Interact 2024 - Day Two Highlights

On 21-22 May we hosted our annual flagship conference Interact 2024 in Milan where we brought industry leaders, innovators, and experts together to answer the big questions needed to shape the future of the digital advertising and marketing industry. 

Thanks to the support of our sponsors, media partners, the team at IAB Italy, and our event host Joanna Burton, we enjoyed two days of content, which focused on our theme ‘The Big Questions. The Smart Answers’. 

Going beyond standard keynote presentations and panel discussions, we brought the ‘interactive’ back to Interact this year, with each session framed around a key question that our elite, expert speakers endeavoured to answer. No beating around the bush. It was all about the smart answers that our audience was after. Plus we addressed additional questions live on stage through our engaging polls and audience Q&As. 

On day two, we focused on how we can support Ukraine, dived into how strategies can make the supply chain more sustainable, and assessed how publishers can reinvent their digital advertising businesses. We also turned our attention to policy and legal matters to look at the future of digital advertising policy, what’s next for the TCF, and how we can ensure transparency with the Digital Services Act (DSA). 

Below you can find overviews and key takeaways from each session.

How Can the Industry Support Ukraine?

The second day of Interact began with a poignant keynote from IAB Ukraine’s CEO, Anastasiya Baydachenko. Having travelled at length to be with us again this year, she kindly shared an update on the situation in Ukraine and her latest experiences. She also shared practical examples of how we as an industry can collaborate and continue to support Ukraine, to help drive digital advertising forward in the region. 

View the presentation here. 

Advertising’s First Sustainability Standards Are Coming - Are You Ready?

Sustainable advertising is a big industry topic and creating a no-waste, clean ad ecosystem we can all agree will benefit marketers, media owners, and tech companies alike. To kick things off in this area Scope3 and Sanofi Consumer Healthcare took to the stage to share insights into how more efficient, effective, and sustainable advertising is within our reach, and why it's needed as we head into the next era of digital advertising.

Speakers:

• Paul-Antoine Strullu, Head of EMEA at Scope3
• Anna Kechekmadze, Global Digital Media Strategy Lead at Sanofi Consumer Healthcare

Key takeaways:

• Paul started the session by sharing the weight of digital advertising’s carbon emission problem - Advertising generates 4x more emissions than the USB-C Charger estimates.
• He shared that standards will help to point our industry in the right direction and that marketers can be the driving force behind the movement.
• Handing over to Anna, Anna shared how Sanofi Consumer Healthcare is taking action from a marker’s perspective. This includes taking collaborative action across measurement implementation, setting baselines and targets, identification of reduction opportunities, and performance evaluation and optimisation. 
• By working with Scope3 to reduce their carbon emissions in their digital advertising campaigns, Sanofi saw a 30% reduction in emissions in their pilot test.
• They concluded the session by sharing that everyone can make positive steps towards reduction while achieving better marketing outcomes by using the right measurement tools. 

View the presentation here.

Are Sustainability Strategies Delivering Across the Value Chain?

To continue to answer key questions on sustainability, the first panel of the day assessed the state of readiness of our industry and shared insights on what is being done to achieve sustainability in digital advertising. 

Exploring the current tools and frameworks available to help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced by digital advertising, important regulations, and priorities for businesses, the panel considered if our industry is doing enough to reduce its carbon footprint and what other tangible actions can be taken to deliver across the value chain. 

Speakers:

• Rachel Smith, CEO at ExchangeWire (Moderator)
• Arthur Millet, Director General at Alliance Digitale
• Dimitris Beis, Data Analyst & Sustainability Manager at IAB Europe 
• Lisa Vieweg, Co-Lead Sustainability in Digital Advertising Lab at BVDW
• Suzanne McElligott, CEO at IAB Ireland 

Key takeaways:

• The panel agreed that measurement standards have been an important component of the sustainability process from the outset but in order to be effective they need to be universally applied. This is why National Federations such as BVDWAlliance Digitale and IAB Ireland have connected with IAB Europe to achieve this.
• Alliance Digitale’s journey started in France in 2021 as it is now mandatory for businesses to publish their scope 3 emissions. This is why they have been working on a framework for quite some time. 
• Several Trade Bodies have been working on frameworks and aligning on what to measure in the industry. When it comes to digital, National Federations have come together to work with other trade organisations such as the Global Alliance of Responsible Media (GARM) and Ad Net Zero to help deliver digital guidance into a wider media framework.
• By focusing on accurate estimation and delivering a framework that is fit for purpose, National Federations hope to encourage digital advertising to be more responsible and efficient. 

Is it Time to Build a New Playbook for Digital Publishing?

Moving from sustainability strategies to publisher development, our next session welcomed Lauren Dick, Executive Director at Mail Metro Media to the stage to share macro industry trends from a publisher’s perspective. From harnessing first-party data strategies, and creating original content to delivering ecommerce outcomes, she covered all key valuable attributes in today’s media mix. 

View the presentation here.

How Can Publishers Reinvent their Digital Advertising Business?

Continuing on the innovative insights that Mail Metro Media shared, the next session allowed the audience to discover how publishers are moving, shaking, innovating, and reinventing their digital advertising businesses to ensure success in the new world of digital.

