Germans willingly disclose data for customized advertising
77% of Germans like online advertising when it draws attention to brands and products that they would actually buy. This is the result of a study by The Trade Desk. The respondents are aware that they have to disclose information about themselves to do so.
According to the new study by The Trade Desk, German citizens also have a clear idea of what data needs to be collected for personalized advertising. The brands and products they prefer rank first, followed by the purchases they have actually made and finally their personal interests and preferences.
"Our study shows that consumers know the value of their data," says Daniel Neuhaus, Vice President DACH at The Trade Desk, who is responsible for business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. "This 'end of naivety' does not necessarily have to be negative for advertisers. On the contrary: the study results provide valuable information on the form in which data-based advertising makes sense and, above all, is already accepted by consumers today," Neuhaus continues. "Consumers' wishes for data-based advertising that is relevant to them should therefore be the starting point for future advertising campaigns in order to optimize the consumer experience."
Transparency and control over data with new EUID
With standardized identity solutions based on the email address, consumers can also be shown advertising that is relevant to them across all channels. In the case of streaming services, for example, using the email address is now a learned and accepted part of the user experience. However, according to the study, 58% of respondents would also agree to a solution based on their email address being used instead of cookies when surfing the web. An important prerequisite: the email address would have to be encrypted.
Users' expectations of the media and advertisers are therefore clear: they only want to see ads that are relevant to them without having to compromise on data protection. "Thanks to new identity solutions such as the encrypted and pseudonymized European Unified ID (EUID), publishers and advertisers can already meet these user demands today," says Neuhaus. "At the same time, they give consumers transparency and control over their data so that they can, for example, access premium content for free or at a lower price."
The survey by advertising technology company The Trade Desk was conducted by market research institute Appinio. In April 2024, 1,500 adults in Germany aged between 18 and 65 were surveyed.
