Data Privacy

Some people are calling what’s coming for digital advertising the “apocalypse.” 

We’re not much for hyperbole. But it is a big change. The short version: A few major changes in digital advertising – primarily coming from Google and Apple, including landmark changes to Apple’s privacy policy under iOS 14.5 – will transform how brands and ad agencies track and target audiences across mobile devices, apps, social media, and the internet as a whole. 

Retargeting, ad personalization, and cookie usage – the backbone of the modern digital advertising ecosystem – will be significantly decreased or eliminated. Put simply, we’re entering a new era of data privacy over the next few years that will rewrite the future of digital advertising. 

To us, new restrictions on tracking and data usage could be a positive pivot, not just for individuals, but for social impact brands with a story to tell. 

For these purpose-led companies and non-profits (and the ad agencies that work with them), centering your efforts on your core brand story, and putting out engaging, authentic content, will matter more than it has in years. It means that these organizations will have a leg up on other companies that will now be chasing after the purpose-driven messaging that is now required.

Thriving in this new environment will mean starting by centering on your brand story: Even though some of these changes are 1-2 years away, now is the time to focus on your core brand story, and how it comes to life for your audiences. So, how do you do that?

Here are some tips on how to capitalize on this new world:

Create content that is authentic, relevant, and resonates strongly with your audience in a way that encourages them to pay attention. 

Tracking and retargeting will become a thing of the past for most mobile apps and social media. That means users will need to get more intrinsic value from your content, especially if you want to keep them coming back.

Be clear on your kpis before crafting a campaign

It’s not simply about a raw number of eyeballs anymore. And frankly, it never should have been. So, are you simply trying to raise awareness and get people to know more about your initiative?  Are you trying to change opinions? Are you trying to change behavior, and if so, how will you measure that? 

Knowing these KPIs will determine your media buying strategy, platforms used, and a plan for reporting on metrics during and after the campaign has wrapped up. 

Consider a more integrated and wide-ranging approach to your marketing tactics by utilizing more cross-channel strategies. 

This will help to leverage rich data for more real-time optimization throughout the lifetime of a campaign, allowing the results to speak for themselves. 

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This new world of data privacy poses a unique opportunity for all brands to focus more closely on the content itself that they are creating rather than focusing all their efforts on cost per conversion, or pure number of audience members reached. If the content is insightful, authentic, and relevant to their audience, real results will follow.