Predictions Series 2022: How to Win in an Opt-In Era

Opt-in doomsayers believe this legislation could cripple the entire advertising industry because consumers will have more meaningful control over their privacy, and authenticated audiences will shrink as a result. However, the trends that have shaped the market can be bucked, and publishers and advertisers have an exciting opportunity to create a new ecosystem in compliance with the opt-in marketplace that benefits everyone involved – including consumers. Further, the browser and device manufacturer changes that are already in-progress are already moving the industry towards a more logged-in environment, in which it becomes easier for consumers to opt in as they authenticate. As we look towards an opt-in era in the future, it's important that publishers and marketers consider how the industry arrived at this point, and the lessons they can take away from this journey. Under the opt-out default, it's easy to see that the consumer experience has been lacking, and a lot of that falls on technology. The opt-out default enabled the propagation of third-party cookies, and the collection of data – often in a way that was not as transparent as it could have been for consumers.