Data protection is constantly evolving

“Data protection is constantly evolving,” muses Dirk Rohweder, COO of IT firm TEAVARO. “Third-party cookies no longer provide a satisfactory basis today. Yet, this trend is ongoing. They are expected to vanish entirely by the end of 2024, changing the landscape of online advertising. Companies that fail to respond timely will be at a disadvantage.”

Teavaro offers a new software solution with UTIQ

A new software solution developed by TEAVARO in collaboration with UTIQ could be the key to an approach that’s not only more compliant with data protection but also far more efficient for online marketing.

UTIQ allows its clients to disseminate advertising broadly yet targeted to a specific audience, ensuring the ads are genuinely seen by users and not just by bots, even on the open web.

“This point is becoming increasingly vital,” Rohweder notes. “We know the average user only spends about a third of their online time in walled gardens and two-thirds on the open web. 

Yet, a significant portion of advertising revenue goes to these walled gardens. This leads to various issues: I can’t reach all customers, and it’s challenging to determine who the user is, and in the end, the same customer sees my ad 20 times.”

With the UTIQ-based offering developed by TEAVARO, companies can navigate more efficiently and with a sharper focus in the increasingly complex world of online advertising. “We’ve optimised UTIQ’s ‘martechpass’ for advertisers. 

It’s activated when a user enters a page of a publisher or advertiser affiliated with UTIQ and remains active for 90 days, as long as the user consents to data processing. Therefore, all data processing here is 100% GDPR-compliant,” Rohweder explains.

Additionally, the “martechpass” helps to build one’s identity graph and thus gather first-party data. “If I have an information event because you’ve once registered, I can address you personally and not just as an anonymous user. What are your preferences? What have you bought? 

Although initially more laborious, it’s a very clean method. There’s no need to purchase data or acquire it in dubious ways; it comes directly from the customer whom I also manage,” he elaborates.

TEAVARO sees in UTIQ’s new service not just a cookieless future from a technical standpoint but also from an ethical perspective. The idea is to conduct online marketing as efficiently and personalised as possible without venturing into legal grey areas.

The new responsability in digital marketing

“In digital marketing, we need to assume a new responsibility rather than trying to deceive and extract something from people,” Rohweder states. “Many users are becoming increasingly sceptical and question what they are genuinely consenting to, responding more critically. Businesses must begin rethinking now before they’re eventually overtaken by changes in data protection. 

Of course, someone might, through a contest for instance, give blanket permission for personal data use, and I could utilise that data in some manner. But in the end, it all hinges on how I evaluate that consent. Has the user genuinely understood what happens to their data? Only then is that permission legally sound. 

The online experience should be like in a trustworthy specialised store where I have confidence. After all, the customer is also willing to share information there because they trust and wish to be aptly advised.”