Leadership at Cannes | Taking Back Control: Breaking Down the Walled Gardens

Building a Transparent and Accountable Adtech Ecosystem

 

By Carlos Molina Del Rio, Director of Product: Ecosystem and Partnerships, Utiq

 

The digital advertising ecosystem is undergoing a significant transformation. For years, advertisers and publishers alike have been locked into the powerful grip of walled gardens – closed, self-contained ecosystems that restrict access to user data, limit transparency, and ultimately skew the competitive landscape. As the industry moves toward greater data privacy and transparency, it’s crucial that we challenge the dominance of these closed ecosystems and work toward a more open, fair digital advertising model.

 

“To add to that, there’s growing pressure from walled gardens pushing budgets toward their closed ecosystems. Even among GAFAM players, it’s clear that double-digit growth is happening only inside the walls. Their open web adtech units, on the other hand, have been in steady decline for nine consecutive quarters.”

 

The phase-out of third-party cookies, once seen as a potential opportunity for publishers to strengthen their positions, has instead introduced significant uncertainty. Many players who previously enhanced the open web’s value proposition have disappeared, and no one has stepped in to fill the gap.

 

As a result, advertisers are facing a stark reality: fewer choices, more constraints, and diminished capabilities across the open internet. The solution is not to resign ourselves to this new status quo, but to push back, regain control, and build a new ecosystem – one rooted in openness, transparency, and respect for consumer privacy.

 

The power of consentpass and Authentic Audiences

 

At Utiq, we believe in building infrastructure that enables a fairer ecosystem – one where publishers, brands, and consumers alike can thrive. By leveraging our Telco-powered consentpass identifier, we can provide real, user-consented signals that allow for precise, privacy-first targeting and measurement without reliance on third-party cookies or invasive techniques. This is the future of digital advertising: a system where data is authentic, consented, and secure.

 

With Authentic Audiences, we allow brands and publishers to engage with real, human audiences, not impressions. This deterministic approach to addressability eliminates the guesswork and inefficiencies that are typical of traditional targeting methods, ensuring that advertisers are able to reach their audiences in a way that is both responsible and impactful. This is the kind of innovation the industry needs – an infrastructure that doesn’t rely on walled gardens but rather empowers everyone to participate in a transparent, accountable digital ecosystem.

 

Innovation and the open web

 

The rise of retail media networks and first-party data solutions presents a unique opportunity for the open internet to regain some of the ground lost to the walled gardens. Retailers, with their robust first-party data, are uniquely positioned to offer more targeted, closed-loop measurement across the customer journey.

 

But it’s not just about retail media. The future of the open web is about finding new ways to connect with consumers across all environments, including Connected TV (CTV), mobile, and desktop, without compromising on privacy or transparency.

 

Utiq is proud to be part of this shift. Our solutions allow brands to tap into new, emerging environments, bridging the gap between traditional display advertising and next-gen media. By enabling brands to target with precision while maintaining user consent, we help them navigate the complexities of a cookieless future. And just as importantly, we give publishers the tools they need to optimise their business models and compete on a level playing field with the giants of the industry.

 

“Utiq was born with a clear mission: to help publishers strengthen their business model, while empowering users with tools to manage their privacy. That mission remains at the heart of everything we do.”

 

Transparency and accountability: The path forward

 

As we move forward, it’s imperative that we build an ecosystem based on trust. Transparency must be non-negotiable. Consumers must know exactly how their data is being used and why, and they must have the ability to make informed choices. This is where Utiq’s model stands apart from the traditional adtech ecosystem. Through tools like consenthub and consentpass, we ensure that user consent is always at the heart of the equation, enabling both brands and publishers to thrive while respecting consumer rights.

 

The ultimate goal is to create a balanced ecosystem where the interests of advertisers, publishers, and consumers are aligned. We need to move away from a situation where data is commodified and consumers are treated as products. Instead, we should embrace a future where transparency and accountability are at the forefront of every campaign, where businesses are empowered to innovate, and where the open web is a viable, competitive space for all players.

 

The need for change is now

 

The advertising ecosystem has been dominated by a few large platforms for far too long, and the shift toward privacy-first advertising presents an opportunity to level the playing field. But this will require bold action from all of us. It’s time to take back control, to break down the walled gardens, and to build a new ecosystem where innovation, transparency, and responsibility are the cornerstones.

 

At Utiq, we’re already working to make that future a reality. With our robust, user-consented infrastructure, we are helping to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to participate, to innovate, and to thrive.