How B2B Advertising Can Protect Consumer Data
B2B Advertising Technology Providers, Like AdDaptive, Can Reach Businesses Without Compromising Individuals’ Privacy
The Path to Privacy
As the digital media landscape has seen an increased focus on data privacy, consumers have become savvier and expect more transparency from their vendors and suppliers. Companies and legislations have responded with increased regulations, a practice which protects the consumer but hinders some advertising companies’ abilities to serve audience members with relevant ads.
Certain issues and risks must be mitigated in order for companies to survive in the industry: If a tech company experienced a data breach or abused the use of its platform, it must respond with an apology that recognizes the harm and stricter rules that show a change in behavior to benefit the consumer. It might seem as though these issues are becoming more frequent and that there’s no cap on the harm that can be done.
But the challenge is to find the needle in the haystack.
Environmental factors may affect all companies in the market, but there will be varying degrees of impact. Not all advertising companies are misusing consumers’ data. Not all vendors are struggling with privacy issues. And those who already have a solution that takes privacy and transparency into account while still achieving targeting success will emerge even stronger on the other side. Brands and agencies looking to prepare for the future should identify those companies now – before it becomes a necessity and switching costs rise.
A Viable Solution
There are some recent developments that are essential to heed: Consumers need to be able to decide to opt out from data collection if they so choose; those who allow their data to be collected need to know it won’t be abused and will instead be used to their benefit. B2B advertising companies that are able to target business accounts without keeping personal data on individuals are well-poised to provide this value and survive the “ad-mageddon.”
A happy medium does exist. Advertising technology companies with a B2B focus, like AdDaptive, tend to thrive in a privacy-centric environment. This approach does not focus on collecting or managing personal data; instead, it focuses on building a solution that analyzes publicly available business data and job function data at the aggregate level which, when combined, is powerful enough to hone in on the appropriate job function at a particular company – all while protecting the individual behind that role.
For example, this B2B advertising approach stresses digital identifiers, not personal identifiers; in other words, we are able to reach the right person at the right company by leveraging:
- The business title, not the individual’s name
- The business location, not anyone’s household address
- The business revenue, not one individual salary
- The business IP address, not personal digital behavior
Therefore, targeting is personally anonymous, but specific on a business level. In that way, B2B ad tech companies such as AdDaptive are able to reach key accounts without compromising individuals’ privacy. This gives us a competitive edge, as we are already accomplishing what companies will need to pivot towards in order to stay alive in the coming years. In addition, we are able to provide a level of post-campaign analytical insight that is unprecedented in the industry – a development that would take other companies years to catch up to.
Ready When You Are
Ultimately, if agencies and brands are worried about data practices but still see digital advertising as a valuable and essential part of their overall marketing strategy, switching to a company like AdDaptive, whose operations are not compromised by the influx of regulation and are not subject to risks surrounding personal data, is the smartest way to be proactive. We’re already successful in doing what everyone else will try to figure out how to do; rather than working with a tech vendor that will be in transition and trying to hone a new skill, why not run with a company that has been doing it for years?
