Following Google’s announcement that it will now phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome by 2024, we got in touch with our friends at New Digital Age (NDA) to help bring together an industry roundtable to dive into the growth of alternative forms of advertising.
It was a highly engaging morning so we decided to do a short writeup after the event so it gives you a flavor of what’s to come in the advertising world (you can find links to the full writeups of these discussions below this article).
Alongside our very own Global Marketing Director, Andy Ashley, and Global Advertising Sales Director, Gregor Smith, were:
● Justin Pearse, Editor, NDA
● Daniel Sichel, EMEA Hub, Zenith
● Rebecca Burchnall, Chief Planning Officer, PHD
● Lydia Martin, Media Strategist, The Kite Factory
● Steve Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer, VCCP Media
● Tamar Ayres, Digital Team Lead, The7Stars,
● Emma Moorhead, General Manager, Wavemaker UK
● Freddy Clapson, Executive Director & Global Head of Programmatic, team x
Since advertisers are still experimenting with strategies to reach and, most importantly, engage with potential customers, the discussion raised the question of whether new contextual advertising methods demand new methods of measurement and attribution.
The group also spoke on the ongoing debate around using attention-based measurements as a method of assessing the impact of contextual campaigns.
One key takeaway from the conversation was an appreciation for the need to rethink traditional metrics used in display advertising and focus on metrics that measure the impact of the ad on consumer behavior.
All attendees agreed that contextual advertising presents a unique opportunity to bring back focus to the foundations of traditional media campaigns and use AI where applicable to help understand human behaviors better, rather than depend on it.
Steve Taylor emphasized that measuring media delivery isn’t enough and that the ad’s impact on behavior should be established. He firmly believed that contextual advertising could be the route that offers a way out of the ineffective ads that clutter digital screens and bring us back to “good old-fashioned planning principles.”
They also highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between attention-based metrics and traditional planning principles when measuring the success of contextual advertising campaigns.
Freddy Clapson emphasized the vital role of publisher buy-in to any evolving metrics, adding that high-attention properties are irrelevant if they’re not available for purchase.
This point was echoed by Rebecca Burchnall agreed with, raising caution against focusing solely on high-attention media placements, as it is crucial to recognize how consumers consume and absorb media.
Special thanks to New Digital Age for arranging the roundtable. You can read more about the sessions here: