conversation and share their feedback regarding AR advertising measurement and work together to address the present and future of AR advertising experiences.”

“Over the last decade, we’ve seen first-hand the value augmented reality (AR) has for our community and for brands looking to engage consumers,” said Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Vice President, Product Growth, Snap Inc. “We’re excited to partner with IAB and MRC, and help the industry navigate effective AR campaign measurement. The AR Measurement Guidelines Task Force is playing a leading role in defining the future of AR advertising, and we look forward to using these guidelines to help partners maximize their AR outcomes.”

The proposed IAB/MRC Augmented Reality (AR) Guidelines can be reviewed here. Questions and comments can be sent to experience-center@iab.com.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

About MRC
The Media Rating Council is a non-profit industry association established in 1963 comprised of leading television, radio, print and digital media companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations, whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective.  Measurement services desiring MRC accreditation are required to disclose to their customers all methodological aspects of their service; comply with the MRC Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research as well as other applicable industry measurement guidelines; and submit to MRC-designed audits to authenticate and illuminate their procedures. In addition, the MRC membership actively pursues research issues they consider priorities in an effort to improve the quality of research in the marketplace. Currently approximately 110 research products are audited by the MRC. Additional information about MRC can be found at www.mediaratingcouncil.org.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post IAB and MRC Release Augmented Reality Measurement Guidelines For Public Comment appeared first on IAB.

Due to Industry Demand, IAB Connected Commerce Summit Returns bigger than ever with a Two-Day Event Experience Addressing the Rise of Retail Media

NEW YORK, November 30, 2023 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today unveiled its 2024 thought leadership and marketplace events schedule. Aiming to excite, inspire, and motivate, the event lineup addresses key issues across marketing, AI, streaming, gaming, retail, and public policy, as well as responsible media and data use. 

“IAB’s mission is to gather the industry together, and provide insights and tools to help buyers, marketers, and the entire digital ecosystem navigate these shifts,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The only constant in the digital marketplace is change, and there is probably no time in recent memory where there has been so much in flux at one time. Opportunity and growth are born out of this dynamism, which is incredibly exciting.”

Overview of 2024 Tentpole Events

IAB ALM 2024: On January 28-30, the 2024 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting will gather digital pioneers and business leaders in Marco Island, Florida to discuss critical topics for the industry, and, with its returning theme “It Starts Here,” will set the agenda for the year to come. With nearly 100 speakers including more CMOs than ever before, attendees will hear from leading executives through keynotes, insightful panel discussions, and curated networking experiences covering the most important topics in the digital advertising space such as generative AI, responsible media, commerce, creativity, the evolution of streaming, and much more.

“ALM kicks off the year gathering leaders, thinkers, and builders to tackle the biggest industry issues from the creator economy, cookie deprecation, consumer privacy, policy regulation, and more,” added Cohen. “We also couldn’t have a conference without discussing the state of measurement. Returning to the ALM stage are the CEOs of Comscore, iSpot, Nielsen, and VideoAmp who will participate in the “Great Measurement Debate Part 2” to address measurement opportunities, challenges, and what we, as an industry, can do better to effectively measure campaign effectiveness.”

Some of this year’s featured speakers thus far include:

• Ime Archibong, Vice President, Product Management, Meta
• Bob Bakish, President and CEO, Paramount Global
• Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator (R-TN)
• Alysia Borsa, Chief Business Officer and President, Lifestyle, Dotdash Meredith
• Jen Brace, Chief Futurist, Ford
• Jon Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer, Comscore
• Jeffrey Cole, Director of the Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg School
• Stephanie Dobbs Brown, Chief Marketing Officer, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)
• Esi Eggleston Bracey, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer – Effective January 1, 2024, Unilever
• Nancy Hall, Chief Executive Officer, Mindshare North America
• John Halley, President, Paramount Advertising
• Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer, McDonald’s USA
• Diana Haussling, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Consumer Experience & Growth, Chief Marketing Officer, Colgate-Palmolive
• Debora Kantt, Executive Director, Futurist, Strategic Foresight & Future Studies Lead, JP Morgan
• Jenna Lebel, Chief Marketing Officer, Liberty Mutual
• Ross McCray, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VideoAmp
• Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and Chief Washington Correspondent; Host, MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports”
• Sean Muller, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, iSpot.tv
• Peter Naylor, Vice President, Advertising Sales, Netflix
• Katie Neil, Head of Connected Commerce Marketing and Investments, The Coca-Cola Company
• Amie Owen, Global Chief Commerce Officer, UM Worldwide
• Shelly Palmer, Chief Executive Officer, The Palmer Group
• Karthik Rao, Chief Executive Officer, Nielsen
• Jenny Rooney, Chief Experience Officer, Adweek
• Susan Schiekofer, Chief Digital Investment Officer, GroupM U.S.
• Jessica Sibley, Chief Executive Officer, TIME
• Resh Sidhu, Global Director Arcadia Creative Studio, Snap Inc
• Aaron Sorkin, Screenwriter, Playwright, and Director
• Jonathan Stringfield, Vice President, Global Business Research & Marketing, Activision Blizzard Media
• Jennie Weber, Chief Marketing Officer, Best Buy Co. Inc.

