27th April 2023. Brussels, Belgium: IAB Europe, the leading European-level association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem, signed today a letter to policymakers on the Data Act with fellow European-level Industry Trade Associations including the Advertising Information Group (AIG), the Federation of European Data and Marketing (FEDMA), The European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE) and SMEUnited and its National Digital Advertising Association members including Alliance Digitale (IAB France), BVDW, IAB Ireland, IAB Poland, IAB Spain, and IAB Sweden.
The letter, sent to several Members of the European Parliament, the Swedish Presidency, and Commissioner Mr. Breton, warns of potential conflicts between the Data Act and the GDPR, emphasising the importance of ensuring a fair playing field. In particular, the letter expresses signatories’ concerns about the European Commission’s original proposal and the Council’s position on Article 6.2 (b) that clearly interfere with the GDPR and would lead to unintended consequences that will work against achieving a level playing field and impede innovation.
The signatories made a recommendation to policymakers involved in the trilogue negotiations to ensure that the Data Act aligns with the GDPR by supporting the text adopted by Parliament concerning article 6.2 (b). Furthermore, they urged policymakers to ensure that the provisions set out in the GDPR, including safeguards to user privacy, prevail for the processing of personal data. Granting that the current EU data protection legal framework will secure a future-proof Data Act text, welcoming competition, growth in the digital economy and future innovations instead of ruling them out from the outset.
The full letter can be viewed on IAB Europe’s website here and below.
Date: 27 April 2023
Dear MEP Ms del Castillo and MEP Mr Lagodinsky, MEP Mr Bielan, MEP Mr García del Blanco, MEP Ms Kumpula-Natri, MEP Ms de la Pisa Carrión, MEP Mr Mituța, MEP Mr Boeselager, MEP Ms Lizzi, MEP Ms Kontoura,
Dear Ms Björesten and Mr Källström,
Dear Commissioner Mr Breton,
Industry representatives warn of potential conflicts between Data Act and GDPR and emphasise the importance of ensuring a fair playing field ahead of the trilogue negotiations.
We are a group of diverse stakeholders, including SMEs, representing different industries within the business community, including digital advertising and marketing. As the institutions enter trilogue negotiations on the proposal for a regulation on the harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data (the “Data Act”), we would like to reiterate our concerns about the potential unintended consequences of Article 6.2 (b). These concerns apply to the wording in the European Commission’s original proposal and the Council’s position that clearly interfere with the GDPR and work against achieving a level playing field and impede innovation.
Regarding the Council’s changes to Article 6.2. (b), we fear that the scope of action for third parties is unjustifiably restricted by adding ambiguity to what constitutes an “objectively necessary” service and allowing profiling solely for the purpose of service delivery. Lack of legal certainty in the already complex digital world will trigger reticence to innovate for fear of a sanction.
While we support the changes proposed by the European Parliament for Articles 6. 2 (b) and 6.2 (c), we point out that the current wording of Article 5 (1) contradicts Article 6.2 (b) by adding an indicative list of limited purposes for data processing. On the contrary, we believe that the Data Act should be flexible and future-proof, welcoming future innovations instead of ruling them out from the outset.
The Data Act interferes with the GDPR and eliminates the legal basis of processing for third parties
By effectively prohibiting practices that are fully compliant with the GDPR in Article 6.2 (b), the Data Act substantially undermines the existing data protection framework (GDPR) and its core principle that processing of personal data is permitted so long as it relies on one of the six legal bases.
Germany’s statement on 12 January 2023 proposed to remove Article 6.2 (b) from the Data Act, arguing that “the GDPR and the sector-specific data protection law must not be circumvented and their level of protection must be maintained”. We agree that the Data Act should establish norms for a coherent legal framework and should align with the GDPR's legal basis, as stated also in Article 1.3 of the Data Act, to ensure that the European data protection legal framework, especially the GDPR, remains applicable.
