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Big Tech’s Steps Towards Privacy:

What it Means for Dealership

Advertising

By Jonathan Lucenay, Client Command’s Founder and CEO

We’re just beginning to see
the story of data privacy and
big tech play out, and it’s
important to stay aware of
how market and economic
dynamics, shifts in consumer
behavior, marketing trends,
and technology advances can
impact your dealership.

Data privacy and big tech. It’s a topic that
likely lived on the back burner as you’ve put the final nail in the third party cookie themselves, we know there is a high level
run your dealership over the past few coffin by year’s end — the conversation is of uncertainty around what the next phase
years. However, it’s been top-of-mind much wider reaching. Every player in the of digital advertising will look like as these
for technology companies and, more technology space is assessing their approach changes take root. And any big (or small)
importantly, consumers for several years. to consumer data and how they do or do not tech company that says they are perfectly
And in 2021, it’s front and center as big use it for advertising. positioned for the residual impact of what
tech takes headline-grabbing actions is a rapidly evolving landscape is not being
to position themselves as advocates for If it feels like the ground is shifting honest with themselves, or with you.
consumer data privacy. Why does that for everyone connected to the digital
matter to automotive? These actions have advertising space — it is, to a degree. And HOW IT AFFECTS YOU
immediate and long-lasting impacts for it is culminating with the biggest players So, how does this impact the decisions
your dealership advertising and how you making big efforts to make known their you are making at your dealership? At
engage the customers you desire to serve. positions on privacy and the actions they the center of all we’ve discussed is people.
are taking to protect it. In January, Apple People who are increasingly wary of
THE BIG PICTURE announced an App Tracking Transparency companies tracking them across the web,
Before we get practical, let’s dig into the feature with the spring release of iOS 14.4. gathering personal data and using it in
overall picture for a brief moment. This gives consumers the ability to grant a manner they believe benefits business
permission for apps to share data across at the expense of their privacy. People
Since Facebook’s data-sharing practices websites and apps. And it was met by push who increasingly care about trust and
came under scrutiny in 2018 following back from Facebook. In March, Google transparency in every purchase, especially
reporting on Cambridge Analytica, announced plans to move away from big purchases like buying a car. People who
consumers and legislators have focused technologies that track individual people are willing to exchange data for a preferred
their attention on big tech’s use of data. across the web and group people based on customer experience.
Meanwhile, big tech has taken a varied shared interests. This too was met by push
approach in rolling out efforts over the past back, with other tech companies alleging People are not stagnant. Technology is
few years to proactively address the shifting that the solution is more about fortifying not stagnant. Both are vibrant and ever-
landscape. Google’s dominance of digital advertising changing. What is important for your
dollars than protecting consumers. dealership to recognize is that to win with
Although most of the recent talk about consumers (and grow your business), you
privacy and big tech has focused on I’m not trying to get us caught in the big need a data-driven marketing approach, but
third party cookies — mainly because tech swirl. What I want to make clear is no it must be one that puts consumers first and
the biggest player, Google Chrome, will matter how the big tech companies position builds trust for your business.

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