For the latest on ALM speakers, please visit: iab.com/alm 

Over the course of three days, attendees will hear discussions around critical issues including:

• Generative AI, the Creativity Revolution, and Ethical Crossroads in the Digital Economy
• Navigating the Convergence of Omni-Channel Experiences, Retail Media, Shoppable Ads, and Content
• Privacy in Practice: From Policy to Implementation
• The March Towards a ‘Streaming-First’ Future
• Ethical Pulse: Steering the Digital Industry Towards Responsible Media and Inclusive Best Practices
• A New Era of Creativity: Attention, Innovation, and Personalization

Full agenda can be accessed here: iab.com/alm 

“Attendees come to ALM to hear firsthand from brands and marketers on how they’re adapting to industry change and moving the needle for their companies to thrive in the digital advertising ecosystem,” said Carryl Pierre-Drews, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, IAB. “This year, we have more CMOs and marketing executives taking the stage at ALM, including Best Buy, Liberty Mutual, McDonald’s, Unilever, and more. In addition to the various sessions, IAB will host a CMO-centric breakfast addressing the critical role of marketers in leading AI efforts.” 

On January 29 at ALM, IAB will host with Adweek the Marketing Vanguard CMO breakfast, an invitation-only gathering of leading marketing executives plus their rising stars. They’ll meet to explore AI’s impact on advertising, marketing, and business strategy. Moderated by Jenny Rooney, Chief Experience Officer at Adweek, the panel discussion at the breakfast, titled “Steering the AI Ship: Exploring the CMO’s Role and Responsibility,” will dive into the CMO’s role in driving company-wide AI efforts, implementation, and usage that is customer-first, on-brand, and responsible.

IAB PlayFronts 2024, March 26-27, 2024, New York City, In-person & Virtual 

The third annual IAB PlayFronts makes its return bigger than ever before, taking place over two days in New York City as well as live-streamed. IAB PlayFronts is dedicated to showcasing advertising and partnership opportunities in the gaming industry. Leading game publishers, streaming platforms, and ad tech partners will demonstrate creative opportunities for brands in the gaming landscape, and present opportunities to elevate the effectiveness of gaming.

IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit 2024, April 2, 2024, Washington, D.C., In-person

With new regulations and state privacy laws taking effect, the digital media landscape is constantly evolving. Hear from experts to stay ahead of all the legal, policy, and technical challenges impacting businesses today. The annual IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit will bring together leaders in advertising, media, technology, and the government to address how to continue to build a sustainable consumer-centric media and marketing ecosystem.

IAB NewFronts 2024, April 29-May 2, 2024, New York City, In-person & Virtual 

IAB NewFronts hosts some of the biggest names in media and entertainment fostering valuable partnerships between brands and native digital video content. Across New York City and streamed virtually, IAB NewFronts is a one-stop shop for media buyers eager to get a first look at the latest digital video content and advertising solutions. For the second year in a row, IAB will have its stage again on Wednesday, May 1st to feature a selection of presenting companies. 

IAB Podcast Upfront 2024, May 9, 2024, New York City, In-person & Virtual

Following IAB NewFronts, IAB Podcast Upfront is designed for brands, agencies, and media buyers to preview the latest in innovative podcast programming. Join leading audio and podcast companies as they showcase the power of podcasts and announce brand new shows and content opportunities for advertisers to align with their brand. IAB Podcast Upfront will take place in New York City and be streamed virtually.

IAB Connected Commerce Summit 2024, September 17-18, New York City, In-person

Back by popular demand, and for two full days, IAB Connected Commerce Summit will dive into where the future of retail commerce is heading and how it could improve business operations. Attendees will hear from thought leaders in e-commerce and retail media about the most impactful strategies that will help brands stay ahead of the game. 

IAB Privacy Compliance Salon, September 22, 2024, Los Angeles, In-person

For the first time, IAB will host the Privacy Compliance Salon bringing together senior privacy leaders in the digital advertising industry for thought-provoking and practical discussions around today’s most challenging privacy compliance issues. Attendees will learn about managing sensitive personal information, the use of data clean rooms, and legal considerations in leveraging AI in marketing campaigns.

