Google has had a tough few months.

First, they announced an abrupt about-face in their years-long initiative to remove third-party cookies from Chrome. Barely two weeks later, they were officially declared a Search monopoly by a federal court in one of the most consequential antitrust losses in decades (with another concurrent antitrust case about Google’s AdTech business still pending.) 

As the CTO of Upwave (a Brand Outcomes measurement startup) I’ve spent the last decade doing what everyone in AdTech has to do – navigate cautiously and quietly around Google, for fear of drawing their ire (or simply being toppled by their massive wake.) I have spent years participating in World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) discussions about Google’s Privacy Sandbox, and I’ve watched the cookie saga unfold with morbid fascination. 

One thing became clear very early in the W3C process – a small number of companies (particularly, but not exclusively Google) believed very deeply that they had both the power and the right to exercise pervasive control over the entire digital media and advertising industries. Now, it appears that Google may have finally found the limits of its influence: at the courthouse steps. 

But with or without third-party cookies, the web must go on. So where do we all go next?

The Privacy Paradox

The Privacy Sandbox initiative was Google’s attempt to reconcile irreconcilable objectives: overcoming Apple’s privacy counter-positioning, maintaining ad revenue primarily generated by capturing and applying comprehensive behavioral data about its billion+, and preserving a sufficiently healthy web ecosystem (since what’s the point of maintaining a search monopoly if searchers have nothing to find?) 

However, Google’s approach was fundamentally flawed in its overly simplistic view of privacy, focusing solely on eliminating cross-site tracking. This narrow definition sidestepped uncomfortable conversations about Google’s data collection and use, but also set an unrealistic bar for the Privacy Sandbox APIs by demanding they facilitate effective advertising while rendering cross-site data sharing technologically unfeasible.

Google put a smart, capable team in the Privacy Sandbox, but their mission was impossible from the start.

The Monopoly Question

The recent court ruling confirming Google’s monopoly in search underscores the company’s immense influence in shaping the digital landscape. Google’s control of the most widely used web browser means that its decisions about cookies and privacy reverberate throughout the advertising ecosystem. And Google’s “walled garden” approach to its many interlocking properties has allowed it to build an unassailable flywheel by tightly bundling its proprietary data, unique scaled inventory, and ad tech stack. 

The Privacy Sandbox initiative, despite its stated goals, has always seemed more about protecting Google’s flywheel than about safeguarding user privacy. And whether the ongoing antitrust trial focused on Google’s ad tech business finds that Google’s dominance of the plumbing of ad buying and serving rises to the level of a monopoly, there can be no doubt that the entire ad tech industry still operates in Google’s long shadow.

Forging a New Privacy Path

Google’s announcement that they won’t entirely remove 3rd party cookies doesn’t mean cookies are safe. Industry analysts anticipate Google will likely implement a consent mechanism similar to Apple’s “App Tracking Transparency,” effectively decimating cookie availability without outright eliminating them.

This scenario presents significant challenges:

1. The industry loses momentum in its efforts to move beyond outdated tracking methods.
2. The Privacy Sandbox initiative risks fading into irrelevance without the urgency of imminent cookie deprecation.
3. Uncertainty surrounding the open web’s future continues to accelerate ad spending shifts toward walled gardens, paradoxically giving a few tech giants even more panoptical views of user behavior.
4. Google may decide it has bigger problems than the long-term viability of the open web and simply retreat into its castle, leaving everyone outside its walls to pick up the pieces.

The digital advertising industry stands at a critical juncture. It’s evident that where privacy is concerned, both industry self-regulation and unilateral decisions by tech giants have fallen short. 

So what’s next? In a world where big tech can no longer set the rules, what’s needed instead is a collaborative, multi-stakeholder effort to develop pragmatic privacy standards, practices, and enforceable guidelines.

It’s time for an international coalition to unite regulators, industry representatives, academic experts, and consumer advocates. Their collective task should be to craft a flexible, adaptable privacy framework that embraces a comprehensive view of privacy, acknowledging its contextual nature and the intricate realities of data usage in today’s digital ecosystem.

In the interim, we must prepare for a transitional period where cookie effectiveness wanes, but no clear alternative emerges. Advertisers must explore and evaluate various strategies, including refining contextual targeting, exploring emerging privacy-preserving technologies, and learning to think like marketing economists.

Google’s privacy misstep, combined with its antitrust challenges, presents an opportunity for industry-wide recalibration. By fostering collaboration, diversifying our approaches, and constructively engaging with regulators, we can work towards building a truly user-centric, economically sustainable, privacy-respecting digital ecosystem.

Ultimately, we have no choice. Google and the Privacy Sandbox are not coming to save us.

The post What Happens When Google Can No Longer Set the Rules for the Web? appeared first on AdMonsters.

Things just ain’t the same for mobile. Times are changing, and signals are disappearing.

We recently outlined what mobile marketers need to know about the Android Privacy Sandbox. Now, we turn our lens toward publishers.

Google’s Android Privacy Sandbox isn’t just another update — it’s a fundamental overhaul of mobile ad infrastructure enhancing user privacy, and impacting how ads are served and measured. But as with any ad tech update, every overhaul comes with both opportunity and complexity. This guide aims to break down these changes, offering a balanced view of what publishers can expect — and what they should watch out for along the way.

What’s Really Going On Inside the Android Privacy Sandbox?

Android Privacy Sandbox is Google’s response to the increasing demand for user privacy. It’s designed to create a delicate balancing act of protecting personal data while still enabling effective advertising.

For publishers, the transition requires rethinking how ads are targeted and measured. While Google presents the Sandbox as a solution to the privacy dilemma, it’s critical to assess whether it meets publishers’ needs without introducing new challenges.

Can it live up to the mobile IDs of the past? Is this really the silver bullet it claims to be?

Core Objectives:

Protecting User Privacy: While this is crucial, what happens to data granularity and advertiser effectiveness when third-party access is restricted?

Balancing Personalization with Privacy: Can the Sandbox deliver personalized ad experiences without compromising user privacy? This is the tightrope that the Sandbox attempts to walk — relevance without invasiveness.

Redefining Measurement Tools: The new APIs promise precise metrics, but the transition might come with trade-offs in data richness and complex implementation.

Showdown: Android Privacy Sandbox vs. SKAdNetwork vs. Ad Attribution Kit

Why pit the Android Privacy Sandbox against Apple’s SKAdNetwork and Ad Attribution Kit? Because they all address balancing privacy with effective advertising — but in distinct ways. By understanding these differences, publishers can make smarter choices about which strategies to adopt as they navigate mobile privacy.

