Publicis Group acquires Lotame, while TTD talks up the Premium Internet

Welcome to the latest edition of Spotlight, your monthly summary of the hottest headlines from the world of digital marketing.

What we have for you today: Meta mulls new UK business model, sustainability comes back on the radar, and an industry acquisition highlights the importance of post-cookie alternatives.

Managing consent

In 2022, human rights advocate Tanya O’Carroll initiated a lawsuit against Meta, alleging that the company breached UK data protection laws by ignoring her demands for Facebook to stop collecting and using her data for advertising. With the UK’s data protection authority supporting her case, this legal action could set a precedent potentially reshaping Meta’s business model in the UK, from advertising-supported to subscription-only!

The full implications of this case remain to be seen, but one principle stands out: publishers and platforms must provide consumers with a comprehensive consent journey. Merely obtaining consumers’ consent to use their data for advertising purposes is insufficient. There must also be a robust system in place to accommodate changes whenever consumers decide to manage aspects of, or revoke, that consent.

Holdcos eye the data prize

This month saw a significant industry development, as Publicis Groupe acquired adtech company Lotame. This move strengthens Publicis’ identity-based data services by adding Lotame’s database of 1.6 billion user profiles. When combined with the 2.3 billion profiles already under Publicis’ management, the group now claims potential access to 91% of all internet-connected adults globally.

It’s promising to see leading holding companies acknowledging the need for post-tracking-cookie alternatives for personalised advertising. While the creation of robust user profiles is vital, the importance of match rates cannot be underestimated. These rates are critical to ensure that personalised advertising is not only effective but also reaches the intended audience accurately.

The emergence of the “Premium Internet”

The Trade Desk’s (TTD) has recently been promoting the “Premium Internet,” but what exactly is it? Some clues emerged at TTD’s FWD25 event in New York City, subtitled “The Rise of the Premium Internet.” The event shed light on how TTD is addressing concerns from buyers about the prevalence of low-quality media on the open web, in part by focusing on improving addressability through its UID2. The Premium Internet it seems, is a place where advertisers can be sure they are reaching the right audiences at the right time.

We welcome this initiative wholeheartedly. And while authenticated IDs like the UID2 will have a big role to play, advertisers can also leverage complementary IDs like telco-verified IDs, that can enable them to verify and reach audiences on the open web.

Through such solutions, the premium inventory model will enable programmatic advertising to continue to deliver the value that advertisers demand.

The return of sustainability

Sustainability was one of the major areas of focus in 2024, but it seems to have dropped off the radar a little this year. That’s why it’s great to see a couple of new sustainability initiatives. First, Immediate Media has teamed up with ESG data firm The GoodNet to introduce a sustainable advertising platform. Named IM Clear, this platform will enable advertisers to enhance media performance while also improving their ESG scores.

Meanwhile, companies including Mars, Coca-Cola, VaynerMedia, and Omnicom Media Group are building deeper partnerships with programmatic marketplace operators to make sure that they have access to quality ad inventory. The aim is to bring transparency to the programmatic supply chain and minimise waste (i.e. good ads being placed on junk inventory).

We at Novatiq believe that sustainability should be at the core of programmatic innovation, and our own ID platform has been built from the ground up with sustainability in mind, reducing fraudulent traffic and streamlining the ad distribution process. Momentum is building again around adtech sustainability, and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Reaching Gen X and Boomers

Influencer marketing is usually associated with Millennials and Gen Z, but there are now signs that  the approach is being used to reach Gen X and Boomer audiences. Brands are waking up to the fact that older demographics have significant spending power and are looking at how best to engage with them.

We believe that understanding your audience has never been more crucial. Generational divides are growing, and each requires a distinct approach. That’s why personalised advertising – with the necessary privacy controls in place – has never been more important, ensuring that every message not only resonates but also reaches the right ears at the right time.

More from Novatiq

As always, you can also read more in our monthly blogs. Our latest look at how to solve advertising signal loss with telco data, and the role of first-party data in digital advertising. Meanwhile, our Co-Founder and CPO, Tanya Field, has been in the news. Check out her CMOtech opinion piece, which was published for International Women’s Day, on the subject of how we can get more women into tech jobs.