IAB State Privacy Law Summit 2024, November 2024, New York City, In-person 

With additional state privacy laws taking effect every year, the third IAB State Privacy Law Summit will convene privacy lawyers and cross-functional privacy professionals to make sense of the latest state privacy law changes. In particular, this event involves interactive deep-dive discussions between panelists and the audience and leverages data flows to give industry participants a clearer understanding of the industry’s challenges and provide pathways for compliance.

For more information and updates regarding IAB’s events, visit: www.iab.com/events. 

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts

Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan

347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706

btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post IAB Announces Robust ALM Speaker Lineup and Themes Addressing Evolving Digital Advertising Marketplace: Organization Also Unveils Events Schedule appeared first on IAB.

Publishers, Platforms, Agencies, and Brands Will Set the Course for 2024, Tackling the Most Pressing Issues in Digital Marketing including: AI, Commerce, Privacy, Streaming, and More

Confirmed Speakers Include Bob Bakish, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Tariq Hassan, and Aaron Sorkin with More to Come 

NEW YORK, October 4, 2023 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today unveiled details of its Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM), to be held on January 28-30 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Florida. As the central thought leadership event for IAB, ALM aims to advance the digital media and marketing industry and set the agenda for the year ahead.

The theme of the event, “It Starts Here”, challenges industry leaders from agencies, publishers, platforms, and brands to strategize, and adapt to ever-changing trends such as generative AI, commerce, privacy, a streaming-first future, responsible media, attention and creativity, and more.

“ALM is inspiration, education, discussion, debate, and where business happens. Attendees come to immerse themselves in the digital challenges and opportunities that will shape our world in the coming years. This year, we have a lot to tackle, from the long-awaited deprecation of third-party cookies to building a vibrant and responsible digital ecosystem. At the end of the day, things get done at ALM. Agendas are set, and we move forward together,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB.

Confirmed speakers this far include:

• Bob Bakish, President, Paramount Global​
• Senator Marsha Blackburn​
• Jon Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer, Comscore
• Stephanie Dobbs Brown, Chief Marketing Officer, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)​
• Victoria Garrick Brown, TED Talk speaker, mental health advocate, podcast host, and former Division I athlete
• Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s​
• Terence Kawaja, CEO & Founder, LUMA Partners​
• Karthik Rao, Chief Executive Officer, Nielsen
• Jenna Lebel, Chief Marketing Officer, Liberty Mutual​
• Aaron Sorkin, Award-Winning Writer/Producer​
• Josh Stinchcomb, Global Chief Revenue Officer, Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Group

*Please check the ALM website at iab.com/alm for the most up-to-date list of speakers.

Cohen continued, “ALM has expanded beyond its historical composition to now represent the full digital ecosystem. We expect more buy-side constituents than ever including leadership from brands and agencies to complement the impressive gathering of publisher, platform, and ad tech executives.”

ALM is where the advertising industry first tackled the biggest trends and new topics such as the demise of the cookie, growth opportunities around direct-to-consumer, eliminating fraud in the digital ecosystem, the value of responsible journalism, government regulation in the data economy, and making mobile work for advertisers and publishers.

For more information, please visit – https://www.iab.com/events/alm-2024/. Agenda and additional list of speakers to be announced soon.

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post IAB Announces its Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM 2024), Bringing Industry Leaders to Set the Stage for the Year Ahead appeared first on IAB.

New York – September 13, 2023 – Retail Media was one of the fastest growing U.S. advertising channels in 2022, according to a new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) titled “Retail Media 2023: Operational Strategies to Meet the Growth Potential.”

“It’s a sea change in how the biggest advertisers are planning to reach customers,“ said Jeffrey Bustos, VP, Measurement, Addressability, Data Center, IAB. “Retailers have a treasure trove of first-party data that enables advertisers to reach high intent audiences and provide closed loop-measurement, and budgets are shifting accordingly.”

The study, released today at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Retail Reimagined, was created in partnership with BWG Strategy, and surveyed 200 RMN ad buyers at brands and agencies, as well as conducted over 30 interviews with senior decision-makers at retailers, brands, agencies, and intermediaries, including demand side platforms (DSPs), supply side platforms (SSPs), and data providers.

“At IAB we have a unique perspective given our experience over the past three decades of digital development, and the ecosystem-wide impact that RMNs are having,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “In some ways, we are reliving the formative years of the ad-supported internet and developing solutions for brands, buyers, ad tech and retailers to grow their businesses responsibly. We can, and are, helping RMNs realize their full potential which is very gratifying.”

