Jason Barnes [featured image] is the Chief Revenue Officer, APAC at PubMatic. In this piece, he looks at the future of targeted advertising and discusses how the digital advertising ecosystem can correct its course.

There is perhaps no bigger disruptor to the digital ecosystem than the changes afoot around addressable advertising.

Addressability is a key aspect to delivering efficient, relevant ad campaigns. As such, it is critical that both publishers and advertisers find effective strategies to reach addressable audiences in the post-cookie landscape.

Browsers such as Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari have already phased out third-party cookies, and Google Chrome will eliminate those identity trackers in 2022. While walled gardens like Google are proposing ad-targeting alternatives such as the Privacy Sandbox within its own browser, players across the industry have questions about the technology and whether it will hinder competition in digital advertising.

Identity for mobile apps isn’t faring much better – Apple has changed IDFA defaults, and Google just announced that from late 2021 the advertising ID for Android will be removed when a user opts out. It’s possible that at some point in the future, device ID on CTV will go the same way.

Imagine the possibilities if we come together to build a stronger, more sustainable, addressable advertising ecosystem. As many in the industry expect, the path to audience addressability will not be one-size-fits-all. We believe the open internet requires a portfolio approach to deliver superior monetization to publishers, increased ROI for buyers, and  include the wants and needs of consumers as part of  the value exchange.

The digital advertising ecosystem has started to course correct. Together, we can build on the promise of the open internet and deliver on the expectations of each of its players:

• Consumers want relevant content via channels that respect their privacy preferences;
• The buy-side wants to deliver engaging ads that increase their return on ad spend;
• And, publishers want to maximize consumer experiences on their properties while also maximizing their ad revenue.

To address the related issues and opportunities, this July, PubMatic is launching ENVISION: What’s Next for Addressability.

This inaugural global festival of ideas and solutions will span 25 continuous hours, bringing together industry leaders, experts, thinkers, and dreamers from around the world to discuss challenges pertaining to identity and addressability and debate the various paths to success.

Join us virtually, July 14, 2021.

Regionalised programming scheduled from 9:00am AEST – 5:00pm PDT. One registration. 25 hours of content.