Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) recent release of online lead generation best practices for B2C and B2B is an unprecedented step in bringing a benchmark of acceptable practices to lead generation. Those of us involved in lead generation and lead management see on a daily basis the very loose and wide view of acceptable means to acquire a consumer name, email, and phone number.
This document, in conjunction with several others recently produced by the IAB, are important movements to clean up the practices and perceptions of an increasingly important advertising medium.
Key themes of this best practices document include:
- Clarity in who the parties are to the advertisement and each of their roles, intent, and usage of the data they collect from a consumer
- Strict limitation of brokering or selling of lead data that requires notice and consent of all parties, including the consumer and advertiser
- Awareness and eduction of consumer protection and privacy regulations
At first review these themes seem obvious and simple for reputable advertisers and publishers to follow. However, these relationships are increasingly complex, sophisticated, and competitive. A single campaign may have multiple publishers, numerous advertisers, and often the consumer data collected is managed, manipulated, stored, and sold in a variety of places.
A key element driving much of the regulatory and best practices debate, is the fierce competition within ad networks. These relationships and arrangements are closely guarded competitive secrets. However, this is the focal point of some who debate that the best practices do not disclose enough to consumers. OLGA, the Online Lead Generation Association, believes that consumers have a right to know and understand every leg of their data’s journey. Meanwhile, most advertisers and publishers view that information as proprietary and high competitively sensitive. Meanwhile, most would contend that the consumer is less interested in where the information is headed than they are when am I getting a response.
Do the best practices go far enough to protect the consumer? Do these best practices, or OLGA’s additions, go to far in constraining advertisers and publishers? Are these regulations and best practices focusing on practices that are not concerning to consumers? What is your opinion?
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