What does Greenland and the Netscape Web Browser have in common? For starters, they each benefited from clever branding. But that’s not all. They were also key components of a riveting talk at the recent TedXSalzburg.
Our Precise TV cofounder (and brilliant storyteller) Christian Dankl took the TedXSalzburg stage November 26, 2022 to discuss the history of data collection, and its impact on audiences, advertising and commerce.
In his widely attended talk, Dankl narrated a compelling story about the early branding, subsequent success and ultimate demise of personal data collection on the Internet.
It was a compelling talk that wove together Erik the Red (who gave Greenland its name) with an Internet revolution nearly 1,000 years later.
As Dankl explained: Lou Montulli, the inventor of Netscape, brilliantly re-branded personal identifiable information tracking with a simple term: COOKIE.
Dankl went on to explain the mechanics of the cookie, which is essentially a tracker that stores people’s unique information in a small text file, and how it was unlocked by the advertising community as a means to access third-party data and target the masses with ads.
There were plenty of laughs in the room when Dankl asked: Who doesn’t love cookies?
However, Dankl was honest in his explanation of how people’s cookie-filled web surfing journeys have been taken advantage of. He found a humorous way to share what a cookie really does, highlighted by this tweet he shared in his presentation:
"Dear Amazon, I bought a toilet seat because I needed one. Necessity, not desire. I do not collect them. I am not a toilet seat addict. No matter how temptingly you email me, I'm not going to think, oh go on then, just one more toilet seat, I'll treat myself" - Jacqueline (Jac) Rayner - @GirlFromBlupo .
He explained how these cookies follow people all over the web without them knowingly consenting to it, and the data is leveraged for behavioral targeting, retargeting and more.
Ultimately, Dankl wants people to understand the value their time spent with content has in today’s attention economy. That was further illustrated when he shared the below eMarketer chart showing just how much time people spend on social media platforms.
He also wanted to give them hope that there are better practices underway in the form of contextual advertising (more on that later). This evolution and ultimate paradigm shift was summed up well in the below chart.
He went on to wax some poetry on behalf of humankind. He explained this topic is important because people’s attention, their time, it all matters tremendously – and it’s all currency in today’s digital economy.
As Dankl went on to explain, the personal data collection days are numbered – thanks in part to the repercussions of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. Regulatory changes (GDPR, CCPA) and shifting technical requirements (AAP/Apple Tracking Transparency, IDFA/The Identifier for Advertisers), which includes Google’s discontinuation of the third party cookies in 2024, means the world is shifting into a privacy-first era.
The talk got really interesting when he explained where things are heading in a cookie-less world. People will still endure ads in exchange for free content – in a lot of cases.
But why just endure ads? Why not enjoy them?
That’s where Precise TV fits into this grandiose narrative. Precise TV is on a mission to ensure the right ads find the right people, enhance their lives and do so in a responsible way that requires no personal identifiable information.
It’s called contextual advertising. It’s what Precise TV has mastered. And it’s the future of brand marketing. Dankl showed the Salzburg crown the below chart to illustrate what the cookie-less future looks like for online advertising.
No personal identifiable information. NO PROBLEM.
Precise TV has built the most robust contextual intelligence engine to help advertisers pinpoint the video-level moments that matter. As a result, brands can deliver ads that actually delight and help people get more out of their content experience.
Dankl didn’t mince words. With contextual targeting taking off in the next decade, and the right ads finding the right people without infringing on their privacy, the attention economy should look much different.
Precise TV sees its partners’ ads perform so well that they drive business outcomes and boost revenues. If this continues, it’s not far-fetched to imagine a future where premium ad-supported video platforms are entirely free.
Netflix and chill for free, anyone?
Thanks for helping give us a front row seat to the paradigm shift, Christian Dankl!
Topics: youtube, third party cookie, advertising, tiktok, youtube kids, CTV, videoads