The Publisher’s Playbook: Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls

1. Cross-App Tracking: The End of an Era?

The decline of cross-app tracking is more than a simple shift. It forces data collection strategies that could either unlock new opportunities or leave gaps in your data.

2. Ad Targeting and Measurement: New Tools, New Complexities

The new Sandbox APIs promise a lot but also require a leap of faith. Will these tools deliver the precision they claim, or will they leave publishers with a diluted version of what was once possible?

3. Revenue Implications: Walking a Tightrope

The impact on revenue streams is real. While contextual ads and first-party data are touted as solutions, the practical implications could be more nuanced.

Real-World Experiences: Insights from Early Adopters

1. Gameloft’s Strategic Leap: Testing the Limits of Privacy-First Ad Measurement

Gameloft, a mobile gaming titan, has been at the forefront of adopting the Android Privacy Sandbox. Partnering with Singular, they tested the Attribution Reporting API, balancing effective ad measurement with the demands of user privacy. Their journey highlights both the promise and the challenges of adapting to these evolving standards, particularly in maintaining data accuracy and targeting precision.

2. Verve Group’s Bold Move: Redefining On-Device Bidding with Privacy Sandbox

Ad tech innovator, Verve Group, is pioneering on-device bidding through the Android Privacy Sandbox, focusing on the Protected Audiences API. By moving auctions to the user’s device, Verve reduced data transfers, aligning with privacy goals. But not without running into significant hurdles. Their collaborative work with partners like Remerge has been essential in overcoming these technical challenges, from latency issues to complex implementation requirements.

The Realities of Implementation: What Publishers Need to Know

1. Implementation Complexities: The Devil’s in the Details

Implementing these new APIs requires more than a simple update — it’s an extensive reworking of infrastructure. Publishers should invest significant resources into testing and development to ensure these systems work effectively. Expect compatibility issues.

2. Latency: The Hidden Cost of Privacy

On-device processing is a cornerstone of the Android Privacy Sandbox, but latency can become a significant issue, impacting ad delivery, viewability, speed, and efficiency.

3. Data Accuracy: A Double-Edged Sword

Privacy-preserving methods often result in less data granularity. While this protects users, it can also undermine ad targeting precision and measurement, leaving publishers questioning whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Will we still be able to hit KPIs?

Game Plan For Sailing Mobile’s Privacy-Preserving Seas

1. Hoist Your Sails, But Chart Your Course Wisely

Early adoption is key to catching wind and gaining momentum but plot your journey carefully. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid just yet. Thorough testing and validation are necessary before full-scale implementation, ensuring you’re prepared for the uncharted waters.

2. Steer Your Ship with Trusted Crew

Partnering with reliable DSPs, SSPs, and MMPs is crucial for steering the complex waters. Ensure these alliances are aligned, guiding you towards your specific goals — not just drifting the tide of broad industry trends.

3. Keep a Steady Hand on the Helm: Embrace New Standards, But Stay Informed

As you sail through the shifting currents of the Android Privacy Sandbox, keep a watchful eye on the horizon. While the new Attribution Reporting API offers potential, it’s vital to understand what’s being gained — and what might be lost. Stay informed and ready to adjust strategies as the seascape evolves.

Looking Forward: A Cautious Path to the Future

1. Stay Critical, Stay Agile

As the Android Privacy Sandbox develops, keep a close eye on updates. While it promises much, the reality may require agile adjustments to strategies and expectations.

2. Evolve with the Technology, But Manage Expectations

This shift isn’t a survival strategy — it’s about evolving. But evolution is complex and often slower than anticipated. Prepare for a marathon rather than a sprint.

The Android Privacy Sandbox is not a cure-all, publishers need to navigate these changes carefully, balancing new opportunities with potential pitfalls. By staying informed, skeptical, and proactive, you can make the most of this transition — without falling victim to the hype.

Additional Resources:

– Google Privacy Sandbox Documentation

– AppsFlyer’s Guide to Privacy Sandbox 

The post Dissecting the Android Privacy Sandbox: A Critical Guide for Publishers appeared first on AdMonsters.

In June, we had an exclusive sit-down with Vegard Johnsen, Chief Product Officer at eyeo, who predicted Apple was brewing something big with its Web Eraser feature.

Fast forward to August, and Apple officially introduced Distraction Control — an evolution of the Web Eraser concept that’s already sending ripples through the industry.

What Is Distraction Control?

Distraction Control is not just a fancy pop-up blocker. It’s a user-empowerment tool enabling Safari users the power to hide distracting elements on websites. While Apple carefully distinguishes this feature from traditional ad blockers, the implications are clear: publishers and advertisers must rethink their strategies to survive.

The feature has sparked controversy, especially among publishers who rely on ad revenue and subscription prompts to stay afloat. Apple’s quiet roll-out of Distraction Control in the latest iOS 18 beta is a stark reminder that the tech giant isn’t afraid to shake things up in the name of user experience.

In this follow-up Q&A, Vegard Johnsen returns to share his insights on how Distraction Control could affect publishers, advertisers, and the broader ecosystem. Spoiler alert: this is just the beginning of a new era where user experience reigns supreme, and publishers must evolve — or risk becoming obsolete.

The Revenue Impact: Are Subscription Models at Risk?

Lynne d Johnson: How do you foresee Apple’s Distraction Control feature affecting publishers’ ability to generate revenue, especially those relying on subscription sign-ups and mailing lists?

Vegard Johnsen: Subscription sign-ups, mailing lists, and similar mechanisms to generate revenue are a numbers game. Most users ignore or dismiss these messages most of the time. There have always been incentives to reach the right user at the right time, with the right message. But for the most part, the cost of being lazy was low, so many were lazy, deploying spray-and-pray tactics. Now, with Distraction Control, being lazy is going to get more expensive because users will have more agency in removing these elements.

However, I do imagine that some kind of crowdsourcing of user action is on the roadmap in the future. The obvious way to go with this feature is to offer users to opt-in to crowdsourced feature removal. In that case, the impact could be quite significant since it wouldn’t be limited to just the individual user.

But perhaps this is good news for high-quality content creators who engage with the user respectfully, at the right time, and with the right message. It may lead to these “good” publishers standing out with more signal amongst the noise. Ultimately, there would be fewer bad apples (no pun intended) to spoil the bunch.

Ad Blocker or Not? Understanding the Fine Line

LdJ: Distraction Control has been described as not being an ad blocker. How does this distinction affect the broader ecosystem of online advertising and content monetization?

VJ: One could easily imagine this feature evolving to better cover dynamic content. The biggest reason for that development is simple game theory — there will now be an incentive to make ‘everything’ dynamic (i.e., adding dynamic elements to subscription sign-ups and mailing list prompts).