Speakers:

• Constantine Kamaras, Chairman Emeritus at IAB Europe (Moderator)
• Lauren Dick, Executive Director at Mail Metro Media
• Francesco Barbarani, Director of Digital & Experience at Rai Pubblicità
• Karen Nahum, General Manager of Publishing & Digital at Grupo 24 ORE

Key takeaways:

• The session focused on the key assets and competitive advantages that publishers possess in the advertising market - specifically, panelists discussed the growing value and utilisation of first-party data as well as context (namely the quality of the editorial environment).
• Emerging strategies in programmatic were also debated. Especially in terms of supply/demand path optimisation and the emergence of new metrics, such as attention, with publishers noting that these are in the early phases of development and implementation.
• FInally, there was a focus on strategies to capitalise on e-commerce and Retail Media, with publishers becoming more ambitious, aiming to extend their offering to cater to the evolving demand of clients.

What Comes Next for Digital Advertising Policy?

After a well-earned coffee break, it was time to answer the big questions on policy. Welcoming our first policy-focused session to the stage, speakers dived into the future of digital advertising policy in the European Union and answered questions on what to expect next. 

They examined the influential factors that will steer EU perspectives on digital advertising policy, particularly in light of upcoming elections and their impact on setting the agenda. They also focused on the post-election landscape, identifying the potential hurdles and issues that EU policymakers must confront and navigate in shaping effective advertising regulations.

Speakers:

• Inés Talavera de la Esperanza, Public Policy Manager at IAB Europe (Moderator)
• Paul Goode, SVP Strategic Partnerships at Comscore
• Alexander Whalen, Public Policy Manager, EU Affairs at Meta 
• Achim Schlosser, VP Global Data Standards at Bertelsmann

Key takeaways:

• The group started by dissecting the EU techlash against big tech that has characterised the current mandate and considered key points for policymakers in the next mandate regarding digital advertising regulation. 
• They also explored how the industry could better communicate its value to policymakers and improve relationships.
• The group then shared insights into possible upcoming regulations, suggesting that digital advertising, particularly issues surrounding personalisation, will be on the Commission’s agenda. 
• Overall the speakers emphasised the need for better communication and knowledge, urging EU institutions to gather unbiased evidence and engage with all stakeholders to identify problems and propose effective regulations. 
• The discussion also posed questions on how the industry can improve and bring value to society if it is run solely by growth and innovation. 
• It was also suggested that industry initiatives could be the answer to support the industry in addressing this challenge. 

What are the Key Factors Driving the Continuous Development of the TCF?

Moving to the topic of the IAB Europe Transparency & Consemtn Framework (TCF), our next panel of experts explored the TCF in light of the CJEU ruling in connection with IAB Europe’s appeal of the February 2022 decision by the Belgian Data Protection Authority. They discussed the latest adaptations to the framework and how it is evolving to work with new developments and innovations in the ecosystem.

Speakers:

• Ninon Vagner, Privacy Director at IAB Europe (Moderator)
• Julien Delhommeau, Chair of IAB Europe's TCF Working Group 
• Christoph Zippel, Chair of IAB Europe's TCF Policy Working Group 
• Giulia Sala, External Legal Counsel at IAB Italy 
• Will Howard, Legal Counsel at Google

Key takeaways:

• The panel opened by discussing the latest adaptations that have been made to the TCF and how they align with current regulatory challenges. The group shared the benefits that the latest version of the TCF (v2.2) brings to their respective companies. 
• Regarding the next iterations of the TCF, the speakers discussed the ongoing efforts that are being made to improve the framework, especially in light of the recent CJEU ruling in connection with IAB Europe’s appeal to the Belgium Data Protection Authority’s decision on the TCF. 
• Finally, the panellists looked at what was next for the TCF. Covering both the current regulatory challenges we are facing and the technical developments that are being made by the industry, including the deprecation of third-party cookies. The speakers agreed that things would continue to evolve in line with this over the next 12 months.  

How Can the Industry Work Together to Meet the Transparency Obligations of the Digital Services Act (DSA)?

In the final session and to conclude Interact for 2024, our last group of industry leaders discussed the release of the technical specifications for the DSA Ads Transparency Solution by IAB Tech Lab, in collaboration with IAB Europe, as well as the interplay between the specifications and EDAA's Advanced Advertising Transparency Programme (AATP). They also explored how compliance with Article 26 of the DSA can be facilitated and streamlined through common technical approaches, and the outstanding uncertainties underlying the enforcement of this new piece of legislation at both the EU and national level.

Speakers:

• Townsend Feehan, CEO at IAB Europe (Moderator)
• Martina Gerli, Project Coordinator at EDAA
• Elena Turtureanu, Global VP Legal and Privacy at Adform
• Rowena Lam, Sr. Director of Product, Privacy & Data at IAB Tech Lab
• Lucio Gagliardi, Privacy & Ad Tech Program Lead at Adevinta

Key takeaways:

• The panel started by discussing the advertising transparency requirements of the DSA and how they differ from what is already laid down in the GDPR. While the GDPR focuses on transparency and legal requirements for Data Processing, Art. 26 of the DSA introduces additional requirements for transparency in online advertising, specifically regarding information provided to the users. Another difference is that the GDPR applies to every actor processing personal data, whereas the DSA only applies to Online Platforms.
• Regarding different tools the industry has put in place for compliance, the panel discussed how essential it is for the whole industry to move towards a common approach and standard practices to create transparency and shared ways of presenting information to users.
• When discussing advertiser confidence that disclosures are being made to enhance user trust, the panel said that advertisers are looking for advice on solutions and that they should be aware of their vendor's awareness and execution of DSA disclosure obligations. 

Well, that’s a wrap for Interact 2024, and what an amazing two days it was. 

If you are interested in finding out more about IAB Europe and how you can get involved in our work across all of these key areas and more, or are interested in joining us for Interact 2025 and would like to know more about the event and how you can participate, please contact the IAB Europe team at communication@iabeurope.eu.