Circumventing the GDPR with a set of contradicting provisions would create commercial and legal uncertainty for entities that have adapted to its rules and strip them of the possibility to legally process personal data for profiling purposes. Additionally, due to a very broad definition of profiling that is still being interpreted by Data Protection Authorities and Courts, the magnitude of such prohibition is well underestimated and will outlaw longstanding and widely accepted processing activities in all industry sectors.
This can be also illustrated by the following example in the energy sector:
A connected product, such as an electricity meter, collects data through the use of its product. The data is then made available to the user through a third-party user-facing interface. Such an interface assists the user and facilitates his/her decision-making, for example by answering questions, such as “How much energy am I consuming per month?”. The possibility to answer this question relies on profiling operations related to the user’s activities and the use of the electricity meter. The prohibition of profiling would ultimately prevent device manufacturers from exploring lawful partnerships with
trusted third parties. The possibilities to enhance their products by offering customised, value-added services to consumers by handling personal and non-personal data would be significantly curtailed.
Current provisions of the Data Act fail to ensure a level playing field and are in contrast with the regulation’s aim to foster innovation and economic growth
The main issue lies in the differential treatment of the “data holder” who is allowed to carry out profiling activities, compared to the “data recipient”, who is prohibited from doing so under Article 6.2 (b) of the Data Act.
This discrepancy could favour vertically integrated enterprises that already hold large amounts of data, aggravating data concentration, and enabling such enterprises to leverage further their integration and their data, including for profiling purposes.
The Data Act aims to facilitate new and innovative uses of existing data. However, some businesses, which rely on the lawful processing of data for profiling , could be affected by Article 6.2 (b) of the Data Act. This could limit their ability to use data, create and train algorithms, which could have negative consequences not only for incubators of high-end digital skills but also SMEs that support the wider EU economy. Widespread data sharing allows SMEs to leverage customer data and provide efficient services and goods tailored to customer’s needs. Hence, the Data Act is crucial for SMEs’ willingness to access and process data and to allow new, innovative SMEs to emerge, grow and scale up. As highlighted above, such developments cannot be in line with EU’s competition goals and threaten the diversity of the digital economy.
Concluding remarks
Given the potential impact of the Data Act on the digital economy and data-driven innovation, we believe it is crucial for policymakers to support the text adopted by Parliament regarding article 6.2 (b). Specifically, we recommend that policymakers ensure that the Data Act aligns with the GDPR and that it enables, rather than undermines, new data-driven business models and supply chains. In order to deliver pro-competitive outcomes, it is important for service providers, including commercial partnerships acting as third parties, to be able to continue to rely on the relevant GDPR legal bases when processing personal data for the purposes of profiling. Only these prerequisites will ensure that the EU's regulatory framework promotes innovation, competition, and growth in the digital economy while maintaining user privacy and data protection. We therefore urge co-legislators to take these considerations during the trilogue negotiations on the Data Act.
Signatories
Press contact: Helen Mussard, IAB Europe - mussard@iabeurope.eu
Footnotes:
On the 18th of April, IAB Europe hosted its first hybrid Great Debate event of 2023 to discuss and debate Retail Media.
This event brought industry experts together to discuss how the Retail Media market in Europe is developing, how a Retail Media solution can be developed, key measurement principles to consider, and how Retail Media investment can provide effective closed-loop measurement.
In this post, you will find an overview of each of the sessions as well as links to the video recordings for you to view in your own time. Enjoy!
Keynote Presentation: The Retail Media Landscape in Europe with IAB Europe’s Chief Economist Daniel Knapp
In this keynote presentation, Daniel shared the latest stats and facts on the Retail Media landscape and the opportunities available in Europe today. He shared why he feels too many marketers are still seeing retail media as nothing more than a dedicated channel and instead that it is “an infrastructure that will bring about great change in digital advertising”.
If you’re a member of IAB Europe and would like to receive the presentation deck, please email Marie-Clare (puffett@iabeurope.eu)
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: The Retail Media Landscape in Europe
A panel of industry experts discussed the key trends and developments happening in the Retail Media market across Europe. They shared how Retail Media is brand safe and a win win win for advertisers, and how it is a good way to reach engaged audiences. They also addressed key challenges around transparency and technical implementations that still need to be overcome.
