The Advertising Business Group (ABG) Research Committee and Ipsos have been studying levels of data privacy awareness in the GCC and ways to enhance best practices in the era of Web 3.0.
The amount and types of data our economies generate have grown exponentially over the last decade, and so have the ways it can be processed and used. That transformation has greatly raised societal concerns around protecting the privacy and personal data of consumers and users.
The ABG research committee teamed up with Ipsos in the UAE to research the level of understanding, level of acceptance, and readiness for such a big change to the advertising industry, focusing on both market experts and consumers. The research design uses a two-fold approach targeting market experts and consumers. It looks into the point of view of market experts on the changing world of data privacy, in addition to uncovering consumers’ growing concerns about their personal data and information.
Five elements that will shape the solution
The research highlighted five key elements that stakeholders believe can help form the solution in future:
- It is a priority to collect, analyse, and utilise first-party data, since the stronger the set of data, the stronger the profile of audiences.
- E-commerce as an advertisement enabler, exploring data partnerships and collaborative ads.
- Contextual advertising with premium publishers, creating more quality and relevant content.
- New measurement methods through modeling and the combination of online and offline tools, going beyond campaign metrics since measures like reach will become far more difficult and be based on probabilistic models.
- Enriched consumer engagement and experiences throughout the campaign funnel, potentially using Web 3.0 tools such as blockchain to give consumers more control of their data.
Why this matters
- The industry is heavily reliant on third-party cookie-based data platforms like DMPs.
- The stronger the set of first-party data, the stronger the profile of audiences.
- Rich first-party data will help with precise targeting.
Leyal Eskin Yilmaz, Vice President and Head of Personal Care Business Arabia, ABG Chair and Unilever, said the report combined GCC consumer and expert views. She noted that “the responsible management of consumer data is imperative if brands and organisations want to gain their consumers’ trust,” and that the recommendations in the report are essential for companies pursuing data-driven strategies.
Tarek Elnagdy, CMI director PC MET and Arabia CMI market lead at Unilever, called the report valuable for understanding how consumers engage with data privacy in the GCC region.
Better profiles start with better collection. Talk to our team about strengthening your first-party data foundation.