You may be aware of the recent news that Sizmek, one of the largest independent ad-tech platforms has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The business will seek to maintain current operations as it looks to either outside investment, or third-party sale to help resolve the balance sheet. It is too soon to tell whether Sizmek’s Australian operations will be equally affected but given the number of clients we have using the Sizmek platform you can rest assured knowing that we’ll be following the situation closely.
Though only indirectly referenced as contributing factors, the recent Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention update combined with the data breach and high profile executive exit certainly would not have helped.
However, as one of Australia’s leading data and analytics consultancies with high-profile clients across all manner of industries we can’t help but feel that Sizmek’s filing may only be the distant rolling-thunder of a much larger storm heading on a collision course with the ad-tech industry.
There is strong evidence to suggest that the foundations of the current ad-tech ecosystem have been built on a back-fill of overzealous data-sharing, opaque policies and fragile technology stacks. With public sentiment continuing to be influenced by high profile coverage of breaches and misuse across the globe, signs are pointing to a pivotal year for privacy reform and data regulation.
Given the building climate, shrewd organisations will be those that take advantage of the relatively calm local environment to review, reflect and take action ahead of time.
Questions? Feedback? Leave a comment below and stay tuned for more posts exploring these topics.
