By Lou Mastria
The Digital Advertising Alliance is pleased to announce its new DAA Thought Leadership Series featuring top leaders discussing current and emerging trends in interest-based advertising.
In the evolving world of digital advertising, complex technologies and consumer expectations continue to transform the way we do business. In this series, we will be speaking with the experts and executives who are leading the way in advertising innovation and how they help facilitate our own efforts to advance high ethical practices for consumer privacy, security and transparency. Bringing together exceptional ideas, covering a range of topics, we look forward to sharing industry insights that give companies the information and tools necessary to balance business goals with consumer privacy expectations.
Stay tuned periodically to hear perspectives, expertise and cutting-edge ideas that produce positive impacts for our industry.
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In our first segment, we speak with Jodi Daniels, director of privacy at Auto Trader Group, who participated as a panelist earlier this year at the DAA Summit 2014.
DAA: What are the emerging trends you're seeing in interest-based advertising?
Daniels: Advertisers continue to want to reach customers in market for their products as efficiently as possible. It is still about targeting the right shopper with the right message on the right platform. That’s the premise behind interest-based advertising: helping bridge the gap between advertisers and consumers. Consumers are better understanding that data is being used in advertisements and that it can provide them relevant advertising, making DAA compliance important for the sustainability of interest based advertising.
DAA: How can digital advertisers connect with multi-platform audiences? In what way is your company helping to make that happen?
Daniels: Digital advertisers can make the experience for the consumer relevant for each device. The experience across these platforms should enhance their overall experience with the brand. The technology is still evolving to help make this as effective as possible so that advertisers can reach consumers with the most relevant messages. We have an omni-channel strategy that enables us to develop experiences that are appropriate to each device while still connecting the experience across devices.
DAA: How has the proliferation of mobile devices changed the landscape for digital advertisers? Are consumers interacting with brands differently on tablets and smartphones than they do on desktops?
Daniels: Per various comScore studies in 2013, users 18-54 spend more time on mobile than on Desktop. Users tend to use phones in the morning, PCs during the working hours, and tablets are most popular at night. Consumers use these devices differently, and one is not replacing the other. Rather they are used complementary. Brands need to be where their consumers are, and consumers expect a good mobile experience that is streamlined over their multiple devices. Our research tells us that a poor mobile experience can negatively impact a brand.
DAA: What can companies or brands do to build consumer trust in online advertising while providing more personalized services? Have the Digital Advertising Alliance Principles been helpful to your brand/clients?
Daniels: Companies should be transparent about their practices. Many people want personalized services and are willing to give more personal information to receive those services as long as they can trust what the company will do with that information. Allowing the user to opt out of the service is also a good best practice. The DAA Principles and program have allowed our clients to deliver more efficient advertising in a transparent manner. The DAA Principles and program have allowed our clients to deliver more efficient advertising in a transparent manner. - Jodi Daniels, AutoTrader.com
DAA: How have you best positioned privacy and self-regulation in your organization? Have you implemented a command-and-control approach in your organization -- or are the compliance efforts team-based?
Daniels: We currently have positioned privacy as a central function and act as advisory partners to our business clients. Privacy is incorporated into our key business processes.
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Jodi Daniels is a Certified Informational Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) with specific expertise in online privacy and interest based advertising. Daniels focuses on consumer privacy for AutoTrader Group which includes well known consumer brands AutoTrader.com and KelleyBlueBook.com as well as several business-to-business brands.
