IAB to launch Data Center to secure 'Big Data'

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced to launch an independently funded IAB unit at the 2016 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting to expand resources and drive support for Big Data across the digital media, marketing, and advertising industry. The IAB Data Center of Excellence, based in the IAB’s New York office, aims to teach advertisers and marketers how to use their data, but also maintain quality, transparency, and accountability, as well as protect consumers’ interests.

Joe Zawadzki, CEO of MediaMath, has been selected to head the Data Center of Excellence Board of Directors, leading the organization’s inaugural agenda.

The Data Center’s mission will be to help advertisers and marketers organize their data assets while maintaining quality, transparency, accountability, and consumer protection. Few marketing topics in the past couple of years have grown more in importance than data. With the Internet of Things set to take off in earnest during the next few years, the subject is only going to become a bigger and bigger part of the brand-world conversation. Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB, said, “Today, data management is both a reality and a challenge for advertisers and marketers. This poses a great opportunity for the new IAB Data Center of Excellence to address key issues, influence the agenda, and set the standards for organizations looking to embrace the power of data.” The center will fund industry research projects, provide benchmarks, create actionable insights on data management across platforms, host data-focused events, and develop industry best practices, guidelines, and standards for privacy, data security, and consumer data protection. It will produce educational materials including certification, videos, and webinars. Zawadzki believes that given the pace at which companies realize the power and value that data can create for brands, publishers, and consumers, it was time the industry come together.

“Given the pace at which new technology is being adopted and the power of ‘big data’ acknowledged in the value it can create for brands, publishers, and consumers, it was time to come together as an industry. The IAB Data Center of Excellence will help define best practices, articulate standards, and collaboratively shape the data ecosystem with the consumer, the globe, and the future in mind,” he added.

The IAB Data Center of Excellence will:

• Gather industry thought leaders to set and drive the “data agenda“
• Develop industry research to provide benchmarks and actionable insights on data management across platforms including mobile, programmatic, and the internet of things
• Create educational materials in the form of curriculum, certification, info-graphics, videos, webinars, and seminars to demystify data for marketers and advertisers
• Host data focused events that feature industry luminaries to discuss data related topics
• Develop industry best practices, guidelines, and standards for privacy, data security, and consumer data protection
• Establish criteria for data quality and interoperability in the industry

Acxiom, Conversant Media, Experian, Integral Ad Science, LiveIntent, Oracle Data Cloud, and The Weather Company have stepped up as founding members and plan to assign representatives from their respective companies to become part of the organization’s board of directors.