Industry majors launch Europe addressable media initiative
December 17, 2021
By Colin Mann
Leading industry participants Amobee, Carbon, Comscore, Finecast, LiveRamp, Lotame, Neustar and PubMatic, in association with The Project X Institute (PXI), have announced the launch of the European Addressable Media Initiative, focused on supporting the development of addressable media in Europe.
They will work collaboratively across the media and advertising ecosystem to help European advertisers, agencies and media owners understand the fast-changing landscape of identity resolution, targeting and addressability solutions, identifying practical steps to ensure a sustainable future for digital media, one that safeguards consumer privacy, helps advertisers deliver relevant messages, and supports publishers of all sizes.
They say that addressability, especially when rooted in people-based, privacy-first identity, is the foundation of the new advertising ecosystem, supporting the delivery of more relevant and effective marketing communications for advertisers, and helping media owners achieve durability and sustainability for their businesses.
New privacy and data protection legislation and regulations, anti-tracking safeguards, and threats to third-party cookies have resulted in a proliferation of new rules, different frameworks and competing offerings, leading to complexity and confusion in many European markets for ad buyers and sellers. There is an immediate need for greater alignment and collaboration, especially as it relates to navigating new and emerging solutions.
The founding members of this new initiative believe that the media industry has an opportunity for transformation, leveraging identity and addressability to super-charge Europe’s advertising markets, helping to ensure a privacy-first, dynamic, competitive, and open ecosystem that supports media owners and advertisers, large and small.
As more and more media becomes addressable, the initiative will explore the prospects for common solutions and practices that support growth, innovation and competition.
“We are proud to be partnering with PXI’s new European initiative and are excited by the prospect of a positive, sustainable roadmap for addressable media,” commented Hugh Stevens, Head of Strategic Growth, LiveRamp. “Addressability helps to build consumer trust, put the consumer and the broadcaster in control, and create an environment where advertisers and broadcasters can work closer together to deliver meaningful outcomes for brands. And ultimately, better audience definitions will bring more advertisers and budgets into a growing digital TV market.”
“We’re at an inflection point in the industry where the next chapter of addressability is just starting to be written,” stated Rich Astley, Global Chief Product Officer, Finecast. “Dialogue and collaboration in the ecosystem are key to ensure we establish sound principles that balance the emerging capabilities of technology solutions with respect for consumer privacy and great advertising experiences. At Finecast, we’re excited to be part of PXI’s new European initiative, helping our clients navigate to a scalable, sustainable addressable future.”
The European Addressable Media Initiative plans to work collaboratively across the ecosystem, to help advertisers, agencies and media owners navigate the fast-changing landscape of identity and addressability frameworks and solutions and develop a clear roadmap for addressable media in Europe, safeguarding consumer privacy, supporting European media owners and helping advertisers to deliver more relevant messages.
The initiative will consult across the media and advertising industries in Europe, focusing on key markets, facilitating a programme of events, seminars and roundtables that will explore the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Over the next six months, the European Addressable Media Initiative will look to develop:
- An overview of the European identity resolution and addressable media landscape, with a clear taxonomy of definitions and frameworks.
- A review of the key challenges and opportunities, as media owners, agencies, and advertisers look to navigate the expanding universe of approaches and solutions.
- An analysis of the major decisions facing participants in major European advertising markets, as they look to grow and develop and implement effective, privacy-compliant targeting solutions that help them achieve their business objectives.
- A set of practical recommendations for European advertisers and media owners to support trust and growth in addressable media.
The initiative is being led by The Project X Institute, a brand-new think tank and strategic advisory collective for the media and advertising industries, founded by industry veterans Ian Maude and Jon Watts. The PXI team will be supported by a highly-experienced team of the Institute’s Advisors-in-Residence, including Dr. Daniel Knapp, Joy Baer, Jamie West, Fiona McKinnon, Ashley MacKenzie, Tomas Salfischberger and Benedict Evans.
Senior executives from the founding members will be discussing the initiative and development of the European addressable media market at a special launch event, hosted online in January.