by Elena | Jan 18, 2022 | Analytics
On July 10th 2021, a new set of guidelines for using cookies on websites was released by Il Garante – the Italian Data Protection Authority. The goal is to specify the correct methods for providing information on the use of cookies and acquiring user consent online. The truth is that complying with these new requirements might seem waaaaay more complex than it used to be. But don’t worry! There’s nothing wrong with turning to friends for help – we got you covered! For real…
Did someone say cookies?!
First, let’s take a minute to refresh our memory about the magic world of cookies and tracking tools.
The two most important macro categories are:
- First-party cookies, directly stored by the visited website and don’t require user consent;
- Third-party cookies, stored by different domains and require user consent unless they:
- Prevent direct identification of the data subject;
- Are used in relation to an individual website or mobile application;
- Do not forward the data to other third parties;
- Do not match the data with any other information.
Both first-party and third-party cookies can also be:
- Technical cookies, for the correct functioning of websites. Providing specific information about them will be sufficient; user consent won’t be necessary here.
- Profiling cookies, used to trace actions and user behavior, enabling controllers to level up on the customization and targeting of their advertising. User consent? Cannot miss!
- Analytical cookies, used exclusively for anonymous, statistical purposes and not shared with third-party tools.
Golden rules for legally acquiring user consent
Okay, now that we master theory, let’s kill practice!
Positive news: the Garante confirmed the use of banners as valid means for user consent acquisition. However, you should make sure to put a little bit of makeup on them.
Consent will be valid only if considered “the result of an affirmative, conscious action by the user”, to be appropriately identified and demonstrated by websites. Practically speaking, the banner shall contain:
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- An ‘X’ at its top right end. If a user clicks it, browsing can continue without cookies or other tracking tools (technical ones excluded, of course);
- A minimal information notice about the use of technical cookies or other technical tools and their functioning;
- A command (which sounds way cooler than “button”), through which users can accept the storage of all cookies or the use of other tracking tools;
- A link to the privacy policy, or to a second-layer extended information notice, providing full info about the recipients of the personal data, their storage period and all the rights of users. Mind you, each page of the website will have to be bearing this link in its footer.
- A second link to a specifically designated area with all the functionalities, third parties and cookies to which the user chooses to consent. Grouping cookies into categories will make you evolve to a higher level.
No more scrolling or cookie walls
- Okay, we see why scrolling cannot represent an “affirmative, conscious action by the user”, don’t we? Thus, it no longer equals valid consent.
- Bad bad cookie walls. Exactly, the Garante took it out on them as well: if the website does not allow user navigation without cookie consent, cookie walls will have to be broken down.
Repetita not always iuvant
A banner showing up every single time a user accesses a website after already having given or denied cookie consent can turn out to be an irritating repetition. That’s when the Garante steps in to protect the user’s peace of mind, recording his or her choice and not asking for consent any longer unless:
- One or more of the circumstances of the processing changes significantly;
- It is impossible for the website to keep track of the user’s previous choices;
- At least six months have passed since the banner was last shown.
Noncompliance phobia? We got this!
If you made it here but you realized that you are still missing a few pieces to please the Garante, don’t panic. We are here to help you find your way out of the labyrinth of cookie policies, implementing compliant and high-performing cookie banners!
by Elena | Dec 20, 2021 | Our News
For the 4th year in a row, our superhero Gianluca Binelli has been ranked among The Top 25 Most Influential PPC Experts! This year he was awarded 10TH PLACE!
In the world of performance marketing, the culture of sharing knowledge has created a sense of community and contributed to tremendous growth in the area. Gianluca’s inclusion in this list shows his significant input to the community. PPC experts value the colossal growth and potential of digital marketing today and are spreading the word to talented individuals across the globe so that they can get involved in the industry.
Booster Box was founded with the vision of Silicon Tuscany, a new era of digital marketing powered by data-driven people. Today the company is growing exponentially. Being chosen for this list is a wonderful and well deserved accomplishment for Gianluca. We hope to be part of next year’s list and to keep contributing to the field.
by Elena | Nov 24, 2021 | Our News
Find out why our talented Boosters transitioned from Academia to Performance Marketing. We asked them about their secret pasts, why they moved, how they moved and what you should know if you are thinking about doing the same.
How many times have you heard of successful CEOs with the most unrelated undergraduate studies? Like the top finance CEO of a country previously studying… Anthropology? There’s nothing wrong with that! Talent is everywhere. At Booster Box, THE digital performance marketing agency, we have a team with very different academic backgrounds. But what motivates people to pursue a career in Performance Marketing if they are coming from a completely different background? To get some answers, we interviewed three of our top Boosters who joined our team after completing PhDs in very unrelated fields. Before we dive into their responses, here’s a little bit about our three interviewees.
Tamsin comes from a small town in Ireland and joined Booster Box in 2021. She studied microbiology as an undergraduate and worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture during her PhD. Andrea joined our team this year with a Master’s degree in Statistics from the University of Florence and a PhD in Statistics from the University of Bologna. His background in cybersecurity applications set him up to pursue a career in data science at Booster Box. To bring an even more international feel to Booster Box, Alejandro recently joined our team with a physics degree from Cordoba, along with a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Particle Physics (Wow! Are you the next Elon Musk?!). Alejandro passed on an opportunity to join the Euclid collaboration, a European Space Agency Satellite expected to be launched in 2023, to work with us instead!
A diverse group of people, from unrelated fields of study, each end up working as data analysts at Booster Box- we just had to ask, why?! Why did you choose a career in Performance Marketing?
