Dana from Predactiv: The Predactiv Data Platform, Driving MarTech Innovation with Data & AI

1. Dana, can you share how your extensive experience in MarTech and AdTech has shaped your approach to leadership and innovation at Predactiv?

Absolutely! Prior to joining ShareThis, I was a Group Vice President of Global Partner Development at Acxiom, where I orchestrated the expansion of the company’s portfolio to include premier publishers such as Facebook (Meta), Twitter, eBay, Yahoo! (Verizon), and  Pandora. I led this portfolio and grew it to $100 million in revenue. Additionally, at Acxiom, I introduced the company’s first ever addressable television offering, leveraging data from industry giants such as DirectTV, Dish, Cablevision, and Comcast. I also cultivated partnerships with the leading advertising agencies including Starcom and Mediavest Group. As you can see, my extensive media, data and technology experience aligns perfectly with the Predactiv brand.  Predactiv is the unique combination of data and technology. A data platform powered by Gen AI. 

2. What challenges do you encounter in maintaining seamless data integration across platforms, and how does Predactiv address these challenges?

Predactiv invested significant time and resources in building direct integrations to all of the major platforms. We have “pipes” that can deploy data literally anywhere in the digital ecosystem — that includes activation partners such as DSPs, as well as clean rooms, client CRMs — anywhere our clients want to leverage data, we can support deployment in near real-time. All of this is enabled by our transparency in data management as well as our ability to operate outside of walled gardens. Our platform’s flexible infrastructure allows for the seamless integration and combination of multiple data sources, enabling a richer, more comprehensive view of consumer behavior. Fresh data, deployed anywhere, in a privacy centric manner, without being confined to walled gardens — this is the power of The Predactiv Data Platform.  

3. How does Predactiv balance the need for transparency with the necessity of protecting proprietary data and client privacy?

Transparency, data protection and client privacy work in tandem, not at opposing ends. At Predactiv, we are true to these ideals by putting privacy, compliance, security and consumer choice at the heart of everything we do. Our data collection, management and deployment are all handled with a privacy centric foundation. Similarly, all of our technology processes are both secure and compliant. We employ advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that anonymize and aggregate data, thus safeguarding individual identities while still allowing clients to glean valuable insights.

Additionally, our recent product launch of our contextual audiences is an example where Predactiv is challenging the industry to do better. Our contextual audiences allow for precise digital targeting without the use of cookies. Even after the decision to deprecate cookies was delayed, Predactiv launched this product, with the intention of offering advertisers a more anonymous targeting approach. 

Finally, we operate on a global scale and strictly adhere to evolving privacy laws and regulations worldwide. This commitment consistently places us in the top 5% of data companies, as recognized in quarterly rankings by Neutronian—an industry leader in independent data verification, auditing providers for privacy compliance, data quality and transparency.

As I have described, you will find that privacy, compliance and the protection of consumer data is at the core of everything we do. 

4. What are the benefits of Predactiv operating within an open ecosystem, and how does this approach enhance data integration and collaboration across platforms?

Operating with an open ecosystem is a significant differentiator for Predactiv. For years, advertisers and marketers have successfully targeted audiences within the big platforms like Meta and Google. However, those platforms are likened to a black box, where data goes in but doesn’t come out. At Predactiv, we source data from over 3 million global domains, processing close to one trillion events per year. We can deploy this data anywhere, at any time, before or after campaigns, without confining the data to walled gardens. It is a very transparent data handling process that allows for multi-channel targeting, in-depth analytics, and campaign optimization. 

5. How does Predactiv plan to expand its capabilities and integrations in the future to continue providing value to its clients?

Predactiv will grow and evolve its Data Platform to meet client needs. The Predactiv Data Platform will be customized, as each client’s business is unique and different. In simple terms, The Predactiv Data Platform will be able to leverage our client’s first party data and integrate it with various data sources, including our proprietary, global, digital, near real-time behavioral and intent data. The combination of first and third party data assets will provide the whole picture of consumers, enabling more effective and efficient marketing and advertising.  In terms of efficiency, the platform will reduce the need for engineering resources, people and software, with the ability to still extract the most value out of big datasets. 

6. In your view, what are the most significant opportunities and challenges in the current MarTech and AdTech landscape?  

That is a great question. In thinking about the opportunities, I think it is best to start with the challenges. The industry is evolving at such a rapid pace; It is difficult for companies to keep up.  Clearly, the first challenge is in the evolving privacy laws and regulatory compliance. There always seem to be new laws emerging, and the lack of knowledge of “what is coming next” poses a risk for companies. We faced GDPR and CCPA, which changed the entire way companies operated. Data collection, management, and storage all needed to be reinvented.  The challenge of CEOs, like myself, is to try to get in front of the privacy legislation, as we want not only to follow the laws, but to lead the change. An opportunity in this area is to develop new products that don’t require cookies or consumer identifiers, such as we built with our contextual audiences. 

Another challenge is in the fragmentation of technology ecosystems as well as data.  Everywhere you look, today, data is being generated. We have smart watches, smart televisions, smart phones, connected fitness devices — the list is endless. The proliferation of available data is immense. Companies need to be smart about leveraging AI, data science, and technology to make the most of this data, in a privacy-centric way. The future is about connections — connecting various data sources together and, of course, connecting, or fostering interoperability between platforms and ecosystems. The connection point is significant for business results. 

The Predactiv Data Platform addresses these challenges. Powered by advanced data science and AI, the platform starts with connecting datasets. We combine, refine, and transform, readying the combined data for deployment to any “connection” point the client chooses. The Predactiv Data Platform is really a means to connect multiple datasets, and then be able to harness the value, and activate or deploy to the digital ecosystem. We are all about “connecting” to drive meaningful results.

Another challenge I will address is the dependence of advertisers on some of the big platforms, that in essence, are walled gardens. Data goes in but it does not come out. In addition to limiting the uses of the data, walled gardens limit transparency and carry high price tags for advertisers and marketers. 

Proudly, at Predactiv, we operate via the open web, and maintain privacy, transparency and the ability to return data, as opposed to locking it within a closed platform. 

Finally, just as privacy, data, and technology are all changing, so are the use-cases and monetization opportunities of data. CTV and retail media networks have emerged, and are driving up the cost of digital advertising. However, if companies can figure out how to leverage these opportunities, the returns will be worthwhile.