Striking the Right Balance: User Experience vs. Publisher Needs

LdJ: What balance should be struck between enhancing user experience by removing distracting content and maintaining publishers’ needs to engage users with necessary overlays like cookie consent and subscription prompts?

VJ: That balance has always been necessary, of course, but Distraction Control takes it to a new level. Now users have more choices if they are not happy — not just by bouncing off the site but by also taking control and removing elements. For elements where data is available and timing is discretionary (such as subscription prompts), it becomes extremely important to show the right message at a time that works for the user. Failure to do so may mean the dialog is gone forever.

For other messages where timing and/or data is not available to customize (such as cookie consent notices), one could expect to see pre-messages (such as the ones that often precede the IDFA dialog box) warming up the user. But, perhaps this is also going to spur the industry to move away from dark patterns — from asking for consent for 900 vendors and instead towards asking for a more reasonable number, thereby making the UX more balanced.

For sites to get signals on what direction to take, it would be great to see some kind of feedback feature for the content owner. This feature could share details on what elements are being removed, so publishers can learn what users have issues with and what they don’t.

Industry Response: Adaptation or Resistance?

LdJ: Given the concerns raised by industry associations about similar features in the past, how do you think publishers and advertisers might adapt to or resist this new feature?

VJ: One obvious way the industry might resist is to start adding dynamic elements to messages to avoid ‘detection’ by this feature. But, that kind of cat-and-mouse game would incentivize Apple to make the feature more blunt and powerful, so this is not a good path. Given that, at least for now, the feature requires users to actively remove the content.

So, the reasonable path will be to ensure that the elements on the page stay below the activation threshold. By having a good ratio of content to other elements, and by reducing and avoiding distractions and interruptions, users will have no reason to take action.

The Future of Content Monetization: Evolution or Revolution?

LdJ: What long-term implications do you see for content creators if features like Distraction Control become standard across browsers? Could this lead to new forms of content monetization?

VJ: To me, this is simply an evolution of users taking control of their online experience. They have plenty of options today, from choosing a browser to suit their needs to installing extensions and apps to improve their visual, privacy, and data experience. Browsers are a competitive space, particularly post-DMA, so I would be surprised if other browsers did not follow suit, particularly if this feature proves to be popular with users.

Fundamentally, users are happy to support content creators, but they want the balance to be right. Given that I don’t see the need for new forms of content monetization or any special action by content creators, when it comes to those publishers with a good user experience already, this is something to celebrate.

Rethinking Ad Strategy: Opportunities Amid Challenges

As publishers and advertisers grapple with the implications of Apple’s Distraction Control, the focus must shift toward more user-friendly ad strategies. One effective approach could be reducing intrusive pop-ups in favor of smaller, more subtle placements that integrate seamlessly with the user experience. There’s also potential value in publishers seeking direct buys with advertisers, which can ensure higher quality placements than those typically filled by programmatic platforms.

Interestingly, the need for users to actively hide ads creates a unique opportunity, as those ads might attract more attention offering useful insights into user behavior. Still, the key to thriving this new thorn in your side is to prioritize user experience.

The post What Apple’s Distraction Control Means for Publishers appeared first on AdMonsters.

As Google’s Android Privacy Sandbox gears up for its anticipated 2025 launch, mobile marketers need to stay ahead of the curve. Remerge, a leading Demand Side Platform (DSP), is at the forefront of this transition, collaborating  with Google and other ad tech partners, such as Verve, AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Singular, to ensure a seamless shift. Luckey Harpley, Staff Product Manager at Remerge, sheds light on what this means for the future of mobile marketing and how to navigate this new landscape.

Why Is Mobile Marketing Shifting to Privacy-First Advertising?

The rise of AI and sophisticated machine learning algorithms showcases the benefits of new technologies, but it also highlights the dangers of these advancements. People want more control over how big tech businesses manage their data. The advertising world is moving towards a privacy-centric future and marketers must adapt.

Apple made the first privacy move on mobile with the launch of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework in 2021. Google’s answer is the Privacy Sandbox, a set of APIs to facilitate the selling, buying, and targeting of in-app ad placements, without requiring third-party cookies in Chrome or cross-app identifiers on Android. For Android, this will provide tracking and reporting via its Attribution API, targeting through Topics and Protected Audiences APIs, and data collection and handling via the SDK Run Time.

Why are DSPs Like Remerge Already Working on Solutions for the Android Privacy Sandbox?

It’s important to avoid a situation like the ATT rollout, where advertisers and publishers were left in the dark before its launch and struggled to understand how to run campaigns after it came into effect.

We want to ensure everything is ready for mobile marketers to run privacy-compliant advertising campaigns on Android without experiencing a drastic decline in performance. Android maintained its position as the leading mobile operating system worldwide in the first quarter of 2024, with a market share of 70.7% so this transitional period is crucial for the well-being of the mobile marketing ecosystem.

Does Google’s Decision to Keep Third-Party Cookies on Chrome Change Anything?

Google recently announced that they no longer plan to deprecate third-party cookies on Chrome and emphasized giving users the choice to opt-in to tracking. This update is unrelated to mobile. A similar approach is likely to happen on Android, where the GAID remains intact, and users can choose whether to share this with advertisers. In this scenario, nothing would change for mobile DSPs and their investment into Google’s APIs – the Android Privacy Sandbox would remain an essential framework for privacy-preserving advertising campaigns.

What Has Remerge Tested and Why Should Mobile Marketers Take Notice?

Remerge’s Research and Development team has been working on the Sandbox for over 1.5 years. They’ve focused on testing the Protected Audience API, which will allow advertisers to run retargeting campaigns on Android.

Tests have been completed with Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) like Adjust, AppsFlyer, and Singular. This includes developing a proof-of-concept for Custom Audience Delegation, a mechanism required for remarketing in Sandbox. This allows an MMP SDK to add users to custom audiences on behalf of advertisers based on their in-app behavior. Additionally, the first DSP/SSP on-device bidding test was conducted with Verve. These are small steps but important milestones for Sandbox testing, demonstrating that the Protected Audience API and custom audiences mechanisms are working as planned and validating product capabilities.

How Will a Mobile Marketing Manager’s Life Change When the Sandbox Rolls Out?

Advertisers won’t experience a considerable change in the buying process. At Remerge, marketers will continue to share their user data, desired campaign segmentation, and budget with the Account Management team as usual. Remerge will still be able to target users according to activity within an advertiser’s app and run creatives such as static and video. There’ll be no changes to CTR and CPX reporting, and for ROAS reporting, the data will likely have limited dimensionality, focusing on campaign and country-level reporting.

