“The only constant in life is change.” This statement was as true in Ancient Greece as it is now, and the changes affecting the advertising industry are moving at an exponential speed. From regulations like CCPA and GDPR to major web browser updates, we must constantly adapt to ensure both consumers and advertisers have positive experiences online. Agency flexibility depends on both strategic minds and their hard diligent work that’s done behind the scenes in order to balance advertiser initiatives with consumer privacy. “We’ve seen that specialization is very beneficial in creating true experts in different areas of campaign setup and execution,” said Lori Dillender, CEO.
Many initiatives protocols prioritizing consumer privacy are already in place, and more are on the horizon. Google Chrome is expected to block all 3rd party cookies by 2022, and Apple will allow users to opt-out of in-app ad tracking in their iOS 14 update. “The truth is, we don’t know exactly how this will affect the space,” said Lauren Adams, Vice President of Implementation. “I think the entire industry needs to prepare for some fluctuations in scale when it comes to behavioral targeting and in accuracy when it comes to attribution; however, we believe strongly in the initiatives of our data vendors and platform partners, all of which are working tirelessly to develop new ways to capture important data while also respecting user privacy.”
The ability to get ahead of industry trends and developments relies both on who we choose to partner with and our teams’ knowledge of these partners’ offerings. all the details behind-the-scenes. “We look for new platforms and vendor partners that are going to be adaptable with the ever-changing digital advertising landscape. We always want to stay ahead of the trends and partner with vendors that we feel have the same mindset,” said Christina Washington, Senior Vice President of Campaign Operations. The keen eyes of our ad trafficking team work to ensure that all the moving pieces come together, no matter the server or advertiser. “We are directly affected by any changes in our platforms, so it’s important that we stay up-to-date with everything,” said Brooke Emery, Ad Trafficker. “Each DSP and server we work in have different hierarchies, targeting capabilities, and more, so it’s crucial to know the small details of each one for campaign success.”
Across the industry, 2021 is going to be a ‘year of heavy transition’. Despite the challenges that come with maintaining agency flexibility, the importance of user privacy should remain at the forefront of day-to-day operations. “As much as it seems like a detriment to our targeting and reporting capabilities, these changes will lead – are leading – to very important innovations in our space,” said Lauren Adams. “In the end, these innovations will only improve the relationship between consumers, publishers, and brands.”
Information for today’s blog came from Google’s Chromium Blog, TechCrunch, and AdExchanger. See our “Navigating a Cookie-less Landscape” one-sheeter to see how we are prepared for industry developments, and follow us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends!
