Demystifies Key Online Advertising Practices, Increases Awareness of Consumer Choice Tools
New York, NY (December 3, 2009) — To educate consumers and provide them with the resources to help them manage their privacy online, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the launch of “Privacy Matters,” its first-ever consumer education campaign that will run across a broad cross section of top-tier online media outlets. While the digital media industry has done an extraordinary job of transforming the way consumers experience entertainment and information, it hasn’t been as effective at explaining how it all works to the average person.
The “Privacy Matters” advertising campaign and its accompanying website, www.iab.net/privacymatters, were designed by Schematic, a WPP company. The online campaign consists of a series of unique and visually striking aesthetics and bold headlines that will guide people to the “Privacy Matters” site, an information-rich website where consumers can access resources and tools designed to help them protect their online privacy and engage in conversation about their privacy concerns.
“The ‘Privacy Matters’ campaign and website is an example of how the IAB is taking a leadership role in communicating with consumers in plain English about how to manage their privacy online and providing them with the resources to do it,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. “What’s most impressive about this campaign is that the media partners and agencies involved in this effort donated their time and resources for free—a testament to their collective commitment to our work to protect consumers and allow digital media to keep transforming the way consumers experience entertainment and information.”
The “Privacy Matters” campaign is part of an ongoing, industry-wide effort to develop more robust and effective self-regulation of online behavioral advertising practices by increasing transparency, developing ubiquitous consumer choice mechanisms, improving data security and advancing consumer awareness of online privacy issues. In July 2009 the IAB joined the nation’s largest media and marketing trade associations in the release of “Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising” to protect consumer privacy in ad-supported interactive media. The principles directly address public education and industry accountability issues raised by the FTC and include an Education Principle that calls for organizations to participate in efforts to educate individuals and businesses about online behavioral advertising. The “Privacy Matters” campaign launches with commitments of more than 500 million online advertising impressions and will run through 2010 with the goal being at least 1 billion impressions served, which would be sufficient to reach nearly every American online.
“As a marketing partner to some of the world’s largest brands, we are pleased to have been selected to develop the ‘Privacy Matters’ campaign in conjunction with the IAB,” said Trevor Kaufman CEO of Schematic. “With consumers living such a large portion of their lives online, it’s imperative that they understand how their information is used in providing them with a more relevant and personalized Internet experience. We applaud the IAB for launching this campaign and think Web users will find the information extremely helpful.”
About the IAB:
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 375 leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.
IAB Media Contact:
Marla Aaron
Director, Marketing Communications