Giles Longhurst, Managing Director, EMEA & APAC, Connexity (e-commerce division of Taboola) moderated this session and was joined by:
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: Retailer 101 – What You Need to Know
In this session, a panel of retail media experts came together to share insights and best practices from their own businesses. They discussed the need to be bold to monetise the retail media space, as there is such high demand for it, and the importance of opening up the opportunity to purchase and creating standardisaton to establish a successful retail media solution.
Babs Kehinde, Senior Director, Commerce Media at PubMatic moderated this session and was joined by:
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A – Closing the Loop – Retail Media Measurement
Our final panel of industry experts rounded up the above-mentioned conversations to discuss how Retail Media offers the promise of closed-loop measurement. They discussed the importance of first-party data for measurement, the advantages for advertisers being able to optimise in real-time - “By directly matching customer ID data with impressions, it is transforming how we are optimising our advertising budgets.” Laura Badea, Partner eCommerce at Wavemaker - and the value of data clean rooms in this process.
Salvatore Cospito, CEO, Reetmo & Head of Retail Media Group, IAB Spain moderated this session and was joined by:
Watch the session recording here
If you’d like to find out more about our Retail Media event and access other available materials on the topic, please follow the links below:
We’re teaming up with GroupM Nexus to invite you to participate in an exclusive survey that aims to understand consumption habits and the development of Digital Audio Advertising in Europe.
Have your say before 12th May and be in with a chance of winning a €200 Euro Voucher!
Back in 2019, we conducted a survey in partnership with Xaxis to understand the changing landscape of Digital Audio Advertising in Europe. Now, four years on, we’re keen to see how the landscape has evolved and if key challenges and barriers have been overcome and we are inviting those involved in audio media buying, planning, and selling to get involved!
The survey will take less than ten minutes to complete and all responses will be treated with the strictest confidence. All respondents will receive the research results directly to their email if provided.
The results will be used to showcase the audio opportunity and how audio can be used to enrich media strategies. Take part in the survey here today.
We will be selecting a participant, at random, to win a €200 Amazon voucher. So what are you waiting for? Share your expertise and enter for your chance to win.
IAB Europe is excited to release the new Digital People's Poll.
The Digital People’s Poll reveals what's really happening in the digital advertising industry by asking you, the digital people, a short set of questions to gain your thoughts and expertise.
Every quarter, we will poll the digital advertising industry on a hot topic of the moment.
To wrap up Q1, we are looking at Retail Media and asking you whether you see it as a key growth area for digital ad investment? Let us know your thoughts in the short poll below.
On the 28th of March, IAB Europe hosted the first Great Debate of 2023 where we saw over 250 attendees tune in as we discussed and debated how we can advance and achieve sustainability in digital advertising.
This virtual event brought industry experts together to discuss the state of readiness of our industry today. Speakers explored what is currently available to help drive the reduction of carbon emissions produced by the delivery of digital advertising and dived into what else needs to be done in order to achieve a sustainable future for our industry.
In this post, you will find an overview of each of the sessions as well as links to the video recordings for you to view in your own time. Enjoy!
Keynote Presentation: Sustainability in Digital Advertising – Andrew Hayward-Wright, Programmatic & Sustainability Advisor, IAB Europe
In this keynote presentation, Andrew Hayward-Wright, IAB Europe's Programmatic & Sustainability Advisor shared an overview of our industry to see where we are and how far we have progressed in our journey toward sustainable digital advertising. He also revealed why the time for us to act is now.
View the State of Readiness Report here and watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: What’s Happening at a Local Level? Current Initiatives from National IABs
A panel of National IAB representatives shared some of the latest initiatives worked on at a local market level and discussed how we can bring these initiatives to a European and Global level.
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A: State of Play: What Are Corporate Companies Doing Today?
In this session industry experts shared some of the great work and initiatives they have seen in our industry to ensure sustainable digital advertising to date. They discussed current examples and different advertising techniques & technologies that are or are working towards being environmentally and socially responsible, while also being economically viable.
