We now have a conga line of digital media platforms promoting the idea that they don’t want to “track” you — Apple among them.
In addition, there are those who want to
abandon the whole idea of installing those nasty “cookies” on your browser. Mozilla’s Firefox now blocks website
cookies that can let advertisers and publishers track you across the web.
Sounds revolutionary -- but maybe old school as well.
Right now, as far I can tell, CBS doesn’t track
me. Nor does Hallmark Channel, ESPN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel or Dog TV.
At the same time, we have lots of evidence — in theory — that TV networks can connect with
viewers, tangentially, when it comes to secondary “tracking” of sorts.
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The Video
Advertising Bureau talks this up from a new report looking at D2C (direct-to-consumer) marketers — those with few, if any, brick-and-mortar, online retailer distributors or other middleman
connections.
Given traditional TV spending, the VAB says many new marketers are seeing big-time increases in website visits, search requests and other online engagements. How do they know
this? Cookies, of course.
Right now, TV networks are looking for ways to prove business outcomes and key performance indicators with real data connected to TV ad exposure.
The question
might be how close they want to get — data specifics for the modern media consumer, considering overwhelming public concern about privacy.
The VAB points out that many people watch
TV with their mobile devices close by — technology that can connect their two activities, especially around specific times those TV commercials are running.
This isn’t a direct
connection versus, say, YouTube, Amazon or Netflix. So traditional TV content providers seem — at the moment — to keep a safe distance. Yet as they transition more to
D2C-over-the-top (OTT) platforms, this becomes much closer.
Do they really want to be a Facebook, Google or Amazon? Not exactly. The question is whether traditional TV companies can keep their
distance, while closing the gap for data-driven digital and TV-buying hungry advertisers.