The vast sums flowing into digital media demand accountability — but could the pursuit of perfect targeting collide with consumer privacy expectations?
Advertisers face intense pressure to demonstrate return on investment, driving a desire for granular data on who sees ads and who buys products. But, for some, achieving this precision may be impractical.
Finding the right equilibrium requires rethinking the specific business goals data and technology are meant to achieve, suggested Gerry D’Angelo, senior advisor, McKinsey & Company, in this video interview with Beet.TV at the POSSIBLE conference.
Independence fuels accountability
In an ecosystem fueled by advertiser investment, neutrality could serve as a vital mechanism for ensuring value, according to D’Angelo.
“Independence is a critical part of the media ecosystem,” D’Angelo said. “It’s fueled by the billions of dollars that advertisers are investing into that ecosystem. And so, independence is a critical cornerstone of how things should operate.”
He argued that this independent viewpoint is essential for driving accountability. “It’s the only way for advertisers to drive a sense of accountability in terms of how they’re getting a return on those dollars,” D’Angelo added.
Navigating intelligence and privacy
The quest for understanding advertising effectiveness is amplified by demands from executive and finance teams within large advertisers, D’Angelo noted. Data and technology offer the tools to achieve this, leading to a push for precision in targeting and measurement.
“There is a desire for precision in terms of understanding who is being targeted with the advertising, who is buying the product so that you can understand who is where the greatest return on that investment is,” he explained. However, this drive must be tempered.
“The desire for precision… has to be balanced with the practicality of respecting consumer’s privacy and the regulation that governs the entire ecosystem,” D’Angelo advised. He recommends asking: “What’s the minimum amounts of data that we need to collect from consumers in order to fulfill that particular use case?”
Harnessing innovation waves
D’Angelo acknowledged the challenge advertisers face in keeping pace with technological change, which currently include advancements.
“Innovation is absolutely the lifeblood of everything that we do in the media marketing ecosystem,” D’Angelo stated. “Clearly, there has been wave after wave of innovation from an advertiser’s perspective. It’s very hard, I think, to grapple with those incessant waves of innovation.”
His advice for marketers navigating this complexity is to maintain focus. “The best way, I think, of doing that is to connect the innovations with the business problem that you’re trying to solve,” D’Angelo said. “And if marketers or advertisers can maintain that discipline, that’s the best way of harnessing innovation to drive their business results.”
You’re watching “Beyond the Buzz: Independence, Intelligence, Innovation,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series at POSSIBLE 2025, presented by Innovid. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