Google and its partners are doing the heavy lifting on the technical setup. Compared to ATT, the Android Privacy Sandbox is not only far more powerful with its targeting capabilities but also much more complex. This is a completely new tech stack with privacy-preserving mechanisms, and while we might see some performance dips initially, the long-term benefits are expected to be significant.

What About User Acquisition (UA) Campaigns?

While the focus has been on retargeting and the Protected Audience API, the Protected App Signals is supporting UA on Android. Although no industry players have made proposals on the Protected App Signals API yet, advertisers should reach out to their UA partners to discuss their plans.

What Can Mobile Marketers Do Right Now?

Advertisers should start finding a partner equipped to run mobile marketing campaigns on Android. Early adopters like Remerge, who have helped shape components of the Privacy Sandbox framework, will be well-positioned to hit the ground running when it launches.

The post What Should Mobile Marketers Know About the Android Privacy Sandbox Launch? appeared first on AdMonsters.

When Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency (ATT), it sent ripples through the digital ad world. Now, Apple is back with another major update: AdAttributionKit (AAK) — the sequel no one saw coming. Announced at WWDC 2024, AAK is set to redefine ad attribution, offering more flexibility, better insights, and a robust privacy-first approach. It’s like SKAdNetwork (SKAN) got a Tony Stark upgrade, complete with a nanotech Mark 50 suit of armor.

The framework will be available from iOS 17.4 onwards, with some features still in beta and slated for release in iOS 18. While AAK builds on SKAN’s foundation, it brings new tricks to the card table, like re-engagement capabilities and a developer mode that makes testing a breeze. Just keep in mind some features are still cooking in the beta oven, and with alternative app marketplaces still finding their feet, AAK’s full impact might take a hot minute to materialize.

Is it the holy grail we’ve all been missing? Let’s dive in and discover how this new framework revolutionizes ad attribution for app publishers, comparing it to SKAN, exploring its key features, and examining its impact on privacy compliance and ad performance.

What is Apple AdAttributionKit?

AdAttributionKit is Apple’s latest framework for measuring ad-driven app installs and user actions. Building on the foundations of SKAN, AAK brings significant enhancements to improve the attribution process. AAK works across both the App Store and alternative app marketplaces, making it a true cross-platform player. It supports multiple advertising formats, including static images, videos, audio, and interactive ads, all while preserving user privacy by limiting the data included in attribution postbacks.

Key Features: AAK’s Superpowers Unveiled

1. Multi-Store Support: AAK isn’t playing favorites. It supports alternative app marketplaces, making it a must-have for regions like the EU where app diversity is the name of the game.

2. Re-engagement Campaigns: Remember that user who ghosted your app? AAK lets you track and woo them back for up to 35 days after they re-engage. It’s like having a second chance at digital love.

3. Enhanced Creative Support: From static images to videos and interactive ads, AAK’s got you covered. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet of ad formats.

4. Universal Links: Deep linking just got deeper. AAK can send users to specific in-app locations faster than you can say “user experience.”

5. Developer Mode: Testing made easy? It’s not a myth anymore. AAK cuts the BS from testing by removing time randomization and shortening conversion windows. It’s like having a time machine for your ad campaigns.

6. Privacy-First Design: AAK keeps user data locked down tighter than a submarine hatch. It’s all about crowd anonymity and aggregated data.

7. Fraud Prevention on Steroids: AAK is not messing around with ad fraud. It demands ads display front and center in the foreground, ensuring those impressions are as real as it gets.

AAK in Action: A Mobile Game Publisher’s Journey

Imagine you’re running a mobile game. With AAK, you could:

1. Track a user who clicks an ad on a third-party app store.
2. Measure their in-game purchases over 35 days.
3. Re-engage them with a targeted ad if they become inactive.
4. Analyze the entire journey with privacy-compliant data.

SKAdNetwork vs. AdAttributionKit: The Showdown

Think of SKAdNetwork as Thor’s trusty hammer Mjolnir, and AdAttributionKit as his upgraded axe Stormbreaker.  They’re both powerful tools, but AAK brings some new tricks to the battlefield.

Key differences include:

Scope and Reach: SKAN was exclusive to the App Store, whereas AAK extends to multiple app marketplaces, future-proofing your attribution strategy.
Re-engagement: AAK brings the ability to re-engage lapsed users, critical for maintaining user base continuity.
Creative Flexibility: AAK offers a broader array of ad formats, providing more creative freedom to let your creative flag fly.
Privacy: Both prioritize user privacy, but AAK enhances privacy controls with stricter features cranking it up to 11.
Performance Measurement: AAK provides more granular data to help fine-tune campaigns to perfection.

AAK and SKAN: Working Together

The good news is that AAK and SKAN can work together seamlessly. Here’s how:

1. Dual Implementation: Developers can implement both AAK and SKAN simultaneously, allowing for a smooth transition and leveraging the strengths of both systems.

2. Attribution Determination: When both AAK and SKAN impressions are present, the system considers all impressions together. It sorts them based on:

• Click-through vs. view-through (click-through takes precedence)
• Timestamp (most recent impressions prioritized)
• A maximum of six impressions are considered for any conversion.

3. Single Winner: Only one impression can win for a conversion, regardless of whether it came from AAK or SKAN.

4. Consistency in Privacy: Both AAK and SKAN maintain Apple’s commitment to user privacy, ensuring that the combined use doesn’t compromise data protection.

Is SKAdNetwork Dead?

Not quite. Like Vision transforming into White Vision, SKAN isn’t gone – it’s just evolving. Think of it as a gradual transition rather than an abrupt switch. Publishers should begin integrating AAK while continuing to use SKAN, ensuring a seamless shift as AAK becomes the standard.

Show Me the Money: AAK’s Monetization Magic

With AAK, you’re giving advertisers front-row seats to their campaign performance. The re-engagement feature alone is like capturing the brass ring for many advertisers. Add the improved creative support and more granular attribution data, and you’ve got a recipe for happier advertisers and potentially fatter checks for publishers.

AAK’s features translate directly to improved monetization potential:

• Higher ROAS through more accurate attribution.
• Targeted re-engagement to bring back valuable users.
• Cross-store insights to optimize campaigns across multiple app marketplaces.

But, AAK’s impact might hit differently for various app publishers. Game devs might be doing a happy dance over the re-engagement features, perfect for bringing back those high-value players like Ant-Man shrinking into the Quantum Realm and emerging right when you need him. Meanwhile, utility app publishers could be eyeing those cross-store insights, ready to optimize their campaigns across multiple marketplaces. It’s like the Avengers assembling, with each publisher getting to pick their favorite hero’s power to supercharge their ad game.

