Publishers are utilizing their first-party data to extract as much value as possible as cookies disappear from ad-tech history. Advertisers and marketers are lining up to take advantage of publisher data, which has amassed mountains of subscriber data.
Â
Although publishers are told to guard their first-party data to increase its value, they are also advised to organize it into a common taxonomy. Thus, first-party data's inherent scale limitations can be overcome by stacking it with data from other publishers.
Â
When combined with other publishers' data, how does my first-party data retain its unique value? Nonetheless, this raises questions about what publishers should do to maximize their audiences' potential and define the value of first-party data.
Â
Everyone is affected by the undervaluation or overvaluation of first-party data.
Â
Marketer behaviour has been misunderstood, leading some publishers - particularly independents - to overvalue their first-party data. When data is scarce, marketers don't pay more for it, as publishers hope, but rather pay for the cost of acquiring customers using that data set.
Â
Let's look at the editor of a surfing website. In order to increase the value of their user profiles, the publisher looks for ways to increase the CPMs for surfboard wax and other surfing merchandise. It is possible that they can sell these products for a higher rate if they discover that their audience of surfing lovers also has high purchasing intent for cars, which have high CPMs.
Â
What is too basic when it comes to a common taxonomy?
Â
Organizing first-party data into a common taxonomy is one solution being pursued to maximize its value. The scale that first-party data cannot afford can be achieved by aggregating it with that of other publishers.
Â
A large volume audience without sufficient richness can make it difficult to triangulate likely prospects, making scale alone ineffective for marketers. As such, a common taxonomy does not provide a detailed view of the consumer or enable people-based requirements such as frequency capping.
Â
Over the past decade, programmatic advertising has grown from zero to about 80% of all display advertising due to its ability to enable bidding and increase publisher yield. Although publishers and advertisers complain about "leakage" and unequal information, programmatic is a successful system for both sides.
Â
To go back to the example of the website for surfing lovers, if a bidder knows that their traffic has high auto-purchase intent, the buyer can bid $10 towards targeting that traffic. The publisher benefits by selling $10 CPM automobile ads rather than $0.10 CPM ads for surf products.
Â