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User choice, mobile trends and of course the parties
The Digital Marketing Expo & Conference, better known as DMEXCO, was back in business last week in Cologne. Full of insightful content, captivating conversations, plenty of Kölsch, and of course the biggest parties, over 41,000 people made their way to the conference to meet and discuss digital business, marketing, and innovation.
To find out more, we caught up with Ogury’s very own MD DACH, Jan Heumueller to discover the most thought-provoking and future-thinking insights from the event.
What stood out for you most at DMEXCO 2019? (especially compared to last year)
DMEXCO has always been a quick and efficient conference. Call it a German trait, but I always appreciate punctuality and keeping my meetings on time.
Overall, I noticed fewer visitors and exhibitors, but the ones that were present made a big impact in terms of investment and the booth parties they hosted. Sevenone, Adalliance, and Xing stood out to name a few. The evening parties were also pretty epic, including the OM club and Online Marketing Rockstars (OMR).
Were there any buzzwords or future trends heard across the halls?
Insights, insights and more insights. Truly understanding user behavior on digital, particularly on mobile, was frequently discussed. Long gone are the days where a click on a landing page would provide insight. The mobile technology out there is so sophisticated in providing brands with a real picture of who their audience is, or what they like to engage with, that this is what the industry is focusing on right now, and what they are thinking about in order to connect with consumers.
But data privacy is also prevalent, and in order for this to be successful (and compliant to data privacy legislation), users need to be given a choice and control over their data and digital marketing experiences. The topic of user trust is fundamental to building a successful digital marketing experience; something that was also commonly discussed.
Did any sectors stand out for their innovation in mobile?
We heard a lot about how particular FMCG brands are focusing their digital strategies on a more user-centric approach, how the banking sector is investing more on mobile in 2020, and how specific Telco companies are choosing to utilize data-driven insights to feed their planning and strategies.
Many companies are taking a mobile-first approach and some of the ways that they are choosing to adopt and innovate are extremely future-facing and exciting.
Where does the end-user or consumer fit when it comes to having choices and consenting to share their data?
The average person on the street is still wary of mobile advertising and sharing their data. We uncovered through our own consumer research of 287,000 people that 9 out of 10 consumers still consider targeted mobile marketing to be categorically “annoying”, with only 13% saying that marketing messages are ‘useful’.
Moreover, the Facebook backlash and Cambridge Analytica scandal are still prevalent in consumers’ minds and have caused huge repercussions for our industry. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the fact that the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) legislation in the U.S. is soon to come into effect is indicative of the importance of user privacy and giving people choice when it comes to their personal data.
Ogury has always been ahead of the conversation and requirements for GDPR and upcoming CCPA compliance. We are extremely proud to be at the forefront of protecting users and informing them of the value exchange that they get when consuming content that is relevant and custom to them.
Believing that consumers should have full control over their personal data and marketing experience, Ogury presents a clear consent notice to every consumer. This provides an opportunity for them to make an informed choice over their data and marketing preferences.
What are your key takeaways?
From Ad-ID’s being the future currency to the use of cookies decreasing, a lot of key insights were taken from this year’s DMEXCO.
For me, data quality and how it is used, analyzed and relevant to users really stood out. It is becoming an increasingly important commodity and shows no signs of slowing.
But to get this data quality, there needs to be transparency, which leads me to my next main take-away. Users being informed, understanding and having a choice over whether or not they want to share their data for a better marketing experience will no longer be a “nice to have”. It will be a must.
Finally, the future is mobile. Desktop is already becoming an afterthought and I, for one, am excited to see where the future of mobile will take us.
Want to know more about mobile marketing that is driven by user choice? Reach out to me at jan.heumueller@ogury.co or download your free copy of the Reality Report, the world’s largest research on consumer attitudes towards mobile marketing, advertising and privacy ever conducted, today.
Jan Heumueller, MD, DACH
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