As we start Advertising Week in Europe, Sir Martin Sorrell appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme to discuss digital advertising and programmatic buying.

“Both areas are fuelled by what is known as first-party data, that’s data that our clients have about consumers in terms of their likes and dislikes and their media habits. And that gives us an opportunity to target extremely effectively, and show yields, that's ROI and click through rates or sales rates that are extremely high”.

The focus on first-party data is very promising. Both brands and publishers alike are beginning to leave the murky waters of third-party data, and finding ways to unlock, connect and activate first-party data. This move will be key to the continued growth of the digital advertising ecosystem.

For brands, having a 360-degree view of their customers is vital to delivering creative and targeted marketing that promotes a positive customer experience. And for publishers looking to retain and hopefully grow the 20% market share they currently hold, compared to the the 80% held by Facebook, Google and Amazon, providing meaningful and targeted audience segments to their clients is more important than ever.

However, the use of first-party data in the adtech eco-system brings with it a number of commercial, security and privacy concerns. InfoSum’s data platform is helping both brands and publishers overcome these barriers to create a combined customer view, augment their understanding of consumers and build new strategic data relationships.

See how InfoSum's Platform is helping publishers safely connect and activate their first-party data.