Watch the session recording here
Keynote Presentation – Confronting the Climate Emergency: How can the Media do Better – James Fleetham, Head of Client Sales, The Guardian
Watch the session recording here
Panel Discussion with Audience Q&A – How Do We Advance Sustainability in Digital Advertising
A panel of industry experts rounded up the above-mentioned initiatives and discussed what needs to happen next as we aim to advance and achieve sustainability in digital advertising.
Watch the session recording here
If you're keen to learn more about sustainability in digital advertising and want a quick 101 overview from those most in the know why not check out our new Explainer Video here.
Ever wondered how you can discover everything you need to know about the hottest topics in digital advertising today, in a matter of minutes? Well with the help of experts from our Programmatic Trading, Brand Advertising, Policy, Research and Sustainability Standards Committees you can.
The ‘IAB Europe Explains’ video series has been created by industry experts from our membership to provide you with simple explanations on different industry topics, challenges and emerging trends from those most in the know.
The short videos share key overviews and explanations that will help you make sense of the latest topics and trends in our ever evolving and changing ecosystem. From Retail Media and Sustainability to CTV and Disinformation dive into the hottest topics and trends and become an industry expert today.
The MIXX Awards Europe recognises and showcases the best digital advertising campaigns in Europe. The winners will be celebrated at IAB Europe’s flagship event, Interact on 23rd-24th May, in Madrid.
Meet a key member of the MIXX Awards Europe Jury, Kate MacKenzie
Kate MacKenzie leads TikTok’s European B2B Marketing & Communications function and is responsible for building the TikTok for Business brand in the region through innovative and creative marketing content, channels and campaigns.
Kate is a strategic marketing leader with extensive experience in entertainment and tech marketing, working for major media brands and high-growth startups, like 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Television and the viral Hooked app. Her expertise is in digital & brand marketing and building high-performing teams.
We caught up with Kate to get her thoughts on our 2023 MIXX Awards Europe competition and what she is looking for in winning entries.
Q1. Tell us about you and your role
I lead B2B MarComms for TikTok across Europe and Israel, so my team is responsible for building the TikTok for Business brand in market through content, owned channels and campaigns. My background is in entertainment and tech marketing, having worked for over a decade at major media brands/studios and high-growth startups. Outside of work, I'm a Canadian transplant in London so love getting outdoors whenever I can.
Q2. Why did you join the MIXX Awards Europe Jury?
One of my professional resolutions for 2023 was to spend less time focused on my concrete to-do list and more time on big picture education and inspiration. Being a juror is a great way to keep my finger on the pulse of industry best practice, see and celebrate some incredible work, and ultimately bring that inspiration back to my team to elevate our approach.
Q3. What are you looking for in terms of creative execution?
I'm looking for ideas that feel very current and culturally relevant, and where there's a clear connection between the creative concept and the strategy. Ideas can sometimes be a dime a dozen. The real magic is in how they were executed and whether they worked.
Q4. Did you attend the Gala Dinner last year and if so what was your highlight?
This is my first year as a judge and will be my first time attending the Gala but I'm really looking forward to it and to celebrating all the great winners.
Taide Guajardo, Senior Vice-President Brand, Europe, Procter & Gamble and Alexis Marcombe, Managing Director, Carrefour Links are among the first speakers to be announced for IAB Europe’s flagship Digital Advertising and Marketing Conference, Interact.
IAB Europe has announced the first confirmed speakers for its flagship annual event Interact 2023. In partnership with IAB Spain the latest edition of Interact will take place on the 23rd - 24th May in Madrid, Spain. Leading European advertisers, industry experts, agencies & media owners will gather to inspire and share best practices on the hottest digital advertising topics of today.
Over the two days, speakers from Axel Springer, Carrefour Links, Google, Integral Ad Science, Magnite, Microsoft Advertising, Meta, P&G, PMX Global (Piblicis Groupe), Samsung Ads,Teads and many more will take to the stage to address Innovation, Sustainability and Growth, as the industry looks to become privacy first, tackle sustainability, and drive growth through innovation in the digital advertising.