Key Findings: Greater Growth Ahead

RMN ad buyers are projected to increase spend by 11% year-over-year in 2023. These are defined as buyers at brands and agencies spending at least $5M on RMNs annually.

• Among those increasing spending on RMNs, investments are expected to rise by nearly 20%.
• Top reasons to buy: reach incremental audiences (55%); leverage retailer first-party data (52%); drive performance (48%); and leverage customer data (45%).
• The Endemic Brand “Spend Tax” Grievance is a myth. Only 28% of buyers cite the requirement to spend as a top reason for buying.
• To fund increased RMN investment, more than half (52%) are reallocating funds from across digital platforms, including social, search, and digital video/CTV while more than one-third (36%) are reallocating funds from linear TV, print and out-of-home.
• Cross-RMN measurement standards and transparency around attribution windows, incrementality, and viewability, for consistent RMN comparisons will significantly help propel ad spend.

Key Findings: Areas of Opportunity

• Retail media can grow even faster, but must first address key ecosystem-wide issues.
• Improving measurement and data collection is the #1 opportunity area identified by buyers.
• Over two-thirds of RMN ad buyers (69%) cited the need to resolve complexity in the buying process. While many RMNs operate in silos and lack automated buying and cross-RMN performance capabilities, some have begun to provide self-service and managed-service activation platforms. Private marketplaces (PMPs) have also begun to emerge.
• Nearly 2-in-3 buyers (62%) cited the lack of measurement standards as a top challenge to continued growth, followed by nearly 60% wanting greater transparency.
• 60% of ad buyers want better collaboration and communication with RMNs. Tellingly, only one in ten (12%) ad buyers are “very satisfied” with their RMN partner relationships and communication.

“Everyone notes a lack of alignment of stakeholders across shopper marketing, performance marketing, brand marketing and beyond” said Jeffrey Bustos, VP, Measurement, Addressability, Data Center, IAB. “There’s a big opportunity for brands to leap ahead of their competition if they do the work to align everyone’s interests and provide a unified point of view and clarity around goals.”

Click here to download “Retail Media 2023: Operational Strategies to Meet the Growth Potential” study.

IAB/MRC Release Retail Media Measurement Guidelines for Public Comment

As found in the IAB Retail Media Network study, there is a lack of consistent measurement across different RMNs that has emerged as a significant challenge.

The wide array of retailer offerings and metrics has led to difficulties in evaluating campaign performance across platforms. The industry is actively addressing this issue, with IAB and Media Rating Council (MRC) working together to establish measurement guidelines through cross-industry collaboration. The working group’s guidelines will be presented for public comment at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Retail Reimagined on September 13, 2023, and will be open for 30 days until October 13, 2023.

“Everything we’ve learned in this study points to the fact that the continued growth and success of retail media hinge on achieving measurement standardization,” said Bustos. “That’s why IAB and MRC are working together to identify existing standards, define common metrics, and create guidelines to ensure consistent measurement across platforms, promoting transparency and confidence in retail media investment.”

IAB and MRC developed retail media measurement guidelines, covering numerous aspects including audience measurement, in-store digital placed-based measurements, ad delivery, viewability, incrementality, reporting, and transparency. This methodical approach ensures all key areas are addressed to achieve comprehensive standardization.

To review the IAB/MRC Retail Media Measurement Guidelines and provide feedback, visit http://iab.com/retailmeasurement.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com/mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post More than Half of Retail Media Networks Advertisers Are Reallocating Budgets To RMNs, According to New IAB Study appeared first on IAB.

NEW YORK – March 15, 2023 – After more than a decade, the Standard Terms & Conditions for internet advertising, first developed in May 2001, updated in 2010 and 2018, will be significantly overhauled.

Launching in April 2023, the leading industry trade bodies will create a joint Task Force to include all stakeholders including advertising agencies, marketers, publishers, and ad tech companies.

“The industry has a legacy of collaboration to ensure that the buy side and sell side align on best practices and standards for an effective digital advertising ecosystem. While there have been updates, it’s time to revisit the approach and ensure we collectively address evolving needs in the marketplace,” said Marla Kaplowitz, President and Chief Executive Officer, 4A’s.

“While the previous work in this area remains the industry standard over a decade later, simply too much has changed for us to not revisit,” said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB. “Having worked on previous iterations, I know the road ahead will not be easy, but it is important work that has to be done. We look forward to collaborating across the ecosystem and developing a contractual framework that ensures the vital infrastructure we need to streamline the digital advertising buying process.”

