By now, we all know that “data is the new oil” that fuels myriad targeting capabilities in the precision online era. But who holds the best data and how important is it?

“That data’s not free,” according to Modi Media president Mike Bologna.

“Of the 50-plus household campaigns we’ve run so far this year, we’ve used pretty much a different source or a different piece of a single data source of reach and every different campaign. It is expensive.”

So far, ad tech vendors tend to boast to clients that they can unite a varied array of data sources to bring about super-targeting. The combined price of so much data is not a challenge often discussed. Time to go back to basics?

“We always recommend that an advertiser use their own data,” says Steve Murtos SMG SVP. “That’s the most accurate data. We’ve sent the best results (from that).”

Murtos predicts a “shake-out” of ad data providers. “The ones that are the best will rise to the top and be the standard,” he is betting.

Programming Note:  Murtos will be a speaker at the Beet TV executive retreat in For Lauderdale this month.

They were interviewed last month by LUMA Partners CEO Terence Kawaja, at an event about the future of addressable TV presented by AT&T AdWorks in association with Beet.TV  Please find more videos here