Measurement Insights

Navigating the Ever-Changing Data Landscape

Customer privacy concerns are causing fundamental changes to marketing and measurement.  The data we leverage daily to perform analysis and execute targeted media campaigns for customers is slowly going away. There are two main reasons for this: 

  1. Updates to cookie tracking and legislation like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) are limiting what consumer data can be collected and shared. 
  2. Media budgets continue to move to the walled gardens of Facebook and Google, which now control an estimated 60% of ad revenue in the US (eMarketer).

These dynamics present challenging questions for performance marketers. 

  • What new technology is needed? 
  • What old tools are going away? 
  • What tactics should be pursued, and which should be avoided? 
  • How can we effectively connect with our customers in an authentic way? 
  • How do we respond to ever-evolving privacy requirements? 

As marketers ponder questions like these, they should engage their tech partners. Strong partners will be working proactively to adjust strategy based on these evolving needs. Marketers should also be working to set up internal teams to respond, arming them with the proper resources for success. 

Tech Partners

As policy and legislation move to protect customer data, targeting and measurement will become increasingly complicated. The value of first-party data is skyrocketing, and a test-and-learn mentality is essential as the availability of 3rd party data degrades. Successful tech partners will need to pursue creative solutions to: 

  1. Integrate data across walled gardens (Facebook, Google, Amazon).
  2. Collect low-granularity, user-level data
  3. Fill gaps through more flexible analytical frameworks (e.g. Media Mix Modeling).
  4. Leverage measurement tools that enable action within your organization.

Internal Teams

Organizations need to invest more in measurement expertise to navigate this complex space. There’s a high risk of teams rejecting good measurement capabilities in the face of increasing nuance and complexity. Organizations that can build smart internal capabilities for wielding the many tools available in a cross-channel, cross-functional way will be able to develop a strong competitive advantage. Successful leaders will build the internal capabilities to:

  1. Gain buy-in for complicated measurement systems within their organization, understanding the use cases of each tool and the relationships between.
  2. Drive usage of the tools and a willingness for test-and-learn to prevent analysis paralysis.
  3. Push measurement and activation partners to be more transparent and collaborative to find strategies for moving the needle.
  4. Effectively, consistently, and confidently test performance in market—this will be the only steadfast way to gain channel learnings in the face of industry and technology changes.

As we’ve seen in recent news, changes to browser-based user tracking are coming faster than ever. Further, legislative action like GDPR and CCPA are only the beginning – similar legislation (e.g. the New York Consumer Privacy Act) continues to develop at a rapid pace. If you are not already working with your tech partners and internal teams to get ahead of these changes, reach out to our Measurement Solutions team to start the conversation. 

Ovative is a digital-first media and measurement firm seeking to transform the measure of marketing success. At Ovative, we help brands move the needle. We are curious. We value your brand. We want to see you succeed. Connect with us to learn more!

Related Post: Death of the Cookie


Lillian Smith

Senior Analyst, Paid Social

About the Author

Lillian is a Senior Analyst on the Paid Social team at Ovative.

Dale Nitschke

Dale Nitschke

CEO & Founder

About the Author

Dale is the Founder and CEO of Ovative. After years of operating a large omni-channel business and leading a customer data initiative, Dale knew there was an opportunity to create a marketing firm that helped clients become more customer centric and drove better performance outcomes. A gap existed between business consultancies and advertising agencies that modern marketing approaches demand. He also believed that a strong, healthy culture could attract and develop smart, talented team members. In 2009, he formed Ovative to bring media, measurement, and consulting together under one roof to enable an enterprise approach that drives more revenue and grows clients’ customer base.

Prior to founding Ovative in 2009, Dale spent 23 years at Target Corporation where he served as President of Target.com and grew the ecommerce business from start-up stage to a $1 billion+ business and established the foundation of Target’s Guest database capabilities. Previously he served as SVP Merchandising at the Department Store Division of Dayton Hudson. Dale has advised retailers and brands globally on business, growth, marketing, and measurement transformation strategies.

Outside of Ovative, Dale is a leader on topics including business strategy, change management, and team leadership. He serves on the board of Allergy Amulet and on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Wisconsin School of Business at UW-Madison.  He enjoys spending time with his family, up north in northern Wisconsin, playing golf, and cheering on Wisconsin sport teams.

Seth Brand

Senior Manager, Consulting

About the Author

Seth is a Senior Manager on the Consulting team at Ovative.

Amanda McCann

Senior Manager, Consulting

About the Author

Amanda is a Senior Manager on the Consulting team at Ovative, specializing in Retail Media Networks.

Jenny Reinke

Senior Analyst, Measurement Solutions

About the Author

Jenny is a Senior Analyst on the Measurement Solutions team at Ovative.

Annie Zipfel

Executive Vice President, Media

About the Author

Annie is the Executive Vice President of Media at Ovative. She oversees delivery and growth across paid and owned media (digital, traditional, and retail media) and creative services.

Annie has more than 30 years of experience in media, brand management, insights/analytics, marketing, and product. She has also developed large, high-performing teams and built new measurement capabilities. Annie led the marketing team at Andersen Windows & Doors, leading the digital, social, content, customer insights, and creative functions. Prior to that, Annie served in multiple marketing leadership roles at Starbucks, REI, Target, and General Mills, with a keen focus on brand, media, insights, analytics, and measurement.

Annie is an industry leader in brand management, customer insights, e-commerce, social media, and analytics. She enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, fishing, and spending time with her sweet dog and two sons.

Bonnie Gross

Executive Vice President, Talent Services

About the Author

Bonnie is the Executive Vice President of Talent Services at Ovative. She is responsible for attracting and retaining top talent and creating a culture in which our team thrives personally and professionally. Under Bonnie’s leadership, Ovative has defined an industry leading leadership and development program and transformed our approach to talent recruitment with a focus on diversity, equality and inclusion. Prior to her current role, Bonnie led Ovative’s Client and Business Development team overseeing client satisfaction and new growth opportunities.

Before joining Ovative in 2014, Bonnie spent 13 years at Target Corporate as the VP of digital and Digital Marketing where she led the launch of Cartwheel, an industry-leading social shopping application. Bonnie was the VP of Marketing for Fingerhut for 15 years prior to joining Target.

Leander Cohen

Analyst, Consulting

About the Author

Leander Cohen is an Analyst on the Consulting team at Ovative.

Will Silva

Analyst, Measurement Solutions

About the Author

Will is an Analyst on the Measurement Solutions team at Ovative.

Sarah Chang

Sarah Chang

Analyst, Consulting

About the Author

Sarah Chang is an Analyst on the Consulting team at Ovative.

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