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CPEx, short for Czech Publisher Exchange, is the biggest association of Czech online media operators. The company makes advertising spaces available using Real-Time Bidding (RTB) technology. They are an advertising platform connecting successful companies and publishers of quality content. Initially established to focus on programmatic advertising, CPEx has since expanded its services to include a data alliance for publishers.
In response to the rise of the GDPR, CPEx has taken a pivotal role in ensuring technical compliance within the programmatic advertising landscape. They assist publishers in implementing GDPR requirements, primarily by deploying a Consent Management Platform (CMP) and ensuring that the CMP data signals are correctly integrated into the programmatic environment.
Lukáš Smol, Czech Publisher Exchange Director, and Aleš Zima, RTB specialist at CPEx, share their experience with Didomi’s solution.
Challenge: ensuring CMP flexibility to meet diverse requirements
When the GDPR was launched, the CPEx team began implementing an in-house CMP they had developed while the company was part of an IAB working group developing a CMP for the first version of the TCF.
Co-developing this first CMP, on the one hand, taught them a lot about CMPs, TCF, and how the system needs to work. On the other hand, maintenance proved difficult, taking much more development time than expected.
Eventually, they decided not to do it themselves but to find a third-party CMP provider that could provide the expertise and turnkey solutions they needed.
CPEx collaborates with 15 Czech publishers, including 9 of the country's largest publishers at the time of this case study. These publishers cover a significant portion of the Czech market, resulting in many specific requirements. With a network of 300 websites and 7 million monthly unique visitors, CPEx requires substantial flexibility in managing a CMP and the product.
“A lot of the issues or challenges with CPEx comes from the fact that we're in an alliance with many publishers and domains, and we need to find a consensus for how things should work and how to align different types of requirements.”
- Lukáš Smol, CPEx Director
Recognizing the need for more robust analytics and reporting capabilities, they did another round of research in 2021 and chose Didomi, with whom they’ve worked since.
Solution: enhancing consent management and customization with Didomi’s CMP
Before implementing Didomi’s Consent Management Platform (CMP), CPEx frequently encountered challenges with customizing consent banners and implementing changes easily. Additionally, they faced significant issues with reporting due to the vast amount of data, requiring capabilities to report across 300 domains and to conduct A/B tests.
These critical needs are now effectively met with Didomi:
“When we started a conversation with Didomi, we asked them: “These are the issues that we're having with our current provider, can you solve them?” And Didomi proved capable of solving them.”
- Lukáš Smol, CPEx Director
One of their key requirements as an alliance is the ability to share user consent across multiple domains: If users save their preferences on one website within the group, they should not be prompted again on another site.
CPEx's previous CMP provider could not successfully make this feature work, but thanks to Didomi's technology, the company is now able to lead the way within its industry.
For Frank Hofmann, CPEx's account manager at Didomi, the organization's leading position is a testament to its dedication to innovation:
“I do know a couple of clients enabling consent across domains, but CPEx was among the first to really make use of it to that extent.”
- Frank Hofmann, Lead Customer Success at Didomi
In terms of consent banner personalization, the team at the Czech Publisher Exchange is constantly experimenting with user interface (UI) tests and exploring options to better suit the needs of publishers.
They believe Didomi is very efficient in this area, offering a wide range of customization options. Didomi provides numerous tools for experimentation, including preset configurations and the ability to apply custom CSS. They experimented with various formats, including banners, pop-ups, and bottom banners, as well as customized text and purposes beyond the TCF.
Additionally, they tailored color schemes, sizes, and logos to their needs. Extensive A/B testing was conducted, which they found to be a particularly valuable feature.
“Reporting analytics are a key element for A/B testing. Didomi's analytics are highly detailed, allowing us to measure various metrics, which is extremely important for us.”
- Aleš Zima, RTB specialist at CPEx
When it comes to Didomi's support, they find that the representatives are well-informed, quickly grasp their inquiries, and can engage in effective discussions, which helps save valuable time.
“I would say the Didomi support is among the best in terms of responsiveness and the knowledge level of the person who responds.”
- Lukáš Smol, CPEx Director
Results: gaining insights and stability in user consent rate
The main result for the CPEx team is the knowledge they gained on how users interact with the CMP, what works and what doesn't. They observed an overall trend of declining consent rates compared to a couple of years ago, as users are now more inclined to configure their settings or decline consent. However, by making continuous adjustments and relying on a robust solution like Didomi, they have managed to keep the consent rate stable, if not increasing.
Today, CPEx has a better understanding of user behavior and expectations. The team can provide a better privacy user experience and build trust with their users regarding data privacy. In turn, Didomi helps them with the flexibility to experiment with the CMP's design within the constraints of GDPR, ensuring it is both transparent and legible to make it genuinely understandable and user-friendly.
“I would recommend Didomi because of its features, the ease of customizing the UI, the detailed analytics and reporting, and the responsive tech support.”
- Lukáš Smol, CPEx Director
Currently, the company is testing the Pay or Consent model, which has had the most significant impact in recent years.
In the future, their primary focus will remain on privacy and CMP. There is significant potential for future development and improvement, as well as for addressing new challenges that emerge from legal requirements or market changes. CPEx sees Didomi as a key partner for their CMP solutions in the future.
If you want to learn more about Didomi's Global Privacy UX Solutions, please contact our teams.
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