Privacy in the Spotlight: How AAK Addresses ATT Challenges

While AAK doesn’t entirely eliminate the hurdles posed by ATT, it offers new solutions — like Doctor Strange opening a portal to bypass obstacles. AAK provides privacy-compliant ways to measure ad effectiveness and re-engage users, addressing some of the data granularity and retargeting challenges introduced by ATT.

Key privacy features include:

• Privacy-First Design: Maintains user anonymity while providing valuable insights.
• Aggregated Data: Offers campaign performance metrics without individual user tracking.

Tech Setup: Your AAK Implementation Roadmap

Getting AAK up and running isn’t rocket science, but it’s not exactly a walk in the park either. Here’s a quick guide:

1. Update iOS: Ensure your app supports iOS 17.4 or later.
2. Integrate the Framework: Add the AdAttributionKit framework to your app.
3. Configure Ad Networks: Align your ad networks to work with AAK for accurate attribution.
4. Set Up Postback Endpoints: Establish endpoints to receive attribution data.
5. Leverage Developer Mode: Use it for rigorous testing and fine-tuning.
6. Opt-in for Winning Postbacks: Developers can receive copies of winning postbacks by adding the ‘AttributionCopyEndpoint’ key to their app’s Info.plist file. This enables receiving the same postback data that ad networks receive for winning attributions, providing valuable insights into your app’s performance.

The Infinity Stones: What Publishers Need to Know About AdAttibution Kit

• Privacy First: AAK continues Apple’s user privacy crusade. Embrace it or risk being left behind in the digital dust.
• Flexibility is Key: With support for multiple app stores, AAK future-proofs your attribution strategy.
• Re-engagement is Gold: Don’t underestimate the power to bring back lapsed users. It’s like finding money in your old coat pockets.
• Creative Freedom: More ad format support means more opportunities to shine.
• Gradual Transition: Start planning for AAK now, but don’t pull the plug on SKAN overnight. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Preparing for the Future

AdAttributionKit isn’t just an improvement over SKAdNetwork – it’s a significant leap forward in mobile ad attribution. It offers publishers and app developers a powerful blend of enhanced insights, improved monetization potential, and advanced tools for privacy-preserving ad attribution, addressing many of the pain points brought on by ATT.

Embracing AAK will be crucial for staying competitive and maximizing ad revenue in the evolving mobile advertising marketplace. As Nick Fury might put it, “You’ve got the tools. Now, show them what you’re made of.” AAK is the next phase in the attribution endgame—time to take charge.

The post What Is AdAttributionKit (AAK): Apple’s Next-Gen Tool for Smarter, Privacy-Focused Ad Attribution? appeared first on AdMonsters.

One of the biggest changes in this area is that first-party data is given freely by online users, often in exchange for some sort of direct user benefit like a better experience online. 

As advertisers and publishers ask more users for their information online, a crucial part of the exchange is trust; consumers want to know that the data they are offering will only be used in the way they have authorized.

During AdMonsters’ March 29 webinar, “Consent-Based Advertising: How You Can Automatically Build Audience Trust,” OneTrust’s Strategic Solutions Engineer, Arshdeep Sood, explained why trust is crucial to building a relationship with your audience, how to keep abreast of the changes in privacy regulations, and why first-party data is nothing to be concerned about. 

Trust in the Digital Age

As the digital world evolves, concerns surrounding privacy are oftentimes the most stressful. To go beyond third-party cookies and understand your audience so that you can provide the best value data output, it all boils down to trust. 

“The last decade was all about transformation,” says Sood. The fast-paced world of data has required innovation in ways that sometimes seemed impossible, with the aim of providing better customer experiences, improving efficiencies, creating sustainable practices, and of course, staying in business. 

Sood asks, “What are we doing to protect the data that we have access to? Are we ensuring equity and inclusivity and even diversity across our business practices? And are we truly creating a culture of high ethical standards across the board?” All of these questions are about creating trust. 

Customers have trust expectations for companies they spend money with. Sood notes Adobe reported in 2022 that 69 percent of consumers stated they would stop doing business with a company that uses their data without permission. 

Add to this rules and regulations that vary from state to state and it can be difficult to navigate the changing landscape while maintaining and building upon user trust. This requires a change in mindset, Sood explains. 

[To view the full webinar, watch the video above.]

Building Trust Does Matter 

Users who trust a company are more likely to allow their data to be used in innovative ways, pay a premium for that company’s products and services, and maintain purchasing loyalty over time. Since it impacts your bottom line, trust is something you need to maintain a competitive advantage. 

Apple is working on building this trust with its latest update to iOS, which notifies the user of apps on their phone that are collecting data and tracking the user. This “App Tracking Transparency” prompt prohibits apps access to this data without first notifying the user. 

Sood notes that for these apps, building trust with the user can look like getting consent and even possibly discussing the value exchange and why access to this data is important. Also, use your Apple Privacy Nutrition Labels wisely. Employees working in compliance should collaborate with team members across development and marketing and advertising to ensure that you have the right strategy in place, she says. 

Competitive Advantage: Keeping up with Privacy Regulations

“In the face of new regulations, agility is going to be your competitive advantage to build that trust with the customer,” notes Sood. Rather than responding to new privacy law changes at the moment, she advises what will set programs apart is their ability to anticipate requirements of upcoming legislation and avoid the pain of last-minute changes. 

It is expected that by the end of 2023, 75 percent of the world will be affected by one of the recent privacy regulations, and more privacy regulations are actively coming down the pipeline all over the United States. Sood recommends working toward a strategy to deal with these changes in regulations as soon as possible. 

She adds that the job should be a team effort. “The privacy team is responsible to help you build business continuity to really enable marketing to have a very compliant risk-mitigated experience, but at the same time marketing and data teams are responsible for the end user journey.”

Last, Sood explains that privacy risk is a brand risk. The penalty for not adhering to privacy standards will not only be monetary, it will also affect your brand’s reputation because anything that happens within your company to affect consumer rights will be publicly accessible. 

Just like in personal relationships, you need to be clear about how you are using a person’s data, and if the use changes, you are responsible for informing them. You want this relationship to last long term, so make your users feel valued and like they own the data, she advises. 

Some Acronyms You Need to Know

TCF & GDPR: When we think about this process, several acronyms come to mind, says Sood, one of which is TCF, Transparency and Consent Framework. A TCF banner is concerned with providing the right notification and collecting the right type of consent and an affirmative opt-in from users to align with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requirements. However, these regulations are evolving and there is currently legislation surrounding these privacy measures and how they will ultimately be used. 

