Amazon, Walmart, and now PayPal are staking claims in the advertising world, leveraging vast troves of purchase and behavioral data to woo brands. These “walled gardens” offer the promise of closed-loop insights—ads tied directly to sales—a tantalizing proposition for marketers chasing measurable ROI.
But for large enterprises, the real challenge isn’t cost; it’s control. Dependence on these ecosystems can create data silos, restrict transparency, and limit flexibility. In short, brands risk putting their customer insights—and their strategies—in platforms whose priorities don’t always align with their own.
Andrew Frawley, CEO of Data Axle, argues that companies can reclaim autonomy by unifying their first-party data and enhancing it with trusted third-party datasets. “It’s about taking a balanced approach,” Frawley says. “Brands can link a single customer across devices, channels, and roles, unlocking efficiencies and ROI while maintaining ownership of strategy and insights.”
This approach, known as connected identity, allows enterprises to enjoy the best of both worlds: the measurement power of closed-loop advertising without surrendering control to a single platform. By doing so, brands can ensure consistent customer experiences, reduce reliance on individual ad giants, and make data-driven decisions with confidence.
Industry observers note that the trend is accelerating. As major platforms grow more dominant, savvy enterprises are seeking ways to diversify their ad strategies, ensuring they retain flexibility in targeting, measurement, and execution. Competitors in the space, including DMPs and identity resolution providers, are racing to offer solutions that make cross-platform visibility seamless while protecting first-party data.
The implications are clear: enterprises that master this hybrid data approach are positioned not only to improve ROI but to future-proof their marketing operations. As walled gardens continue to expand, brands with control over their own data stand to gain a competitive edge in a landscape increasingly defined by measurement, personalization, and customer-centric insights.
