Data Collaboration is Changing Canadian Marketing
Today’s marketers are being asked for greater accountability while facing changes in the marketing ecosystem that require rethinking how to analyze, activate and measure results. There are technical challenges (deprecation of cookies and location signals), privacy regulations (e.g. Bill C-27 and Law 25 in Quebec) and shifting consumer behaviour (with multi-channel media consumption and shopping behaviours) to contend with. The effective use of data and analytics is crucial to get the measurable results marketers need, while embracing privacy and security.
Organizations need a new way of thinking and operating - and that involves combining multiple sources of data. Only by leveraging first-party data and collaborating with partners – whether with other brands or publishers – will organizations be able to see the full consumer picture… and unlock new revenue opportunities.
Done right, data collaboration leads to improved understanding of the consumer, greater targeting efficiency, audience scaling, incremental reach, visibility into cross-channel impact and ultimately, a better return on ad spend (ROAS). The value to industry stakeholders can be tremendous.
- Advertisers – With disappearing cookies and deprecated location signals, advertisers are losing the ability to effectively target and reach relevant consumers, particularly on the ‘open web’ (e.g. non-walled gardens). Where such campaigns are being executed, advertisers face a perennial (and growing) blind spot around measurement and impact of their advertising spend, especially when it comes to cross-channel analysis. Advertisers know that they need a robust first-party data strategy, leveraging these assets for internal analysis and external monetization. Yet the combination of legacy internal data silos and Canada’s changing privacy environment are leading many of these organizations to pull back or move more slowly in the absence of assured privacy-safe options.
- Publishers – Signal loss impacts audience addressability for publishers who need a way to connect advertisers to audiences and their ad inventory. Media platforms (especially non-walled gardens) need strategies for adding value and attracting advertisers, differentiating their audiences, and attracting a growing share of ad budgets. And like advertisers, they need to do so in a way that maximizes their reach while protecting the privacy of their audiences. Key to their success is measurement of ROAS across screens and platforms.
- Agencies – Agencies experience the same challenges as advertisers and publishers. The loss of legacy targeting capabilities means that an identity solution that is privacy compliant, effective in reaching the right consumers and can be used for audience addressability at scale and measuring outcomes is paramount.
So why aren’t more organizations pursuing data collaboration initiatives? Because data collaboration can be complex, costly and risky.
In 2021, Environics Analytics (EA) recognized that data collaboration was an emerging key strategic imperative for organizations. EA also recognized that data collaboration in Canada required not only technical but also robust data security and governance processes to address Canada’s unique environment. To date, EA has made significant investments in its ‘made-in-Canada’ clean room environment and data collaboration services (EAVault), including:
- Technology Infrastructure – Best-in-class, interoperable and agnostic across cloud providers, enabling access to data from all environments, including Azure, GCP, AWS, Snowflake, Optable, DataBricks, and CDPs.
- Application Layers – Modular, end-to-end application layers that combine EA expertise, workflows and data with partner technology to address the broadest range of use cases.
- Governance and Security – Enhanced Privacy by Design compliance (including ISO 31700-1 certification) with oversight by EA’s Data Governance Office.
On May 1, 2024, Environics Analytics took a major step forward to expand its data collaboration services, announcing a partnership with global adtech provider LiveRamp and becoming the exclusive provider of LiveRamp technology and services in Canada. This partnership brings trusted, proven platforms and a privacy-forward identity solution to Canada, accelerating data collaboration options for Canadian marketers. To quote Travis Clinger, Chief Connectivity & Ecosystem Officer of LiveRamp, “Alone, you can’t compete. But together, when you start to collaborate…you have something that is far more powerful than any single player, by themselves, has.”
Data collaboration has never been more important as a core tenet of a first-party data strategy. Not only does it address major challenges impacting all stakeholders in the marketing and media ecosystem – especially brands trying to effectively reach consumers – but it opens a new universe of opportunities.
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