Sood explains it is crucial to keep abreast of these rulings to be prepared for any necessary changes that are on the horizon. OneTrust keeps a log of these changes to help its partners know of important updates. 

GPP & MSPA: Another big piece of the puzzle is the GPP, Global Privacy Platform. This aligns with the MSPA, which is the Multi-state Privacy Agreement across all the different states, Sood notes. To simplify all these varying rules and regulations, she says, “With the GPP, the idea is you can make sure that one singular signal directs a specific consent model and data point to the ad text providers downstream to ensure that you’re aligning with regulations and also [doing so] in the best possible fashion.”

The MSPA assumes a user is a resident of each state, which means it defaults to the highest possible national standard for privacy. 

What this all boils down to essentially is that from an advertiser’s perspective, it is imperative to look out for the GPP signals. Explains Sood, “You want to sign up for MSP and prepare yourselves to honor the signals, because you’re going to expect it coming downstream, and you will want to decode it and decide how you operate.” This is similar for publishers – these signals will ensure the regulations are being met, and pass along this information to vendor partners. 

“That’s why publishers, advertisers, and vendors, you really need to work in tandem to ensure that everybody’s listening to the same things, and CMP providers like OneTrust, we’re the ones who will be helping you generate that GPP and sending it downstream,” Sood shares. In fact, Sood says, the GPP platform is already in use, helping OneTrust’s customers.

Don’t Be Intimidated by First-Party Data

The future of data will phase out third-party cookies in favor of first-party data capture, meaning companies will need to build a first-party data capture focusing on consent. To do this effectively, Sood says companies need to evolve from a tick box compliance system into a powerful consent strategy that will transform the user’s experience holistically. 

Many consumers are looking for value in their online experience, meaning that rather than being something to worry about, the dissolution of third-party cookies should be seen as an opportunity to build a relationship with consumers. You will want to advertise to them, but also re-target and re-market to keep them coming back. 

“To do that you want to deliver timely offers, have customer service available to the user, if they bought your product and you want them as a returning user. You want to target new relevant content to the user and also provide any customer recommendations,” such as content that is on theme with what they previously bought, Sood says. 

Consent, says Sood, is here to help your marketing strategies. It’s a way to give users unique choices and the opportunity to tell you about what they want so you can make sure you are offering that to them. It allows you to truly personalize the user experience. 

When you give users content that is relevant to who they are, they are more likely to want to know more. You can build this into your interface, so they can offer this information to you directly. This information can be fed downstream, to relevant places like apps, data warehouses, and email marketing systems. 

“And this really circles everything together for us in this webinar today. We started out by discussing how technology, privacy, and consumers are dictating this change … It’s important for you to understand that until the user gives you consent, you will not be able to process the best possible dataset or build new datasets for yourself. And so, complying with these [regulations and] getting the right interfaces out there and leveraging that for users opt-in to activate your ecosystem and help you retarget is going to be instrumental,” Sood explains.

The post Webinar Replay: Consumer Consent & Trust Are Competitive Advantages appeared first on AdMonsters.

Given the push towards refinement in consumer targeting, data clean rooms, the Twitter implosion, the rise of retail media, and legislations set to remap leveraging data, the buying universe is quietly scrambling for alternatives with data integrity at the core.  

Who is better than a long-term industry darling that has coveted the consumer better than anyone in its private digital sanctuary – the Apple ecosystem.

Why Apple?

Since its inception, Apple has operated one of the most respectable “ecosystems” in the modern era of technology.  

Their “experience design” acumen has orchestrated one of the most consumer-friendly operating environments, from hardware to software to peripherals, based on a singular aim of mastering interoperability at the highest threshold.  

While Apple has stayed the course in its core commitment to seamless consumer experiences, blame it on the push for 1st Party Data and the industry backpedaling on the reliance of Walled Gardens, signaling its time to enter the DSP business. Recent big tech data lawsuits and CPRA stipulations have created a slow-burning dumpster fire, only accelerating Apple’s market opportunity.

Apple’s Value Proposition to Ad Tech

Apple’s true value stems from the ownership of mindshare, or what we are now terming the Attention Stack. And if attention is the ultimate real estate, Apple owns most of the prized oceanfront properties with millionaire-style mansions.   

Given that their ecosystem is a user-driven community where product development is core to the “user experience,” the expectation will be that their DSP solution will be less about SAAS. An Apple-operated DSP should be centered around their ability to allow brands to effectively connect with consumers given the intimate knowledge they possess about them – an advantage they have all to themselves now.

The Lost Consumer View Created by Apple

Apple set the digital universe on fire with their iOS update, which introduced Intelligent Tracking Prevention and App Tracking Transparency (ATT) changes in 2021.  

The update kneecapped ad tech’s ability to target and measure performance, creating a significant ‘signal loss’ (or data attributed to the amount of web browsing and ecommerce behavior). 

Now, Apple can offer its own solution for that by launching its very own DSP. How convenient of them.  

Furthermore, consider other statistical factors such as 30% of global traffic is unaddressable because of cookieless browsers such as Safari. Or that another 20% are unreachable due to match-rate issues between platforms and users refusing cookies on publisher websites. Apple is also likely to accelerate the data graph conversation (i.e., music graph for Spotify, movie graph for Amazon) and architect one that merges content consumption, app behaviors, software usage, hardware purchase, etc., in a way ad tech has never seen before. They gear their experience design philosophy towards openly acknowledging all the technology gaps in the marketplace and closing them. Checkmate.

Apple Powering the SPO Conversation

Apple’s DSP launch may evolve into a page from the forthcoming Supply Path Optimization conversation, where sellers and buyers are becoming more selective about which ad tech partners they allow to participate in programmatic auctions and setups. 

The SPO movement stems from the need by brands to get closer to 1st party data (and proprietary data) offered through partners. Apple’s DSP could serve as the engine for a larger PMP framework, which would have substantial appeal to buying agency options.

Apple in the Data Clean Room Conversation

While the data clean room conversation is all the rave, much of the results still need to be conclusive.  

Clean rooms are environments where tech platforms mix their first-party data with others to gain insights without violating user privacy – which is paramount at Apple. Even mapping other data signals outside of content consumption patterns (location, social, search) onto my audience profile is something Apple is poised to do fluidly. In contrast, others pontificate and stumble around in similar endeavors. 

Why Apple is Poised to Succeed

Apple long existed as the North Star for industry reasons ranging from profit margins, product efficacy and integrity, Steve Jobs factor, management and leadership, retail experience, product design, and so on.  

