La Presse is partnering with Québec company Optable to offer its advertisers local advertising solutions capable of directly targeting its readers while respecting the privacy of their personal information.
As privacy laws tighten, digital giants have already, or will soon, ban the use of third-party trackers in their tools. These trackers, better known as “cookies,” closely follow Internet users’ navigation on the Web and make it possible to target them with advertisements that correspond to their interests.
Optable's goal is to reinvent the way organizations and advertisers exchange the public’s sensitive data. The Québec-based SME offers a technology that encrypts both the information held by companies about their current or potential customers and the information held by digital platforms about their users. It then compares and crossreferences this coded and anonymous data to generate unidentified and targeted audiences that can be solicited without compromising internauts’ privacy.
“Combined with the wealth of La Presse’s database, Optable’s product will not only allow us to remain at the forefront of targeted digital marketing and consumer knowledge, but also in terms of the security of our readers’ data,” said Geoffrey Bernard, Vice-President, Growth Marketing, Data Science and Consumer Insights at La Presse. “Transparency and respect for privacy are at the heart of the response to data and identity management issues,” says Yves Poiré, co-founder and CEO of Optable, adding: “La Presse has shown a strong desire to find ways to manage its data while respecting these key principles.”
La Presse, a model of respectful data management
Last year, La Presse launched single sign-on for all its platforms, encouraging readers to create a free account to continue viewing its journalism content. To date, 70% of the content consulted on La Presse platforms is by authenticated users.
“Authentication is absolutely necessary for our digital transformation,” Mr. Bernard explains. “Among other things, it enables us to produce rich content based on our readers’ profiles, and in this way provide our advertisers with a competitive offering.” He adds: “Thanks to authentication, we are able to offer our readers personalized advertisements in line with their interests, without ever sharing sensitive information with advertisers. This means we can also better understand our audience and improve our content offering accordingly.”
About La Presse
La Presse is the French-language media outlet of choice for Canadians, and is an independent Québec institution operating in a not-for-profit structure. Its mission is to produce quality information accessible free of charge to the largest possible audience. Its content is distributed on several platforms, including tablet app, mobile app and website available across all digital platforms. The recipient of numerous awards for the quality of its content and design, La Presse is known for its distinctive, rich and diversified coverage of news and current events. La Presse is also known for its in-depth investigative series, special reports, as well as the voice it lends to important discussions. Learn more at https://www.lapresse.ca/
About Optable
Optable is a SaaS data connectivity platform designed for the advertising ecosystem in the age of privacy. Inspired by the radical transformation in how data is governed, connected, and used, Optable was built by veterans of the ad tech industry to address the need for a new generation of privacy-preserving data connectivity software. Leveraging cryptographic technology, Optable is the only in-market solution that offers a decentralized, “headless” approach to enabling advertisers, publishers, data companies, and other partners to safely and securely compare and leverage audience data. https://www.optable.co/
Information
Michaël Majeau
Director, Communications and Brand Image
La Presse
514 884-1868 | mmajeau@lapresse.ca