“The scale and complexity of today’s digital media transactions requires an updated foundation of contractual terms and conditions that underpin this large marketplace. We are very supportive of collaboratively revisiting digital terms and conditions to address the needs of today and tomorrow and look forward to participating in the endeavor,” added Bob Liodice, Chief Executive Officer, ANA.

If interested in joining the Terms & Conditions Task Force, please submit your information here.

About 4A’s
The 4A’s was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower our members to drive commerce, spark connections, and shape culture through infinite creativity. With a focus on advocacy, talent and the value of creativity and technology to drive business growth and cultural change, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A’s includes the 4A’s Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4A’s Foundation, which advocates for and connects multicultural talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

About ANA
The ANA’s (Association of National Advertisers) mission is to drive growth for marketing professionals, brands and businesses, the industry, and humanity. The ANA serves the marketing needs of 20,000 brands by leveraging the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda, which has been endorsed by the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com  

4A’s Media Contact
Ann Rubin
EVP, Marketing, Communications and Events
914-424-0269
arubin@4As.org 

ANA’s Media Contact
John Wolfe
Director of Communications
914-659-8663
jwolfe@ana.net 

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NEW YORK – January 24, 2023 – The continuing wave of inconsistent state level privacy legislation, coupled with increased signal loss, has set the stage for data clean rooms (DCRs) to become an indispensable privacy-preserving technology.

However, the significant investments in talent, technology, and data setup required to implement DCRs create significant challenges for smaller agencies, brands, and publishers.​

These are among the conclusions from IAB’s annual State of Data report from the Measurement, Addressability & Data Center, titled “State of Data 2023: Data Clean Rooms & the Democratization of Data in the Privacy-Centric Ecosystem.”

The report, conducted on IAB’s behalf by Ipsos, features insights gleaned from over 200 completed surveys and 20 in-depth interviews among data decision-makers at brands, agencies, and publishers/retailers about how privacy-preserving technologies are being managed and activated.

DCR Adoption Investment is Significant

Unveiled during IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting, the report found that DCRs are typically used with other privacy-preserving technology. As a result, compounded annual costs can soar above $2M. ​​For example, while more than 80% of DCR users are using CDPs (customer data platforms) and DMPs (data management platforms), roughly half are using identity solutions and CMPs (consent management platforms).

Investing to Unlock The Next Level of Functionality

“So far, most companies are using DCRs for privacy controls, matching data for collaboration, and data activation,” said Jeffrey Bustos, Vice President, Measurement, Addressability & Data, IAB. “But that only scratches the surface of what’s possible.” Less than a third of users are using DCRs’ advanced measurement capabilities, including attribution, return on investment (ROI) / return on ad spend (ROAS) measurement, media or marketing mix modeling, and propensity modeling and predictive analysis.

“Companies expect to invest 29% more in 2023 to make the most of their DCRs, and that’s really encouraging,” added Bustos. “There is growing demand due to loss of signals, and wanting to share data with partners without sharing sensitive data. This may show that companies are understanding what’s required and ramping up their investments accordingly.”

Some Growing Pains

The report reveals that while DCRs offer innovative, privacy-preserving capabilities, they are far from being turnkey technology. They require steep and ongoing investments in talent, cost, and setup, spanning everything from data infrastructure and connectivity to onboarding. More than half of DCR users (52%) cite leveraging results / proving ROI as a challenge. About one third of DCR users are also facing data interoperability / customization (39%), internal resource (38%), and privacy (32%) challenges when using DCRs.

• Nearly half of DCR users (49%) have 6+ employees dedicated to the technology—nearly one-third (30%) have a minimum of 11 people.
• Respondents cited time-frames of months to up to two years to get up and running with the technology.
• Nearly two thirds (62%) of users spent a minimum of $200K on the technology in 2022, with a quarter (23%) spending upwards of $500K.

The cost and talent requirements to successfully implement DCRs creates a tremendous market disadvantage for small agencies, brands, and publishers that don’t have the resources to invest at those levels—and may weaken the trend toward in-housing.

Calling on All Advertising Participants (including Walled Gardens)

The report also includes detailed information about what advertisers, brands, and publishers need to know as they begin their journey, including hurdles and opportunities for growth; privacy-preserving technology considerations and best practices; and understanding the benefits and use cases of DCRs.

“To make the most of DCRs, the industry needs all data providers to make their data interoperable so that advertisers can measure full campaign effectiveness and ROI,” said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB. “There should be no exceptions. It’s in everyone’s interests for closed ecosystems to provide access so that advertisers can effectively analyze their campaign activity. Advertisers need a window into the data.”