The ad tech community will assume the same potential in launching a DSP which will translate into the sector granting them grace (while they make missteps) as they carve out a new chapter in their business model. 

Above all else, Apple is very prudent in studying the mistakes of its frenemies in the business while solving consumer points of friction as an operational mantra.  

The post The Lost Consumer View Created by Apple Solved Through Their Own DSP appeared first on AdMonsters.

On September 20th, 2021, Apple released iOS 15, an operating system update introducing three new privacy features to Apple devices: Hide my Email, Private Relay, and Mail Privacy Protection (MPP). This update, and these features, in particular, alter how and what data publishers (and third parties) can collect. While Apple’s iOS 15 update may have the most significant impact on publishers and advertisers yet, it’s not the first time Apple’s updates rattle the industry.

The Evolution of Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention

In 2017, Apple rolled out Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) for its Safari web browser. The feature, set as a default standard by Apple, prevents cookie-based tracking across websites. Furthermore, Apple’s ITP prevents companies from using fingerprinting to create probabilistic connections and device profiles for their identity graphs. However, it’s worth noting that while ITP blocks third-party cookie tracking, it does not block first-party cookies from providing essential functionalities on a website, like storing your login information.

Apple’s ITP 2.0 limited advertisers’ ability to store third-party cookies as first-party cookies to get around tracking prevention features. In its latest form, ITP 2.2 uses machine learning on the user’s device to identify the domains with which an Apple device user directly interacts. All client-side cookies are blocked after 24 hours if the users visit a site from a cross-site link, like the redirect URLs commonly used in digital advertising.

Per Apple: “Unless you visit and interact with the third-party content provider as a first-party website, their cookies and website data are deleted.” This is why it’s vital that publishers encourage engagement amongst site visitors. Creating interactive website experiences — rather than simply driving visitors to landing pages where they browse and drop in less than a minute — is critical in today’s world. Publishers who implement interactive tactics on their properties are better positioned to gather valuable data. 

With the release of Apple iOS 15, there’s more red tape around how publishers and advertisers can reach and connect with audiences. Below, we decode how some of the latest features of iOS 15 impact publishers and how they can adapt. 

Hide My Email

What is it?

Hide My Email enables an Apple iCloud+ subscriber to create a one-off email address to fill out forms, log in to websites, and sign up for newsletters without revealing their actual email addresses. The one-off email address created is usable only by the specific app or website for which the user created it. Any email sent to that address is redirected to the personal email account designated by the user.

What does it mean for publishers?

This puts a damper on building subscriber lists as those using Hide My Email will sign up with a “throwaway” email. However, Hide My Email is not available to all Apple mobile users. Only iCloud+ paid account holders using Safari can use Hide My Email in a web form. The good news? Currently, a little less than 20 percent of people worldwide use Safari.

Private Relay

What is it?

Say a person using their Apple device opens their browser and visits a website. With Private Relay, the information about web traffic from that user’s device is encrypted, leaving third parties unable to read or access traffic signals, such as IP addresses, between the user and the website — including Apple and the user’s network provider. Instead, the user’s DNS requests go through two separate internet relays. The first relay assigns an anonymous IP address, which generalizes the user’s location and maps their anonymized IP address to a general region instead of a specific location. The second relay decrypts the web address the user means to visit and connects them to the site. 

What does it mean for publishers?

Because Private relay encrypts an Apple user’s IP addresses, publishers will no longer have insight into traffic coming from specific locations but only state-wide or regional insights. These limited insights mean that publishers now have less granularity when it comes to geo-targeting efforts.

But what about traffic coming from email? Enter Mail Privacy Protection. 

Mail Privacy Protection (MPP)

What is it?

Apple’s new Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) applies specifically to the use of the native Mail app on Apple devices. MPP blocks invisible pixels in emails from collecting information about the email recipient. With MPP, email senders can no longer collect data on email opens or exact geolocations. MPP masks an email recipient’s IP address so it can’t be linked to other online activity or used to determine their locations. Additionally, MPP automatically loads email content after delivery, making it impossible for publishers to know when subscribers are opening their emails or if they are truly opening them.

What does it mean for publishers?

According to Litmus, 46.3 percent of all emails were opened in the Apple Mail app on the iPhone, iPad, and Macs. However, whether those emails are actually opened in the Apple Mail app doesn’t matter. If one of your subscribers is accessing their Gmail account using the Mail app on their phone, then any time that Gmail account receives an email from you, Apple will signal it was opened.

With MPP inflating email open rates, publishers need to reassess how they create audience segments, deliver personalized content, and analyze the performance of their email programs. Email open rates are not the only metrics impacted by MPP, however. If you’re a publisher that monetizes email newsletters, the inflated impression rates affect how CPM and CTR are calculated. However, this doesn’t mean your overall revenue is impacted.

Engagement Data: A publisher’s North Star

These privacy changes don’t mean publishers need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Although open rates are now inflated, geolocation data is generalized, and email addresses may be “hidden,” there’s still plenty publishers can do to manage successful email newsletter programs. By focusing on metrics that speak to engagement and tweaking email strategies, publishers can uncover audiences that are most connected to their brand and content, and adapt. Below are steps you can take to hone in on engagement. 

Create an Apple Mail vs. non-Apple Mail list.

By segmenting your list in this way, you can gain insight into how email is performing amongst those who don’t use the Apple Mail app. You can use the non-Apple segment as a proxy for understanding open rate performance.

Focus on clicks instead of opens and other lower-funnel metrics.

Publishers may wish to suppress or remove unengaged audiences from their targeting or email messaging. Accurately identifying engaged audiences will be difficult in a world with MPP if engagement is defined by email opens. Instead of focusing on email opens, look at email clicks to understand which audiences are engaged and what is driving engagement. This provides insights that are further down the funnel and speaks to interests and preferences, which can also help inform your email and content strategy. 

Reassess email activities that rely on opens.

Take stock of your email campaigns and reassess how to evolve those activities to suit today’s changing landscape. For instance, reaching audiences who use the Apple Mail app in a specific suburb of Long Island, NY, isn’t feasible with the new update, so adjustments must be made to address audiences accordingly. A/B testing subject lines is another example of the types of email activities publishers will need to reconsider in a world where open rates are affected. 

Broaden your use of metrics.

If you take care to curate an experience entirely within your newsletter, adding more places to encourage clicks out of your email may not work. Instead, look at incorporating other metrics that indicate engagement, such as subscribing to additional newsletters, upgrading to a paid digital subscription, or time spent with content published on your website or mobile app. Linking these engagements to your subscribers will require you to work with an identity partner, like LiveIntent, who can help you connect activity across channels to a subscriber address.

