Writing this feels a little like those „what my marriage proposal taught me about sales processes?” Yet, I think it’s more important now than ever. I have written about data targeting, measurement, and the notion that AI serves as a tool rather than a silver bullet. This time, however, I want to take a shot at this from a different angle.

Metrics, Monitoring & Control

I think it’s a very natural thing for humans to favour tasks that give direct, positive feedback. This desire is the foundation for a lot of successful digital age concepts: from gamification (with its points, badges, and rewards) to user experience as a whole. And, of course, it’s a big part of why online marketing has embraced fine-grained monitoring and metrics like ROAS. As marketers, when faced with a choice between a strategy that promises a measurable, seemingly positive impact through data and KPIs, and one that’s harder to quantify but potentially impactful, most lean toward the measurable option. This addiction to data also creates an illusion of control. We think we are in the driver seat, but in reality, we are just giving directions and the path is chosen for us. The blog post ”It is true, advertising has devolved into the gamification of attribution. And it serves no one (except 2 businesses)“ captures this brilliantly: Systems optimize for the last impression, purely because it’s easiest to link to a financial transaction. The result? You feel like you have arrived at the correct destination, but you were already there – you just went in circles. 

Parenting

We often fail to draw distinctions between what we can measure, what we can control and what we must simply accept. In any of those situations I can recommend the serenity prayer:

grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

This struggle isn’t unqiue to marketers trying to control campaign success – it es even more prnounced in parenting. Parents naturally want to ensure the safety and well being of their children. It’s the same dilemma, the same fear mongering, the same reliance on tech and scepticism towards humans. The world is vast, uncertain, and holds dangers for us all.

However, instead of leaning on surveillance, we should anchor ourselves in the values that define us as a society. As a parent myself, I worry about my daughter all the time, but I would never put a GPS tracker on her. And yet many kids do have them, sometimes unknowingly and without their consent.

Regulations like GDPR put the public into liability for the data they track, the DMA is putting Meta and Google into place for the data they gather and it’s only consequent if we protect children’s privacy more. The solution to fear and perceived loss of control doesn’t lie in more technology – it lies in education, community and trust. One of my proudest moments as a father was when my daughter and her two friends were walking from school to daycare. One of the friends fell and couldn’t walk. Instead of panicking, my daughter and her friend remembered what they’ve been taught at daycare: one person stays with the injured person while the other gets help. This wasn’t something technology could enable; it was the result of values and lessons passed on through human connection.

The Foundations We Need:

• Education: how to act in emergency situations. 
• Community: we walk together and are stronger and safer.
• Trust: I know my peers will help me, when needed.

No app or gadget can replace these principles. Technology can support us, but it’s meaningless if we don’t live by values we cherish as a society. 

Ad tech: Building Trust and Community in 2025

Coming back to the less glamorous, yet essential part: What does this mean for ad tech?

As publishers we must educate our users about the value exchange: their attention for free content and platforms. Similarly, we must help advertisers understand the kind of audience visiting our website. Building communities is crucial – space where we can share, collaborate, and support one another. Initiatives like Prebid and the IAB are great examples. Technology is becoming more and more commoditized, but as publishers, being part of a supportive and forward-thinking community ensures we’re not left behind.

And then we can finally let go of some control and replace it with trust. Trust that was built through a community, through transparency and through honest communication. I think trust is the most valuable asset in every relationship – whether it’s with your partner, your child, your friends or your business partners. Trust enables us to tackle challenges that might otherwise seem insurmountable.  

But let’s not forget: trust is hard to build and easy to lose. As we just started into 2025, let’s make it our foundation, our guiding principle.

Let’s rock 2025!