“It’s all about data” – a phrase we’ve heard often and, for the most part, believe. Data is at the core of nearly everything – information, analytics, insights and now the new currency of audience media buys, promising high commercial value for data owners and improved returns for advertisers. However, is all data truly valuable? How can we measure its value and ROI? Many companies are aggressively pursuing data monetisation by locking into exclusive tech and data partnerships or even acquiring technologies such as clean rooms. The downside of these exclusive deals is their limiting effect on flexibility and objectivity, placing a premium on data whose value remains unproven. Each client or end-user has unique requirements and perception of value, making an agile and agnostic approach essential for success in this space.
MENA’S data challenge: high stakes, low supply
In the MENA region, the challenges are pronounced due to limited data sources. Few companies have invested in the technologies required to collect and derive value from their data.
While many retail companies have established various initiatives such as loyalty programmes to gather data, making it actionable and addressable requires significant investment, resources and time. The eagerness to monetise this data often leads to overvaluation of datasets without a robust strategy in place.
The U.S leads in mature, sustainable monetisation
The US data ecosystem has been evolving for more than 20 years, making it one of the most established globally – valued at $1.06bn in 2024. Characterised by advanced technology and robust infrastructure, the US leads in audience marketplaces offering advertisers access to rich audience data for precise targeting.
The diverse sources of data, including television viewership, online behaviour and e-commerce metrics, provide comprehensive consumer insights that enhance advertising strategies. Additionally, a strong regulatory framework ensures compliance with privacy laws which helps bolster consumer trust.
The abundance of data sources that are a result of decades of data collection mean that the price per dataset is accessible – a simple supply and demand trend – keeping the price of buying this data reasonable when compared with the value extracted.
The MENA region is playing catch-up
In our region, many companies have invested in data collection strategies. However, compared with the US, we remain shy in numbers because we started driving down this road approximately a decade after them. The datasets available are scarce; the price per dataset is high; and the value is yet to be proven. Is it reasonable for these businesses to anticipate a ‘gold rush’ from such data?
Danger of exclusivity and the bias it brings
Some agencies have gone as far as building data ecosystems and operating exclusive datasets on behalf of data owners. While this model seems like a smart business exchange, it often introduces bias. Owning data can compromise neutrality, which is crucial for agencies aiming to prioritise advertisers’ best interests.
From theory to reality: ROI isn’t always guaranteed
In theory, collaborating with a data partner who has access to detailed audience insights should lead to better performance and higher return on investment (ROI) compared with off-the-shelf platform audiences. This assumption attracts many advertisers and is the reason why many of them are seeking such capability. However, there is theory and there is reality. So far, tests have shown that success is not always guaranteed. As with any media campaign, optimising for certain key performance indicators (KPIs) doesn’t always lead to positive outcomes.
Audience buys often require additional investments beyond media buys, raising the question of whether they always drive a positive ROI.
Outcome-led, not hype-driven
Omnicom was among the first holding companies globally to establish an audience marketplace using neutral clean rooms, acquiring significant expertise in this space and building an understanding of the pitfalls and the delta between theory and reality. In every data initiative, we explore all angles to estimate value based on tangible outcomes for advertisers.
For instance, in consumer packaged goods (CPG), revenue can be directly measured by the number of products sold to a specific audience. Whereas in automotive, the number of booked test drives can serve as an indirect indicator of future car sales.
At Omnicom, we prioritise protecting our data partners by ensuring they retain ownership of their data while establishing neutral grounds for the audience marketplace, owned, managed and operated by data owners themselves.
To best service our clients, we believe in a truly agnostic approach to data and technology, underpinned by testing and collaborating with a diverse range of data providers.
This strategy enables us to assess the value of data accurately before entering partnership discussions and allows us to offer a broad catalogue of audience options tailored to our clients’ unique needs.
No silver bullet: just an open test, learn and optimise model
No single framework has all the answers. Our open model equips us to develop adaptable, high-performing strategies that evolve with client priorities, avoiding the pitfalls of predefined partnerships.
While it is clear that data carries value, we are still early in this journey. An open, testing-oriented approach is essential for success in this space, allowing for informed decision-making before committing to large-scale partnerships.
By Dr. Hoda Daou, Managing Director, Annalect UAE