Taide Guajardo, Senior Vice-President Brand, Europe, Procter & Gamble, will take to the stage on Day one to share how P&G is advancing and leading key marketing innovations and driving sustainable solutions in Europe and beyond. Gujardo has over three decades of experience working in marketing for P&G where she leads a team of over 1,300 talented marketers and partner agencies across 49 countries, investing amongst the top advertising spenders in Europe.
Alexis Marcombe, Managing Director, Carrefour Links will also take to the stage on day one to discuss how as a leading Retailer in Europe they are advancing the Retail Media phenomenon Globally. With over 10 years of experience working in digital sales, Marcombe runs the digital sales house of Carrefour in 9 countries to develop its retail services and to improve the ability for its partners to leverage its data through an omnichannel precision marketing approach.
The two-day conference will consist of keynote speeches and panel discussions from outstanding industry experts, agency representatives and publishers who will share their experiences, inspirations and solutions on the Interact conference stage.
Join to hear from the following speakers and more:
Alexis Marcombe, Managing Director, Carrefour Links
Michelle Perelman, Standards & Partnerships Director, PMX Global (Publicis Groupe)
For more information on Interact 2023 and to view the first line up speakers, please visit the event website here.
Registration for the event is available here. Tickets are selling quickly so secure your place today!
Opportunity to Get Your Work recognised at a Pan-European Level
IAB Europe will also celebrate the winners of our annual MIXX and Research Awards at Interact during the Gala Dinner on the evening of 23rd of May. The awards offer a unique opportunity to gain pan-European exposure in front of industry leaders. Find out more about both competitions and enter here.
IAB Europe is pleased to announce the election of Arthur Millet, Director General, Alliance Digitale (IAB France) as the new Chair and Steffen Hubert, Associate Director & Sustainability Lead, ProSiebenSat.1 as the Vice-Chair of the Sustainability Standards Committee. The committee elected Arthur and Steffen in the most recent meeting on 8th March 2023. In their newly appointed roles, they will lead the new committee’s work to help reduce the amount of energy consumed and emissions produced by the delivery of digital advertising and will focus on the demand for ESG standards for the industry.
Representing IAB France, Arthur has extensive digital advertising experience and has been actively involved in the sustainability agenda for several years. Even more so since the French government published a new "Climate and Resilience Law” in August 2021, which obliges the advertising sector to respond to the challenges of the climate transition. Commenting on his newly appointed role and vision for the committee, Arthur said “I am grateful to be elected and trusted by fellow members to Chair the new Sustainability Standards Committee. The climate crisis is now impossible to ignore and with new and upcoming regulations coming into action it is imperative that the digital advertising industry acts to tackle key issues of sustainability. For over a year, IAB France has been working collectively with our members and other trade bodies to produce a common measurement framework, and I’m excited to bring this experience to the committee. We have a vital role to play as a committee and I look forward to working closely and collaboratively with the diverse members of this group to ensure we deliver key and valuable outputs that help to reduce the overall impact our industry has on the planet.”
Steffen Hubert represents the Seven.One Entertainment Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, and also brings great knowledge on the topic of Sustainability, having led and evolved ProSiebenSat.1´s well-established Corporate Sustainability Strategy into the digital advertising side of the business. Sharing how he will support Arthur in his role and the work of the committee, Steffen commented, “If the interfaces of the digital advertising industry are to meet high ecological, but also social and societal demands, there is still a lot of discussion and exchange required between all market participants. With the background of several years to accompany the sustainable transformation of a large publisher, I am well aware of many of the small hurdles and Gordian knots that need to be overcome. I am very grateful to be elected Vice Chair and looking forward to contributing my experience and to openly debating solutions.”
The Sustainability Standards Committee is a multi-stakeholder group that aims to bring the industry together to create new standards for the delivery of sustainable digital advertising. Both are active members of the Sustainability Standards Committee. Now, as Chair and Vice-Chair, they will help drive the agenda and create connections that enable all committee members to contribute their knowledge and expertise.