Through industry collaboration, innovation, and education, IAB and IAB Tech Lab strive to make it easier for advertisers to understand and use DCRs. In Q1, IAB Tech Lab will announce its first DCR specification to support and define interoperable clean room interactions for digital advertising. Developed within IAB Tech Lab’s Rearc Addressability Working Group, it will be the first of a library of purpose-built, DCR specifications to support and define interoperable clean room interactions for digital advertising.

For more information, please visit https://iab.com/state-of-data and to download the “State of Data 2023: Data Clean Rooms & the Democratization of Data in the Privacy-Centric Ecosystem,” click here.

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts

Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com  

The post Data Clean Rooms Are Now Essential for Audience Insights, Measurement, and Data Activation According to IAB State of Data Report appeared first on IAB.

Speakers include Professional Baseball Player and Entrepreneur Alex Rodriguez, Netflix’s Jeremi Gorman, Meta’s Erin Egan, TheSkimm’s Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, Writer, Television and Podcast Host Baratunde Thurston, and more

NEW YORK, January 12, 2023 – Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today unveiled the final schedule for its Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM), taking place from January 22-24 in Marco Island, Florida.

“ALM has been and continues to be the epicenter of the digital economy, surfacing hotly-debated topics facing the ecosystem at large. IAB is the association that brings together the full digital ecosystem. ALM is where we set the year’s agenda, driving the direction of the industry,” said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB. “Attendees will gain critical insight and perspective on important topics including measurement, privacy, the streaming revolution, sustainability, and the emerging metaverse. ALM is the time for alignment, consensus, and action from all stakeholders.”

The 2023 conference theme, “It Starts Here,” explores a vision for the industry, and will uncover opportunities, paths forward, new connections, and meaningful ideas for the future. The three-day event will be held in-person at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, gathering industry leaders to address significant regulatory changes, challenges around consumer privacy and data use, the explosion of retail media networks, the evolving Metaverse/Web3, trust and transparency, and a host of new ad-supported opportunities.

Speakers will include:

• Matthew Ball, Pioneering Tech Authority, Venture Capitalist, and Bestselling Author, The Metaverse
• Krishan Bhatia, President and Chief Business Officer, NBCUniversal
• Jeffrey Cole, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg
• Sean Corcoran, U.S. Chief Executive Officer, Mediahub
• Soumya Donkada, Head of Digital, Media, and E-Commerce, Beauty and Well-being, Unilever
• Sean Downey, President, Americas and Global Partners, Google
• Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer, Policy, Meta
• Michele Fino, Head of Branded Entertainment, Crackle Plus
• Jeremi Gorman, President, Worldwide Advertising, Netflix
• Scott Howe, Chief Executive Officer, LiveRamp
• Jay Livingston, Chief Marketing Officer, Shake Shack
• Andy Monfried, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Lotame
• Ryan Moore, Global Chief Revenue Officer, SuperAwesome, an Epic Games Company
• Ian Orefice, President and Chief Operating Officer, TIME and TIME Studios
• John Osborn, U.S. Director, Ad Net Zero
• Christena Pyle, Chief Equity Officer, dentsu
• Alex Rodriguez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, A-Rod Corp
• Athan Stephanopoulos, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, CNN
• Baratunde Thurston, Host, America Outdoors and How To Citizen Podcast
• Deborah Wahl, Global Chief Marketing Officer, General Motors Company
• Kevin Warren, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, UPS
• Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, Co-founders and Co-Chief Executive Officer’s, TheSkimm
• Andrea Zapata, Executive Vice President, Head of Ad Sales Research, Measurement and Insights, Warner Bros. Discovery

All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change, refer to the website for up-to-date information. Note the event will not be live streamed this year, ALM has prioritized the value of in-person connections. 

IAB does not require proof of vaccination to attend events. However, it is strongly recommended that in-person attendees be vaccinated, and that you stay home if symptomatic. IAB’s Event and COVID-19 Policy and Code of Conduct.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post IAB Announces Full Agenda for its Annual Leadership Meeting Jan. 22-24 in Marco Island, Florida appeared first on IAB.

NEW YORK, December 14, 2022 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today announced two new additions to its senior team – Pam Zucker joined IAB as Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, and Jack Koch joined as Senior Vice President, Research & Insights. In addition, IAB announced the evolution of Chris Bruderle’s role as Vice President, Industry Insights and Content Strategy.

Pam will oversee the evolution of the IAB point of view through the creation of industry guidelines, standards, and marketplace education by protecting and enabling growth for an open, ad-supported digital ecosystem. Pam will be responsible for connecting and building relationships with members across the advertising landscape to elevate IAB as the center of discussion, information, and advice to address the greatest challenges of our industry. Pam will be reporting to Sheryl Goldstein, EVP, Chief Industry Growth Officer, IAB.

