IAS U.S. Industry Pulse Report Explores Top Priorities and Opportunities For 2019

 January 29, 2019 –  New York, NY – Fifty-six percent of advertisers who participated in Integral Ad Science (IAS) Industry Pulse Report said data privacy is number one on their list of priorities for the coming year. Demand for consistent measurement across platforms is a close second followed by brand safety and ad fraud.

It is no surprise that data privacy has surpassed the usual suspects as a focus – the advent of GDPR in the EU and the emergence of The California Data Privacy Act have created a deeper sense of urgency around the topic. Most marketers want to be effective and provide a great experience for consumers, but what that means has changed. It’s not just that they need to prove ROI, while ensuring their ads are seen by real people in the right context, they also need to stay in front of the emerging regulations around the data they use to reach and engage consumers.

“Marketers have the real challenge of balancing two sides when it comes to data. Consumers want to know a company is dedicated to protecting their personal data but also want to experience the brand in a highly customized way,” said Maria Pousa, CMO, IAS. “Finding that fine line is something that we as marketers are still navigating.”

One SVP of a Global Media Agency shared, “With new data privacy policies in 2019 in U.S., old measurement solutions and challenges need to evolve to accommodate data privacy concerns.”

This perspective reflects the connection between data privacy and their second highest priority: 47% of advertisers said the need for consistent metrics across platforms is critical to them. Advertisers have access to more data and insights than ever before, but to comprehend and use that data, they spend a great deal of time understanding how all the various metrics available will work together to create a media plan.

An analyst from a major electronics organization emphasized this point: “Cross-device measurement and multi-touch attribution go hand in hand. They are huge opportunities in terms of increasing [our] ability to record and prove the worth of media.”

The IAS Industry Pulse report provides insight into the emerging trends, technologies, opportunities, and priorities that will drive change in digital advertising in 2019. The results are based on a sample of over 900 participants comprised of digital advertising professionals representing brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech vendors collected over a 4 week period in November of 2018.

To see more findings from the Industry Pulse report, download the report and register for the Industry Pulse Virtual Panel on February 20, 2019, at 1 p.m. EST.