Information on the committee can be found here. For any members of IAB Europe that would like to get involved in the committee, please contact Lauren Wakefield – wakefield@iabeurope.eu
About Arthur Millet, Director General, Alliance Digitale (IAB France)
Arthur Millet is an expert in digital advertising. Since the early 2000s, Arthur Millet has mainly worked in the media world. He was notably the Director of Digital Advertising at Le Monde and for Amaury Media Group, and Managing Director of La Place Media, before becoming Director of Operations at Realytics (RTL Adconnect). He joined IAB France at the beginning of 2022 to take over the general management.
About Steffen Hubert, Associate Director & Sustainability Lead, ProSiebenSat.1
Steffen Hubert has spent his entire professional career in various facets of communication. The spectrum ranges from own copywriting & editing to political communication, to comprehensive media responsibility in the spirits industry, to the Seven.One Entertainment Group, where he has been employed for six years and has been anticipating the sustainability concerns and demands of the advertising market and translating them into business for years now.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - 15 March 2023: IAB Europe confirmed today that the APD has voluntarily suspended the six-month implementation period of IAB Europe’s action plan.
IAB Europe’s action plan was unexpectedly validated by the APD on 11 January 2023, with a six-month deadline for implementation (11 July 2023). The validation occurred while outstanding points are being examined by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), further to IAB Europe’s appeal against the APD decision of February 2022 before the Belgian Market Court.
As a result, IAB Europe lodged a second appeal before the Belgian Market Court against the APD decision to validate the action plan and requested interim measures. This formal challenge turned out to be indispensable to prevent the APD from preempting the CJEU’s response and avoid implementation of changes to the TCF that may need to be rolled back when the CJEU’s ruling is rendered.
IAB Europe is pleased to confirm that the APD has decided as a result of IAB Europe’s appeal to suspend voluntarily the implementation period of the action plan. The Belgian Market Court’s ruling on this second appeal is expected at the end of Q2 or beginning of Q3 2023. If it then upholds the APD’s validation decision of January 2023, despite the fact that this validation decision was taken while the appeal against the February 2022 is pending, the implementation period will resume at that time. This would postpone the deadline for implementation to Q4 2023 instead of 11 July 2023.
“The APD’s validation of the action plan was a welcome confirmation of the legality of the TCF, but its timing had raised legitimate concerns,” noted Townsend Feehan, IAB Europe CEO, “many organisations in the sector have shared their surprise that the APD imposed a deadline for implementation despite the referral of key questions to the European Court of Justice.”
“Given the impact of that referral on the foundations of the APD’s decision of last year, and by extension on the action plan, that deadline in practice could have robbed the referral of its utility,” continued Feehan. “The voluntary suspension by the APD of the implementation of the action plan will enable the release of sustainable improvements to the TCF pending the decision of the Belgian Market Court.”
As the deadline of 11 July 2023 ceases to apply, IAB Europe will move forward with various iterations to the TCF that are less directly impacted by the CJEU procedure, including some that could not be contemplated in the allocated time. More information regarding such iterations and their timing will be provided at a later stage, so as to enable TCF participants to prepare for them.
An updated FAQ regarding the TCF can be found on IAB Europe’s website, here.
Back by popular demand! We are excited to announce the opportunity to purchase Interact 2023 tickets and submit entries for the MIXX Awards Europe & IAB Europe Research Awards at a discounted rate has been extended to Friday 17th March. Check out the details below and secure your discount today.
About Interact 2023
Meet leading European advertisers, industry experts, agencies & media owners on 23rd-24th May in Madrid, Spain for Interact 2023. In partnership with IAB Spain, we will be hosting two days of unmissable keynote speeches, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, as we focus on ‘Innovation, Sustainability & Growth,’.
A must-attend event for everyone in the digital advertising and marketing industry, it’s the perfect place to meet, discuss and debate the most pressing topics in our industry today.
Key topics on this year’s agenda include, but are not limited to:
Plus we have some fantastic speakers lined up too, so keep your eyes peeled for more details on that coming soon.
Find out more about Interact 2023 here and get your Early Bird tickets here.