Leading into the New Year, IAB is enhancing the Centers of Excellence, Research & Insights programs as well as re-launching the Measurement, Addressability & Data (MAD) Center, previously known as the Programmatic+Data Center. This Center provides essential industry guidance and education on changes in underlying technology and privacy regulations in a constantly evolving ecosystem. Under its new name, the center will provide guidance and education on new addressability and measurement solutions to enable revenue growth, efficiency, and scale, with a focus on retail media networks and Advanced TV.

Additionally, Pam will be responsible for directing the other IAB Centers of Excellence (COE):

• Experience Center which focuses on evolving consumer behavior and emerging technologies (AR, VR, Voice and Games/Esports) to help define the advertising experiences of tomorrow.
• Media Center which creates the thought leadership, advocacy, and forums that make and shape the video and audio marketplace; help improve efficiency, consistency, and relevance in how media companies and marketers engage with audiences across all forms of digital video and audio (including CTV and podcasting).

“As the industry evolves, so must our Centers of Excellence to meet member needs,” said Pam Zucker, SVP, Chief Strategy Officer, IAB. “Once a former IAB member, I have benefited greatly from the research, networking, and reports that these centers provide. Now, as their leader, I am looking forward to ensuring that center participants and IAB members at large receive the tools and guidance they need to navigate changes in technology and responsible data use amid a shifting privacy landscape.”

Joining IAB’s leadership team, Jack is responsible for all research related initiatives and overseeing strategic direction and output of products such as the annual IAB PWC Advertising Spend and Revenue Research. He will continuously identify new research areas for IAB, helping future-proof the digital ecosystem and supporting the COE’s strategic priorities.

In 2023, the IAB Research & Insights team will focus on initiatives including ad spending related to gaming, podcasting, and video, as well as IAB’s coveted “State of Data” report. State of Data will be released during IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting in January 2023. This report is designed to help the industry prepare and navigate changes in privacy legislation, the deprecation of third-party identifiers, and platform policies affecting data collection, addressability, measurement, and optimization.

After nearly four years at IAB, Chris Bruderle takes on an expanded role as Vice President, Industry Insights and Content Strategy. In his new role, Chris will work closely with the Centers of Excellence and IAB Tech Lab to create industry education for brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech participants. Chris will help educate the marketplace by leading member education meetings on various research-based discussions.

“At IAB, we’re focused on addressing industry issues most important for driving growth, educating all stakeholders, and mitigating risks by offering high quality solutions and relevant research to the entire advertising ecosystem,” said Sheryl Goldstein, EVP, Chief Industry Growth Officer, IAB. “Pam, Jack, and Chris each bring unique perspectives to the IAB team. With their years of experience and insights, we are excited to feel their impact – bringing our industry together and continuing to create solutions and educate the marketplace in this highly dynamic time.”

About Pam Zucker
With more than 30 years of experience, Pam comes to IAB as a highly regarded industry veteran across digital, programmatic, and traditional platforms. She’s known for her innovative approaches to media and marketing challenges that turn the complex media ecosystem into understandable ideas for both the C-Suite and day-to-day tacticians. Pam spent her first 25 years on the agency side at Publicis Media leading clients such as Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Activision, Yahoo, and others. During her time at Publicis Media, Pam built new practices for the agency, including Advanced TV and Experience Design. Pam also spent part of her career leading Media for Starcom Mediavest Group in Russia when that market first opened to media in the mid-1990s. Following her work on the agency side, Pam spent five years consulting for media and technology companies (NBCU, Fox, Viacom, Double Verify) helping them design custom programs and market their digital assets for growth. Most recently, Pam has been at Amobee leading their marketing and sales strategy efforts to bring new identity, performance, and new targeting techniques to the DSP and cross channel planning marketplace. Pam received her BA at Carleton College and resides in Hastings on Hudson, NY.

About Jack Koch
Jack joins IAB with more than 20 years of experience at platforms, brands, and agencies leading global research and insights initiatives that foster smarter business decisions. As an enthusiastic data-driven storyteller, Jack’s passion for pushing the boundaries of research and inspiring action through insights is paramount to elevate industry intelligence. Prior to joining IAB, Jack led and scaled global research, insights, and measurement teams at rapidly emerging digital media platforms including Microsoft, EA, LinkedIn, and Spotify. Most recently, Jack was at Reddit, where he established the Marketing Sciences organization responsible for advancing ad measurement capabilities and partnerships, producing research amplifying industry awareness, and understanding of online communities, uncovering contextual insights, and identifying audience trends that tell the world about their world. Jack earned his BSBA and BFA degrees from the Olin School of Business and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com 

The post IAB Hires Industry Veteran Pam Zucker as SVP, Chief Strategy Officer, to Lead IAB’s Thought Leadership Engine Including Centers of Excellence and Research Team appeared first on IAB.

