In 2024, digital marketers face a new challenge: respecting the privacy concerns of Nigerians wary of sharing personal data online due to rampant cybercrime. Alex Okosi, Managing Director for Sub Saharan Africa at Google, emphasises the need for transparency about data collection, usage, and sharing.
To address these concerns, Okosi outlines five crucial steps for marketers:
1. Implement Robust Tagging: Tagging is foundational for a successful measurement strategy, enabling advertisers to understand website and campaign performance, measure conversions, and collect first-party data responsibly. This step is vital for strategic decision-making and optimising marketing investments.
2. Obtain Explicit Consent: Marketers must seek consent before using personal information. Google has enhanced its consent mode to aid advertisers in setting up appropriate consent structures for measurement and advertising purposes.
3. Utilise AI-Driven Tools: These tools require less data but can effectively predict and optimise campaign goals. For example, Air France’s adoption of consent and conversion modelling techniques led to a significant increase in conversions across Europe.
4. Develop a First-Party Data Strategy: First-party data is increasingly important for measurement and advertising in a dynamic landscape. Tools like Google Ads Data Manager simplify the management and integration of first-party data across channels.
5. Adapt and Innovate: With changes like Chrome’s planned deprecation of third-party cookies, advertisers need to assess their reliance on such cookies and transition to more sustainable measurement solutions.
Okosi encourages advertisers to embrace privacy-preserving techniques, which have proven beneficial for businesses. With the fast deterioration of third-party identifiers, it’s crucial to adapt and innovate in this new era of privacy and growth..
Advice to Advertisers
Okosi concludes by advising companies to embrace privacy-preserving techniques, as privacy is beneficial for business. He encourages testing and learning to adapt to the changing landscape, noting that third-party identifiers are quickly deteriorating. “It’s time to embrace change and enter a new period of innovation and growth – together,” Okosi advises.
