• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 8, 2014

AUSTIN -- Who owns shared or transnational data, and which data has the greatest impact on advertising and marketing campaigns? Consumers generate hundreds of data points that brands capture and integrate into campaigns. The topic generates many questions about privacy, data protection, and ownership, which largely went unanswered during a panel discussion at OMMA SXSWi here on Saturday.

Speaking during the "Is Data the new Media" session, they discussed the different data points customers generate, how and what information to capture, and who owns it.

Brands have begun to leverage the data to drive true insights, but improving consumer value isn't always easy. Some do it through social, as Jessica Williams, senior marketing insights and social media leader at VISA, pointed out, noting that social interactions that increase brand awareness and drive people to use the card more often as some of the data becoming most important to the brand.

Dynamically created ads are supported by data work, but not many brands do it well, said Jeremy Daly, executive vice president-executive strategy director at Y&R. He points to advancements in the creative process lagging behind advancements in data collection as the biggest problem.

Edward Snowden will speak via teleconference at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin Monday on the need by the tech industry to protect its data and customers from mass surveillance. The Texas Tribune will provide a live free stream of the session.