[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: Safeguarding data ethics in digital advertising

With over 60% of global advertising now going to digital channels, there is growing concern over how data is being used in advertising and whether the use of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning is creating harmful unintended consequences for consumers such as bias, unfair discrimination or unfair exclusion.

Pressure is mounting on brands to go beyond existing rules and apply a moral lens to the complex web of data-related marketing practices to develop more responsible, inclusive and ethical data practices.

A recent report released by the World Federation Advertisers, WFA, shows that while Chief Marketing Officers, CMOs, are keen to address consumer and regulatory concerns around data-driven marketing, the complexity of the data and digital ecosystem is making it hard for them to identify the right practical measures to take.

The report further notes that the vast majority of CMOs (92%) at multinational companies are prioritising an ethical approach to their use of data, but half (50%) do not know what this means when it comes to the processes and practices they need to apply both internally and across their marketing supply chains.

These findings are supported by another study that indicated that for more than half of US social media users, a platform’s privacy and data practices are extremely impactful on their decision to engage with ads on that platform.

Other top influences on ad engagement are reliable content and safety. The relevance of the ads themselves is less of a factor.

Still in advertisement, Havas Media Group has unveiled “Creative Elements That Win on Meta Platforms,” a research study conducted in collaboration with Meta that delivers insights to help advertisers develop creative that matters on Facebook and Instagram.

The findings can provide an edge to marketers, marrying art and science to deliver more engaging, entertaining and inspiring work that builds meaningful relationships between brands and consumers.

And, 605, a global player in television and cross-platform measurement, analytics and attribution, has announced a data and technology collaboration agreement with Convi​v​a, the  streaming a​nalytics platform.

This collaboration will bring de-duplicated, standardized data to video and advertising industry customers worldwide, enabling full-census measurement of content and advertising across premium video.

In partnerships Hearst UK, the premium content and experience business, has partnered with Philips, a global company in health technology, to create a branded beauty testing lab to drive awareness of the Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series.

Philips will take over Hearst UK’s dedicated testing facility in St Anne’s Court, Soho in London – the first time a brand has ever taken over the space.

ITV is launching an exclusive Backing Business Fund with Travel Weekly to support the travel industry’s return to growth.

New and lapsed TV brands across the travel industry will be able to access an exclusive ring-fenced fund of £500,000 on a first-come, first-served basis if they meet qualifying criteria.

Elsewhere, Hivestack, the world’s independent programmatic digital out of home (DOOH) ad tech company has announced several partnerships with leading media agencies in Spain to enable cross-border international campaigns across the world, via its unparalleled global network of premium DOOH inventory.

EssenceMediacom, GroupM’s newest media agency that combines Essence and MediaCom, has announced that it has appointed Benjamin Wei as China CEO for the merged agency, which launches in January 2023.

Bob Koigi is an editor at Marketing Report EU

www.marketingreport.eu