Mixed Signals on Tracking

A recently released study contained in a new white paper, Audience Selling for Publishers by PubMatic, showed that when consumers are presented with a detailed explanation of data tracking for advertising purposes, more than half would not opt-out of services or leave websites using targeting.

When the survey participants were asked if they were aware that some of their web activities were being tracked for the purpose of advertising, 71 percent acknowledged they knew. But when asked if they knew the online data collected about them was anonymous, only 40 percentwere aware of this.

The survey, of course, needs to be taken with a healthy grain of salt since PubMatic has a clear interest in consumer comfort with data collection. The results do, however, point the way to the need for meaningful disclosure to people how their data is used.

When asked without an understanding that only anonymous data is used for audience-targeted advertising, 64 percent disapproved. However, when asked after learning that only anonymous data is used for interest-based advertising, 40 percent of those who had disapproved changed their mind and approved.

 

When the survey participants learned that the data collection was anonymous they understood the benefits included more relevant advertising and that it helped subsidize free content, 53% changed their minds and approved.

 

Download the full report here

https://staging.digiday.com/?p=855
Digiday Top Stories
  • Media Briefing: Why publishers hope chatbots will be the latest retention tool

    This week’s Media Briefing looks into why publishers are building their own artificial intelligence-powered chatbots. Publishers hope chatbots will be the latest retention tool As part of publishers’ integration of generative AI technology into their editorial and business operations, publishers are developing and launching chatbots on their websites. Ad rendering preventing in stagingAd position: web_incontent_pos1 […]

  • Test Test

    However, Fitzco’s research “has consistently shown that environmental issues and sustainability are important topics to younger skewing audiences. The focus on social, along with visual representation of data, aligns with the type of content a younger audience consumes,” she said. Joyce, on the other hand, said interest in sustainability content from advertisers and consumers “has […]

  • This is a Digioh Test

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam ac venenatis nisi. Aenean condimentum consequat neque, a semper eros fringilla vel. Sed urna diam, faucibus sed enim ac, dapibus condimentum odio. Duis a mi lobortis, interdum quam at, rutrum erat. Integer non mi vitae sem auctor ornare. Suspendisse faucibus cursus ultrices. Vivamus malesuada tristique purus, […]

  • The Washington Post invests in climate coverage as its team expands to over 30 journalists

    The Post's climate team continues to expand as the publisher makes big bets on the beat drawing younger audiences.

  • Inside one media company’s strategy to monetize the Fifa World Cup

    Soccer media business Footballco has spent most of 2022 trying to make hay while the sun is shining.