About MIXX Awards Europe & IAB Europe Research Awards
On the evening of 23rd May, we will also reveal the winners of our MIXX Awards Europe and IAB Europe Research Awards. Both are open and accepting entries from talented and hard-working teams that have created some of the best digital campaigns and research projects in Europe.
This year, we are excited to introduce a new Outstanding Contribution Award, dedicated to a team or an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the digital advertising industry over the last 12 months, along with new Retail Media and Sustainability categories.
If you think you’ve got what it takes, why not take advantage of the early bird discount rate to enter?
For more information on the awards and to make the most of the early bird offer, submit your entries here for MIXX Awards Europe and here for Research Awards.
Once a fairly niche topic in the world of digital advertising, sustainability has, in recent years, moved up the agenda to become one of the most talked-about topics in our industry today. As an industry, we have become increasingly aware of our impact on the environment and the responsibility we have to be more sustainable to help tackle the shared problem of the climate crisis.
But before we can start to drive real change, we need to be clear on what we mean by sustainable digital advertising when it comes to the supply chain. Whilst there is a lot of key work being done at a local level, right now, the industry lacks a clear and consistent overall European and Global definition of what the delivery of sustainable digital advertising actually means. And if we are to create valuable work and make meaningful change, we must have a common definition and language in place.
As such, IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee has worked together to establish a definition for Sustainable Digital Advertising, as outlined below. This definition forms the basis of the key work and road map that the committee is working on.
Definition of Sustainable Digital Advertising
Sustainable digital advertising refers to the practice of using digital marketing and advertising techniques and technologies in a way that mitigates the negative impact on the environment and society, whilst also being economically viable.
This includes the digital supply chain, and the technologies used to deliver the ad from the agency or advertisers system to the end user’s screen, and covers the three pillars of sustainability. This does not encompass the creative production process, advertised emissions, or activities outside of this scope.
Environmental Sustainability in Digital Advertising [Updated 29th February 2024]
Environmental sustainability in digital advertising refers to the adoption of actions and strategies by digital advertising stakeholders to reduce and ultimately minimise the aggregated negative environmental impact of business activity across the digital advertising value chain. First by reducing the environmental impacts resulting from the lifecycle of IT resources associated with the delivery of digital ads, including but not limited to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and their effect on the climate emergency, and finally through investment in decarbonisation efforts and voluntary contribution to positive environmental initiatives where reduction is not possible.
Social Sustainability in Digital Advertising
Social sustainability in digital advertising refers to the impact that the industry has on people and communities. This includes, but is not limited to, employment, diversity and inclusion, data privacy and ethics, brand and browsing safety, online veracity of information, and fraud and transparency, meaning that organisations consider the impact of their actions, products, and services on the wider society and not just on customers and suppliers.
Economic Sustainability in Digital Advertising
Economic sustainability in digital advertising refers to the ability of a company or industry to generate profits, and support itself, its employees, and its community financially over the long term. It can be impacted by factors such as the cost of delivering digital ads, the efficiency of operations, and the level of demand for digital advertising services.
It is important for companies to align their sustainability practices with the CSRD, which requires a growing number of companies to report on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.
By considering all three pillars of sustainability [environmental, social, economic] digital advertising companies and individuals can make choices that address the need for immediate action to tackle the climate crisis, whilst considering the needs of the future. In doing so organisations will help to ensure the long-term health and prosperity of the industry and the communities it serves.
The IAB Europe Sustainability Standards Committee recognises the great work being done across all sectors of our industry to drive the sustainability agenda and is actively engaged with other key initiatives such as IAB Tech Lab and Ad Net Zero. The committee work track is also open to input and guidance to ensure outputs are progressed with success. You can find more information on the committee and how you can get involved below.
About IAB Europe Sustainability Standards Committee
IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee was formed in October 2022 with the primary focus of bringing the industry together to create standards for the delivery of digital advertising and to help all industry participants to reduce the amount of energy consumed and carbon emissions produced through the use of digital media.
The committee is open to all IAB Europe members, including corporate companies and National IABs from across Europe.
For more information and to join the committee please email communication@iabeurope.eu