NEW YORK, September 13, 2022 – The state of data will be significantly impacted by new state privacy laws coming into effect in 2023 and legislation that may be enacted in other states in the near future. Given the current trajectory of state-level privacy legislation, and federal legislation now being debated in Congress, managing these different legal standards will be challenging.

That’s among the conclusions revealed in IAB’s State of Data 2022 Part II: Preparing for the New Addressability Landscape report, commissioned by IAB and executed by MediaScience, which included qualitative, in-depth interviews with 30 senior-level, data decision-makers at brands, agencies, and publishers.

The report, to be released at IAB Audience Connect on September 13, 2022, highlights new privacy legislation, the deprecation of third-party cookies and identifiers, and platform policies that affect data collection, addressability, measurement, and optimization for digital advertising and marketing.

2022 marks the fifth year and sixth installment of this research, which aims to understand market readiness for rapid shifts around data use, privacy and addressability, and provide an overview of scalable solutions brands, agencies, publishers and ad tech firms can adopt today while protecting consumer privacy.

“While Google’s decision to postpone the deprecation of third-party cookies until 2024 may feel like a reprieve, the industry is far from off the hook,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The industry is already operating with significantly less signal given the changes by Apple, Firefox, and others. Consumers need transparency and control. We need addressability and measurement solutions that are privacy-by-design and fully compliant with state, Federal, and international standards.”

Companies are struggling to keep up — and facing compromises

Creating consistent measures and protocols that work inside their companies and with external partners has become a major issue. In the face of rising complexity, the majority of respondents agree a “one size fits all” approach spanning multiple jurisdictions is probably necessary. But there is a significant trade-off: failing to leverage data that is fully permitted in certain states means lost opportunities.

We can advance privacy and enable advertising to reach the right consumers at the same time, but misguided legislative efforts risk harming both. The IAB Legal Affairs Council plans to roll out an MSPA (Multi-State Privacy Agreement) and Global Privacy Platform through the IAB Tech Lab as solutions.

The goal is a practical multi-jurisdictional approach to compliance that creates consistency where state laws are similar and options when requirements are unique to a state. IAB is ensuring that the essential functions of the ad-supported internet — measurement, frequency capping, engaging in programmatic and contextual ads and utilizing publisher’s first party segments when consumers opt-out — still work.

Consumers know what they’re giving up, but don’t know what they’re getting

The senior-level, data decision-makers at brands, agencies, and publishers interviewed for this study agree that consumer trust is paramount. Yet the value proposition for consumers remains unclear. While the industry is better about disclosing what data it will use, it is not doing enough to help consumers understand why gathering their data delivers real benefits.

Myopia about first party data ignores up to 80% of consumers

Investing in deterministic first party datasets (data from their logged-in, “known” audiences) remains vital. Yet, in most instances this only represents about 20% of potential consumers. Marketers need proven, probabilistic solutions to target and measure the 80% of consumers who are not part of their first party data.

The publishers interviewed were optimistic about the use of Seller Defined Audiences (e.g., custom cohorts) as one solution for addressability. Still, for this to succeed, publishers must do more to drive buy-side awareness and adoption.

Can smaller publishers afford to keep up?

Ironically, privacy legislation may benefit platforms and publishing giants while inadvertently punishing smaller publishers who have small but intensely loyal audiences. While there are a range of third-party tools that can help power data collection and enrichment, only a handful of interviewees have the budgets to test these new approaches. The consensus is that there are too many tools and not enough resources to test or manage them all — particularly among smaller publishers.

“With third-party cookies, the sky has been falling for more than a decade. No wonder there’s a deepening disconnect between how prepared senior-level, data decision-makers feel, and how prepared they actually are,” said Angelina Eng, Vice President, Programmatic+Data Center, IAB. “But no matter what happens with cookies, the rising tide of patchwork regulation is already here.”

Please visit iab.com/state-of-data-2022 for more information about the IAB’s 2022 State of Data: Preparing for the New Addressability Landscape report.

And don’t miss our in-depth discussion on the findings from the report with the State of Data Town Hall Series on October 18 (State of Data Town Hall: The New Privacy Landscape) and November 15 (State of Data Town Hall: Data Collection and Addressability).

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Kate Tumino / Brittany Tibaldi
212-896-1252 / 347-487-6794
ktumino@kcsa.com / btibaldi@kcsa.com

The post The Looming Peril Isn’t Cookies. It’s Legislation. appeared first on IAB.