Marketers can derive actionable insight by tracking customer journeys to conversion, both online and offline. But that doesn't mean they need to violate consumer privacy in the process.

After attending Gigaom's recent Data Structure Conference in New York City, I'm starting to think that true seamless cross-platform media measurement may be at hand. There were many innovative tech companies at the event that seemed to have the capability to improve on the current measurement of media and consumer behavior through the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data blending and data discovery tools.

Even by the constantly innovating standards of digital media, these are fast-paced times for metrics and measurement. As IAB and the industry reinvent the metrics by which PC-based digital is bought and sold, and standardize metrics for mobile, we also realize that we no longer live in a world where things can be parceled out and measured tidily, medium by medium.

I recently wrote an article discussing the trouble with legacy attribution models. I'd like to follow that up by talking about the trouble with the click-through rate (CTR) as a measurement of campaign success. Now I know lots of folks in the industry are bashing the CTR right now, and it may seem like a trendy issue to some. But the truth is, the mere discussion of the CTR's proper place in digital campaigns is a sign of health: a sign that our industry is growing more ambitious as to what it can achieve through digital advertising.

Today's marketing industry relies more on data than ever before, which has led to a burgeoning data market. While the lines of who actually owns the data are blurred, it's crystal clear that everybody wants the data in order to monetize it. This mentality has led to the commoditization of data; there is no longer any value in simply owning or accessing the data itself. Value comes from what can be done in terms of analysis and application. So while everyone wants the data, the amount of value each party can deliver differs dramatically. It doesn't really matter who has …