As digital advertising adapts to increased user privacy and stricter rules, the question arises: How do we target the right users without relying on third-party data? Since the traditional methods based on tracking online users are hindered by privacy requirements, advertisers and brands are now exploring new approaches that respect privacy while ensuring relevance and personalisation, which are key to success. For years, iPROM has pioneered alternative targeting methods that do not require the use of data from a third party. In this blog, we will focus on three primary methods shaping today’s digital advertising landscape.

Any business looking to succeed in the digital era needs to understand the consumer’s purchase journey, as consumers have endless options and channels for shopping. iPROM collaborates with Valicon to conduct market research and can use data analysis and interpretation to improve the customer experience and increase competitiveness in the market. This research focuses on the Slovenian consumers’ purchase journeys across various product categories, monitoring changes in their purchase behaviour over time.

Growing privacy concerns are challenging consumer trust in digital advertising, while e-privacy and data management regulations are becoming increasingly stringent. Companies are looking for new ways to cultivate customer relationships based on transparency and respect for user and regulatory privacy.
The concept of ‘privacy-first’ has become necessary due to consumer expectations and regulatory frameworks. iPROM is a key player in this new era of advertising, focusing on independent advertising solutions that protect the privacy of online users.

In today’s age of technological transformation, data protection and privacy are becoming essential for the success of brands in advertising. Marketers must prioritize privacy strategies in their marketing initiatives due to changes in legislation and increased consumer expectations. Businesses must be aware that data protection is not only a legal requirement but also crucial for gaining and maintaining the trust of consumers. Nowadays, people are more aware that their data is valuable and they are unwilling to share it with technology solution providers at any cost.

Programmatic advertising has experienced substantial growth in recent years. According to Statista, the global programmatic advertising market was worth $558 billion in 2023, marking an 11% increase in investment in programmatic digital advertising compared to the previous year. This growth reflects the evolving digital landscape and advertisers’ increasing trust in programmatic platforms. It highlights the maturity of the sector and the significant role it will play in the future of digital advertising. Below are the key programmatic advertising trends that I predict will shape the current year.

The year 2024 will mark an important milestone in the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem – the end of third-party cookies, known as the ‘cookiepocalypse’. This change is a direct response to the growing user demands for more privacy and the changing regulatory landscape. Marketers face the challenge of fundamentally rethinking their strategies to navigate this new environment successfully.

In the digital advertising world, companies must now collect and analyse data directly from their users. This shift is a result of the decline in the use of third-party cookies, long considered the cornerstone of personalised advertising. The focus is now on first-party data, which includes behavioural patterns of target audiences obtained directly from visitors to companies’ own digital platforms. Investing in the development of proprietary digital media has become essential as this strategy paves the way for more targeted and effective digital advertising. In this post, we will explore why.

Digital advertising is constantly evolving and transforming, but the phasing out of third-party cookies represents a key turning point in its history. We are entering a new chapter of connecting with audiences, where activities will be based on the use of first-party data that companies obtain directly from their audiences on their websites or mobile apps. This marks the beginning of a new era in the buying of advertising space in digital media, which will require a deeper understanding and effective use of this valuable information for more targeted and personalised advertising.

In a digital advertising world dominated by fast turnaround and flexibility, it is often difficult to advocate for continuous investment in digital advertising. However, analytical data contradicts this notion. Brands that continue to invest at the top of the sales funnel over several months achieve better performance and ROI compared to those that stop after just three months.

In the digital advertising ecosystem, effective targeting is crucial for the success of campaigns. The shift to first-party data and advanced AI technologies has revolutionised digital media buying. One of the highlighted approaches is lookalike modelling, or modelling based on shared characteristics using AI. This approach allows brands to target their advertising campaigns more precisely to the right audiences with a much higher likelihood of liking a brand. In this blog post, I will explain how digital media buying is done using first-party data and lookalike modelling using AI and show a practical example.