That said, rather than spelling doom for display advertising, the space has continued to evolve and grow, even with the increased adoption of ad blockers. In 2024, U.S. programmatic digital display ad spend will total $157.35 billion, representing 15.9% year-over-year growth.
FTC Endorsement Guides (2009, updated 2023)
In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines (later revised) that require bloggers and social media influencers to disclose any material connections they have with brands they promote. The move was designed to increase transparency and reduce the possibility of consumer deception.
While marketers at the time were concerned the new rules would reduce the effectiveness of influencer relationships, the move ultimately increased the sophistication of the influencer marketing space, which has sparked greater trust. A 2023 study found that 69% of consumers are likely to trust a friend, family member or influencer recommendation over information coming directly from a brand.
GDPR (2018) and CCPA (2020)
The General Data Protection Regulation, implemented in the European Union, represented one of the most stringent privacy and security laws in the world. It requires businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of EU citizens: Companies must obtain explicit consent before collecting personal data, and individuals have the right to access and delete their data. Later, in the U.S., the California Consumer Privacy Act similarly gave California residents more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them. Setting a precedent for other states to follow, CCPA includes the right to know what data is being collected, the right to delete personal data and the right to opt-out of the sale of their data.
These regulations have significantly affected how companies collect, store and process data, leading to more transparent data practices. However, they haven’t throttled investments in or the effectiveness of digital advertising. The industry continues to grow globally, and in a more sustainable and privacy-friendly way.
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (2021)
Apple’s iOS 14.5 update introduced ATT, requiring apps to get user permission before tracking their data across other apps and websites. This update disrupted mobile advertising by limiting access to iPhone user data for personalizing ads and measuring their effectiveness. However, it did little to change the importance of mobile within the overall advertising landscape. Rather, the industry has pivoted by embracing SKAdNetwork—Apple’s framework for measuring campaign effectiveness without collecting device-level or user-level data—marketing mix modeling, lift studies and more.
