Ogury to double APAC hub headcount as need for data compliance balloons

Paris-based martech firm Ogury, which launched its APAC hub in Singapore earlier this month, is expecting to grow its team of eight to 20 by the end of 2020. The aggressive expansion comes on the back of increasing concerns over privacy and data protection in the APAC region. In this year alone, Ogury has also expanded to Mexico, Germany and Netherlands. Clients in Singapore include Nike and Uniqlo.

Speaking to Marketing, Ogury's newly-appointed MD for Southeast Asia, Niall Hogan said that the firm is not afraid of competition as it offers an unique mobile marketing solution, Ogury Marketing Engine, that guarantees full compliance with data protection and privacy laws, as well as complete traceability of the origin of the consent, the data, and its use. It can be used by marketers for integrated user consent collection, data generation, insight visualisation and media activation.

Ogury aims to be the answer to the region's data woes including the lack of clarity and fairness on users and organisations’ options, that is causing confusion, defiance and frustration. "Ogury presents a clear, high converting consent notice to every consumer. This provides an opportunity for them to make an informed choice over their data and marketing preferences," Hogan explained.

The company will also tackle "misguided, and often rogue, marketing practices" caused by an incomplete and unreliable understanding of mobile users’ behaviours and interests across brands, apps and websites. Meanwhile, the opacity of the digital marketing ecosystem leading to high levels of fraud and wasted marketing budgets.

Ogury's engine, according to Hogan, is designed and optimised around "long-term user trust and a sustainable value exchange between users, brands and publishers". He said:

Hogan added that brands need to be sure that they are providing consumers with control over their digital marketing experiences. To do so, they need to provide reassurances on the traceability and validity of the consented data they are using.

Choice-first culture

Foreseeing transparency as the future of marketing, Ogury looks to work with local brands as well as publishers in the APAC region to institute a "choice-first" culture. It believes that the industry should focus on asking permission from consumers, and that users' choice - giving users clear choices and respecting these choices when they are made - is key and should be the priority, even before data.

Earlier this year, Ogury conducted a survey of over 287,000 global consumers, examining attitudes towards mobile marketing, advertising, and data. The study revealed that nine out of 10 users find targeted marketing messages annoying.

One issue could be that the vast majority of mobile ads are served by the walled gardens. "These technology behemoths have access to an incomparable mass of user data, enabling them to target users with relevant messages. However, the walled gardens collect and use data to target consumers with ads, without users’ explicit permission," explained Hogan.

The good news for organisations is that 71% said they are willing to share specific data to access free content. But Hogan cautioned that this only applies when they have been given a clear choice over how their data is used. "That means communicating in unambiguous terms, in everything from consent notices to privacy policies. Treating users not just as buyers or sources of revenue, but also as a human beings with freedom of choice," he said.

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