Industry experts came together to discuss and share insights on the latest trends in cookieless technology, privacy, AI, and Supply Path Optimization (SPO) at the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit on May 15-17 in Palm Springs, CA. Attendees, including media agencies, technology experts, and vendors, engaged in panels, town hall meetings, and knowledge-sharing sessions with data providers, publishers, platforms, and media agencies.
Day 1: Focus on Privacy and Sustainability.
- Cookieless Future and Privacy Sandbox: Google’s announcement about delaying the depreciation of third-party cookies and discussions on Privacy Sandbox dominated the conversation. While the Sandbox is expected to become one of several solutions in a cookieless world, uncertainties and regulatory dissatisfaction remain. Emphasis was placed on alternatives to third-party data, such as retail data, CTV inventory, linear TV data, URL mapping, and lift studies.
- Profitability and Sustainability: Speakers introduced new strategies focusing on sustainability, inclusivity, digital safety, brand assurance, and privacy compliance. A significant increase in Made-for-Advertising (MFA) sites renewed attention to SPO metrics, such as attention metrics, ad collision reports, and bid filtering. Sustainability, including carbon emission, was framed as an advertiser’s continuous responsibility and an ongoing process like brand safety and viewability measurement.
Days 2 and 3: AI and Performance Metrics, Steaming Video, and Programmatic Audience.
- AI Integration: AI, including generative AI, is gaining trust across the industry. While challenges persist, there is optimism that AI will address skepticism around upper-funnel channels like CTV and DOOH, due to a lack of immediate measurement solutions. AI is also expected to enhance ad verification methods, accelerating brand safety optimization amidst rising fraud.
- Targeting and Privacy Compliance: Innovative audience targeting solutions that comply with privacy regulations were discussed, entailing consent management platforms, suppression lists, niche geographic targeting with polygons, and first-party data usage. Data providers are diversifying their portfolios and exploring cookie-independent sources by integrating first-party data with AI to build and activate new audiences.
- Streaming Video and Multi-touch Attribution: The intersection of streaming video and programmatic advertising was a key focus, with a shift from last-touch attribution to multi-touch and MMM approaches. New metrics like incrementality and retail data integration were emphasized alongside case-by-case testing of alternative ID graphs.
- Effective Communication in Programmatic: The summit concluded with recommendations on improving programmatic communication: simplify internal and external language, focus on business success KPIs instead of individual media channel results, and reduce wasted media spend with thorough preliminary research. The importance of creating a distinct persona for each touchpoint of brand introduction is essential in campaign planning. This approach ensures that different individuals are targeted effectively at every stage of their interaction with the brand.
Main Takeaways
- Google’s postponement of cookie depreciation is only a temporary delay.
- Supply Path Optimization remains crucial and necessary.
- Advertisers need bridge metrics to transition from old measurement systems and must update KPIs.
- AI is enhancing internal operations and campaign effectiveness, though clients remain cautious.
- Agency programmatic teams face challenges in educating traditional media buyers, collaborating with offshore counterparts, and training AI models, all while managing their core responsibilities.
The Digiday Programmatic Summit highlighted the industry’s evolution towards a cookieless future, with a significant focus on privacy, AI integration, and sustainable advertising practices. After listening to all the shared insights and strategies, it became clear that while challenges persist – particularly regarding third-party data & measurement alternatives and regulatory compliance – innovative solutions and technologies are paving the way forward.
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