Consumer data services firm Krux
recently published a report that demonstrates the number of data collected by
volume was up 400 percent. Currently, there are approximately 50 data collections
per page, whereas a few years ago that number was closer to 10. Krux also found
that publishers did not control a little more than half of the data collection
(54% to be exact) which is also much higher than the 31% that was recorded in
2011.
The number of collectors that gathered individual
data also nearly doubled. In 2011, there were 167 parties involved whereas in 2012,
Krux saw that there were more than 300 parties involved in the collection of
data. It is not strange to see that as the amount of data collected goes up, so
does the involvement of third-party data collectors.
These statistics provided by Krux only
demonstrate what many people already know, that the shift towards audience-based
buying as opposed to a display advertising market is in full swing. The
tremendous increase in data collection reflects this shift. It is possible to
bypass direct ad sales channels by combining low cost exchange-based media and premium
data.
The only question that remains is
whether this is something that is likely to continue. Considering consumers are becoming
increasingly aware of how to stop the collection of data while they browse the
Internet and the government is considering cracking down, it may not be long
before many of these data collection agencies are going to be struggling or
have to switch their model.
