Observed Signal · Feb 9, 2023 · Market Research · Source: Quo Vadis News · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
EU Cookie Consent Test Finds Widespread Non-Compliance
Ebiquity and Usercentrics conducted an EU-wide cookie consent test on the 1,000 largest publishers in Europe (from a European IP address). The study found a large share of cookies are non-compliant, with more than half of third-party cookies originating from about 2,074 adtech companies. Alarmingly, one-third of these marketing cookies fire on publisher sites before user consent is provided. The analysis also revealed that 70% of cookie-based adtech players transfer data outside the EU, highlighting GDPR-related privacy risks. The piece discusses the implications for consent, data transfers, and measurement biases in audience targeting, using concepts like the Find-Back ratio to illustrate scaling challenges. It references GroupM’s global media spending forecasts and argues that demand for first-/third-party data persists despite tighter privacy rules.
Reveals GDPR/privacy compliance risks and widespread pre-consent data collection in EU adtech; significant privacy implications for publishers and advertisers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Study by Ebiquity and Usercentrics scanned 1,000 biggest publishers in Europe from a European IP address.
- Found over 50% of third-party cookies come from 2,074 adtech companies.
- One-third of these marketing cookies are fired on publisher sites before user consent.
- 70% of cookie-based adtech companies transferred data outside the EU.
- GroupM forecasts global media spending to top $1 trillion by 2025; $763B in 2021 and 22% growth in 2020.
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Ad Awareness Regains Place in Effectiveness Planning
A new study by Thinkbox, Ebiquity, WPP Media, and Gain Theory, presented at the IPA Effectiveness Conference, analyzes 1,478 brands and 328,000 observations to argue that ad awareness is a valuable lead indicator in advertising effectiveness, not just an obsolete metric. The research finds that ad awareness accounts for 17% of brand consideration, of which only 6% is direct, while 11% works indirectly by improving brand perceptions. It also reports category-specific impacts, such as 69% in QSR delivery and 62% in lotteries. The author, Andrew Tindall, recommends that marketers reinstate ad awareness as a KPI, balancing it with attention and emotion in effectiveness planning.
Christopher Kaiser Named New CEO of Score Media
Score Media Group, a German alliance of regional newspaper and media houses, will have a new CEO starting January 1, 2027. Christopher Kaiser, currently Co-CEO of Ströer Media Solutions and a member of Ströer's Executive Board, will succeed Carsten Dorn, who leaves after more than eight years to become managing director of audio marketer RMS, alongside Sven Thölen, succeeding Stefan Mölling, who will become Chief Commercial Officer at Ströer. Kaiser brings over 25 years of leadership experience in agencies and marketing, with a focus on digital, data-driven business models, and a decade at Ströer where he expanded programmatic offerings and integrated out-of-home with digital. He will aim to further develop Score Media's print and digital portfolio, leveraging his expertise in digital transformation through technology, data, and AI, building on Dorn's strong foundation.
Sony Proactively Shared WPP Rebate Probe Details
New court filings in the wrongful termination suit against WPP suggest that Sony voluntarily provided information to the defense regarding its own investigation into the holding company's business practices. The filings were made in the case brought by Richard Foster, former CEO of GroupM's Motion Entertainment, who alleges WPP retaliated against him for exposing an illegal rebate scheme. The amended complaint includes documents from Sony's investigation that corroborate Foster's whistleblower reports. The claim could upend WPP's previous motion to seal the documents and toss the case.
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