The post What Does Apple’s iOS 15 Update Mean for Publishers? appeared first on AdMonsters.

Part one focused on the future of advertising for marketers and publishers and part two looks at identity solution adoption and testing among marketers and publishers. Two hundred digital media and marketing execs were surveyed in September following Google’s announcement to delay cookie deprecation until 2023.

There’s so much uncertainty and concern is high on all levels. Key reports findings include: Forty-eight percent of publishers predict having to downsize their workforce driven by the third-party cookie deprecation and the expected drop in revenue that it will bring. Sixty percent of pubs expect at least a 10-25% drop, while 31% are less optimistic, thinking revenues will drop 26-50%.

As well, both buyers and sellers were clear that they want multiple ID solutions as alternatives to the third-party cookie. Thirty-three percent of marketers said they would use three ID solutions or that they were “open to using any number.” Similarly, 33% of publishers said they were “open to using any number,” followed by two (28%).

Test Identity Solutions Now

“A cookieless future is closer on the horizon and whether or not the industry ‘feels prepared,’ the end result is inevitable,” said Andy Monfried, Founder & CEO of Lotame. “Digital advertising is changing, and identity solutions will be part of that new future. Addressability and connectivity are at greatest threat in the post-cookie world. Testing identity solutions now can not only soften the blow of a cookieless landscape but future proof a business’s ability to connect with consumers in meaningful and respectful ways.”

Marketers are all onboard to lean into identity solutions, but for varying reasons. “While marketers say their primary reason for adopting new identity solutions is to support audience targeting (52%), for publishers, the central reason is data privacy (59%).” Overall, marketers are feeling more pressure to start testing identity solutions now than pubs. Three in four marketers said that they were likely to test new or further identity partners in the near future.

In addition, Google’s cookie deprecation delay has publishers concerned about the motives behind it. Forty-seven percent were “glad because we needed more time to prepare,” 42% said “I was expecting them to delay” but 40% also said, “I’m suspicious of the reasoning behind it.”

The same goes for Apple. Its privacy stance has publishers questioning how they will be able to produce email revenue. Forty-one percent of all respondents said they were “concerned for the impact on email hash identifiers,” while the same number said they were “concerned for our ability to monetize our email channel.”

The post Cookie Cutoff Could Mean Publisher Layoffs appeared first on AdMonsters.

The reasons are many …. CafeMedia’s Paul Bannister outlines how difficult it’s been to get the user-tracking alternatives off the ground. 

Meanwhile, Mike Juang at Ad Age posits that buy-side pressure spurred the delay. 

This makes sense on some levels, as in our industry, buyers’ desires (and dollars) often drive some of the most disruptive shifts to the way things get done. (Remember everyone’s angst — and the ensuing product development chaos — surrounding the move to transacting based on viewability)? 

But Google’s shift away from deprecating the 3P cookie is coming in the midst of regulatory battles around whether the company has undue influence over content monetization and distribution on multiple continents:  

• There’s the JCPA Bill aimed at giving U.S. publishers “collective bargaining” power to broker better rev-share deals here 
• There was the fight in Australia to avoid paying news publishers for clips of their content that got displayed in search results 
• Not to mention the EU antitrust investigation that kicked off with a probe in 2019   

So while there’s definitely brand and media agency influence, might the timeline extension be part of a broader, long-term strategy to appease (or, potentially quash) some of the looming antitrust claims? 

That question sparks another train of thought:  

As regulators around the world become more cognizant of how Google’s decisions around search, data, and advertising impact everyone from media conglomerates to small and medium-sized businesses, to millions of individual users, they’re starting to hold the company’s proverbial feet to the fire. 

But outside of a Spotify battle over the “Apple Tax” in the EU, and the Epic/Apple fight here in the States, why aren’t legislators doing the same thing to Apple, whose updated mobile OS essentially hobbles everyone else’s ability to target and run effective ad campaigns — under the umbrella of protecting user privacy? 

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had that thought: 

You’re right, Jay … And they’re not doing it for the publishers’ (or mobile app developers’ sake, either). 

Perhaps Apple’s time on the regulatory hot seat will eventually come, and perhaps the various governmental entities around the world will rein Google in — but that doesn’t mean publishers can exactly rejoice. That’s the consensus from a few POVs gathered from around the industry:  

“Publishers are fed up with these whipsaw tactics from the walled gardens/browser companies. In the span of a few weeks, Apple and Google have initiated and delayed major initiatives that directly impact how publishers will operate. This is exactly why publishers should have control of their destiny and need independent and open technology to create a fair value exchange for their content. Living at the whim of these walled gardens is the definition of insanity. It’s time for publishers to think beyond the cookie to create targetable, measurable audiences that provide revenue, increase yield, and preserve consumer privacy.” — Eric Wheeler, CEO, 33Across 

“Given that this is the third major delay by Google, this is hardly surprising news. It simply underscores the difference between business models that rely on advertising – such as Google and Facebook – and those that don’t, like Apple. But, at the end of the day, this changes nothing for advertisers. Apple owns enough of the market that its new rules are the game we’re all now playing. Google is simply delaying the inevitable, but business owners don’t have the same luxury. The time to begin taking responsibility for managing your own data has arrived.” — Landon Ray, CEO, Ontraport

“Although Google’s announcement gives the industry more time, the clock remains ticking. This news doesn’t change how advertisers and publishers should approach a solution. Publishers still need strategies to develop closer relationships with their audiences to ensure advertising revenue streams in the long run. On the advertising side, they should keep incentivizing parties with sophisticated understandings of their audiences. This will create the sustainable ecosystem we need for the future: one that’s less dependent on the walled garden’s data monopolies.”– Dor Herskovich, VP of Revenue at OpenWeb

“We are not surprised by the FLoC announcement. That said, there’s a certain irony to the UK’s pressure on Google not to be too hasty in deprecating cookies since that’s where a lot of the anti-cookie privacy pressure came from in the first place.  Google wins either way.  We are still betting privacy will prevail, most consumers will not consent to cross-site tracking, and programmatic direct deal volume will continue to accelerate.  Technology will catch up to support both the programmatic ad ecosystem and consumer privacy in ways that benefit publishers and advertisers alike and prioritizes both above tech vendors in the food chain.”  — Doug Huntington, CEO, FatTail 

Ultimately, the conclusion is that the cookie is still crumbling and maybe, the Apple is starting to rotten. That means pubs still need to work to build businesses that aren’t dependent on any one platform or technology paradigm.

The post Crumbling Cookies and a Rotten Apple: A Rock and a Hard Place for Pubs appeared first on AdMonsters.