Key Points

  • Utilizing data collected by a Data Management Platform (DMP) is often the difference between reaching the right and wrong audience.
  • Running an ad campaign based on this data can help drive overall campaign efficiency and eliminate wasteful media spending.
  • Advertisers need to understand who their audience is in order to best serve both their target audience and their brand. A quality DMP with access to plenty of first-party audience data solves this.

It may seem that data management advertising solutions are becoming more and more scarce within the ad space, but that's simply not the case. The digital world is evolving quickly as is the way that we collect and manage data but that doesn't mean advertisers and publishers are left to the wolves. As with anything in ad tech, we must adapt to each and every rapid change.

The world is ending. Or so many would like you to believe with the way that they talk about the end of third-party cookies. 

Yes, we will most likely see third-party cookies disintegrate over the next few years, which is a direct result of major digital players choosing to implement stricter user privacy policies for the betterment of the overall online community. But even with these drastic changes coming, the future of digital advertising remains bright so long as you choose your DMP advertising solution wisely.

Read on to learn more about what the future of data management will look like for advertisers, and how Playwire's proprietary DMP advertising solution continues to drive campaign efficiency by harnessing the power of first-party data.

Playwire is always looking to stay ahead of the ad tech curve. This holds true for our built-in DMP, which harnesses the power of first-party data to provide our partners with the reassurance that with or without third-party cookies, they will still be able to reach their target audiences and their revenue will continue to climb. Interested to learn more? Contact us.

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The End of Third-Party Cookies and What it Means for Advertisers

In February of 2020, Google announced that they would be phasing out third-party cookies. For online users, this is fantastic news as more and more questions regarding online privacy have been raised in recent years. In fact, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center noted that 81% [of people] say that the potential risks they face because of data collection outweigh the benefits. 

However, for digital advertisers who use third-party cookies to inform the decisions they make with their ads, including targeting specific audiences and placing frequency caps where appropriate, it's been perceived as a nightmare. But it doesn't have to be.

In addition to a quality Data Management Platform to manage your data, all this talk about online privacy brings to the forefront an equally important piece of one's ad tech stack, access to a Consent Management Platform (CMP). Learn more about where a CMP fits into the data management equation and about how Playwire's CMP promulgates consent information to advertisers so both publishers and advertisers can rest assured they are in compliance every step of the way.

The Future of Digital Advertising

While the rapid changes to digital advertising and the way that we collect data could be seen as purely a negative, they can also be seen as a positive. With more privacy protections in place, online visitors will feel more comfortable during their online experiences. For digital advertisers, it certainly presents a challenge but also an opportunity to revise old standards and implement change that will benefit everyone.

First-Party Cookies

First, you need to understand that there is a huge distinction between first- and third-party cookies. First-party cookies collect visitor data only from a publisher's single-owned website or app whereas third-party cookies collect user data about an individual's overall online actions and behaviors. 

First-party cookies are not going anywhere. This means data can still be collected about users who engage with content on a particular site, which can still largely be used to help advertisers serve targeted ads. In other words, you definitely want to align yourself with a DMP that has access to a wealth of publisher first-party data.

Even more so, you want to look for a partner with a DMP that provides access to a vast network of first-party data. This network-wide data can be categorized into various audience segments based on a larger pool of interest and behavioral data for targeting by advertisers.

Standardized Taxonomy

Another word that is becoming more commonplace when referring to Data Management Platforms is 'taxonomy'. As the industry standard for privacy practices increases, the concept of integrating pre-built industry standardized taxonomy grows as well. 

Standardized taxonomy eliminates errors in data segmentation and improves comparability in cases when you are pulling data from a variety of unique sources. Working with a DMP that partners with sources such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) to implement standardized content and audience taxonomy can assure your data is being correctly segmented based on predefined industry standards. 

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The Complete Data Management Platform Resource Center

Contextual Targeting

In addition to creating industry-wide standardized taxonomy, contextual targeting has proven itself a future-proof way for advertisers to get their ads in front of the right audience without having to rely on cookies.

Contextual targeting solutions assure your ad is placed on a site or app that features content that is brand-relevant. This is done through keywords, topics, etc. which align advertisers with sites that already display content on their site related to those specific keywords or topics. This leads to complete compliance, optimized ad campaigns, and better audience engagement.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) in Digital Advertising

Digital advertising has changed substantially over the years, often as a result of the real-world changes we are seeing. One of the greatest changes has come as a result of advertisers and publishers alike answering the call for more diversity, equity, and inclusion in regard to the marketing and advertising their users are being shown. 

A 2019 study showed that 61% of consumers want to see diversity in advertising. The pressure has only continued to mount, and it's becoming increasingly important for advertisers to reach broader, more representative audiences with their campaigns.

Ultimately, the goal for DE&I in digital advertising is to ensure an ad campaign reaches a culturally representative audience that matches the general population, rather than disproportionately targeting a specific group. As noted, the demand is certainly present, but it turns out that so are the bottom line benefits for advertisers and in turn, for publishers as well.

The Female Quotient found that 64% of respondents would take some kind of action, such as making a purchase, after seeing a diverse ad. This insight indicates that making an effort to show diverse ad campaigns can only improve the chances of user engagement and action for both advertisers and publishers. Thus, if executed properly, over time advertisers could see higher CTR, VTR, and engagement rates.

However, it's key to note that the only way to do this is by working with sites that make a conscious effort to target more diverse audiences, ensuring your campaigns are reaching all demographics. 

How can you know that a site is doing this? One piece of the puzzle is access to a quality DMP, which can provide updated metrics about the types of audience that a particular website or app is reaching. The second piece is the integration of key third-party partners like Nielsen that are meant to objectively measure audience representation.

Luckily, this is another area that Playwire has devoted exponential time and energy towards. Our DE&I solution, which is a direct extension of our built-in DMP, will provide you the peace of mind that the audiences you wish to target will be those that your ads land in front of. 

Once we have a solid understanding of an advertiser's campaign goals, our team, and technology work in unison to process those factors ensuring campaign goals for targeting and inclusivity are met. In addition, we have options to serve campaigns across diverse-owned businesses. 

Read more about how our DE&I solution works for advertisers as well as how our Direct Sales team works to connect brands with the sites and apps best suited to meet their campaign goals.

Why Partnering with Playwire Makes All the Difference

A future without third-party cookies can be scary because it's all the industry has ever known, but that's truly the beauty of ad tech. Every second of every day, things are shifting in the real world, which the digital world often emulates. 

While this may shine a light on those in the ad tech industry who are not equipped to handle these types of changes, it also highlights the players who are prepared. Playwire is one of those prepared players.

With Playwire's proprietary DMP advertising solution, driven by first-party data, you can be certain that your campaigns are reaching the right audience. How do we do this? 

  • Custom audience segmentation (180+ segments and growing)
  • Access to mass reach across the Playwire network including 500+ exclusive publishers with premium ad inventory
  • Reach the right user, at the right time, on the right device, with scale and accuracy using multiple data sources

The result? Less media waste, higher engagement, and greater overall campaign efficiency. To learn more about how Playwire's DMP is changing the way we think about, manage, and utilize first-party data across our vast network of publishers, contact us today.

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