The first step towards crisis management is to recognize the state of the situation in order to assess the likely impacts and get to work on mitigating the worst of it. Most stories of averted disasters include detailed accounts of calm and collected leadership coupled with protocol-driven action. The digital advertising industry has over the past while, been battered with panic-driven media headlines and the sound of bells tolling for the death of the cookie. And yet, amidst the doom and gloom, the global digital media industry has never been more active, invigorated and dialed in to the future.
Online advertising is getting a do-over. Under normal circumstances, this would represent a terrible threat to our $8.8 billion industry in Canada. However, as we approach the 25th anniversary of the most vibrant media channel in a century, the do-over comes with the benefit of enormous technical expertise. The only reason we have the foresight to understand what “tech-debt” looks like today, is because of the decades of experience we’ve had dealing with legacy systems. We finally got the memo that outlines the fundamental and unchanged rules of the game “respect humans” regardless of the unlimited capabilities that tech provides us with. We finally have our chance to get it right.
At next week’s State of the Nation event, we will take a good look at the progress we are making as we re-architect the eco-system. We will hear more about options than about our headaches and more about solutions than about our problems. Most importantly, we will hear about choices – new choices for advertisers and publishers. From cracking identity to clearly understanding how AI will play into reaching audiences next year, we are going to embrace the future and spend time celebrating a rare opportunity to re-start with the benefit of experience. We’ll get an update from Europe on the GDPR three years in and delve into the way customer data platforms will change everything. We’ll learn about the critical new gateway to consent and the three doors it will unlock to advertisers.
Join your peers as they begin to tell the success story of the future of our industry. Bring your curiosity and voice to the community and take a front seat to the action.