Tamsin told us, “My background in research helped me transition into my role as a marketing scientist here at Booster Box. I chose to jump into performance marketing because “It’s an extremely fast paced, ever-changing environment with high investment. I believe it to be a great place to learn and apply skills quickly with endless progress and innovation”.
Similarly, Alejandro believes that “performance marketing is a field with an incredible future. Digital marketing is around us in our everyday life, we consume it even when we don’t know anything about it. For this reason, I felt really curious to learn how to use my data analyst knowledge and skills for digital marketing, and learn more about this field”. Andrea also mentioned how he believes that his “studies in statistics prepared him for the digital marketing world. So much data is collected on a daily basis that digital marketing has so much to teach us and can help expand our horizons”.
Sounds great right? But let’s face it, change is not always roses and unicorns. Changing your work environment can be drastic. Boosters, what is the biggest change from Academia to the Tech industry? What challenges did you face?
Tamsin: “Two of the biggest differences between Academia & Tech are the pace and the style of working. In Academia we frequently work alone as we are all working on our own projects. Even if we share the workspace with other researchers, when faced with problems, it is often a solo quest to find solutions. In Tech I have found that there is a much stronger team mentality. We are all working toward the same goal and the work and projects are much more collaborative. Secondly, the work pace is markedly different. In Academia it takes a long time to go from an idea to something that is actionable. You need to apply for funding, set up experiments, analyse data, write a paper, wait for it to pass review and finally hope that it will make some difference. This is massively different from my current role where there is a much shorter timeline for projects and where ideas can be trialed almost immediately”.
Similarly, Alejandro told us that, “The most challenging thing I think is adapting to short-term goals where you are expected to produce real-world answers and solutions quickly. On a daily or weekly basis you have real-life application of your work and can see the immediate impact of your analysis.”
Andrea believes that, linking to his previous response, “although there is a strong connection between statistics and digital marketing, it is hard to find a balance between the two. Statistics and data are the foundation of digital marketing, so in order to be a PPC ninja you most likely have to master both”.
If you are considering a career in Performance Marketing (or even if you are not!), here’s something to think about. We asked our interviewees, “What is your advice for someone contemplating the same move?”
Tamsin told us that, “Leaving academia doesn’t mean that you are leaving behind all the skills that you have acquired or that you are abandoning research. Many of the skills you learned while completing your research are transferable and there are many ways that you can use them. Don’t undersell yourself. While inside the academia bubble it can seem like there are only a few career paths open to you. This isn’t the case, nothing is set in stone. There are many options available and you should explore these to find a position that suits you, suits the way you want to work and suits your goals. Taking a step outside of academia could give you a fresh perspective and allow you to rapidly develop”.
Alejandro agrees with Tamsin and recommends “not being afraid of making this move. At the beginning it will be overwhelming, because the new work method and topic are really far from what you have been doing for so many years. But, as PhD students, we are able to adapt to different situations and learn really quickly. So just keep in mind that every process takes time. In order to understand your current research topic really well it took you many years of work, so do not expect to be a digital marketing master in just a few weeks. Enjoy the process of learning, and you will see that your PhD skills are much more valuable than you think!” Andrea adds that, “In our team we have people with different skills, passions, and knowledge, that as a whole create a strong foundation for Performance Marketing. No matter what your background is, it is never too late to take a 360 degree turn in your career”.
Andrea also agrees with Tamsin and Alejandro, and adds “Don’t be discouraged! The world now revolves around technology, data, and we are all prone to being part of a digital world. If you dive into the world of data, tech, and digital marketing you will be ahead of the game – no matter what your background is!”
Favourite perks since moving? “Endless free coffee & snacks! (especially appreciated after life as a strapped PhD!), and the chance to unwind with colleagues in so many fun ways – ping-pong championships, yoga, frequent aperitivos, dinners… There is a really friendly vibe here”.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’ll tell you loud and clear: Performance Marketing is taking over the digital world. Can your seemingly unrelated background studies give you the building blocks for your future career? Absolutely! All our interviewees, for example, have knowledge in the sciences – microbiology, cybersecurity and astrophysics respectively. This scientific experience gave them the solid foundation they needed to become successful data analysts. Alejandro hit the nail right on the head when he said, “Digital marketing is around us in our everyday lives, we consume it even when we don’t know anything about it”. We are already all involved in the world of performance marketing, now we can have the opportunity to shape it.
It’s a terrific time to be part of the Performance Marketing world, here is why.
by Elena | Mar 2, 2021 | Our News
We’re thrilled to announce that Booster Box ranked 125th on the Financial Times’s Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2021! Being listed as one of Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies means a lot to us.
Despite the obstacles that 2020 has brought to each and every one of us, we have proven to be right on track when it comes to innovation and growth. Innovation and automation have allowed us to emerge within the digital marketing world, and we couldn’t be prouder of the work we have accomplished so far.
The Financial Times created a list of European companies that are growing fast, and we thank FT for recognizing our efforts and success within the digital marketing field, listing our company as one of “Europe’s most promising growth businesses”. This achievement is an exceptional addition to the awards and certifications that we earned in the past.
Booster Box was born in 2016 and, since then, has developed a team of awesome, talented data scientists, developers, and PPC experts. In just five years, Booster Box has already worked with a large variety of clients, improving their marketing campaigns and optimizing their strategies. Today, our team does not only focus on marketing platforms, we go way beyond that – Booster Box also specializes in the use of automation and tools that help our clients perfect their Paid Search and Paid Social campaigns, as well as their e-Commerce.
For each client, Booster Box thoroughly analyzes their strategies and recognizes current marketing trends. From initial audits to regular reports, we provide well-rounded insights and advice on how to successfully optimize and run your campaigns.
Our secret ingredient for success is a data-driven, passionate team, willing to help clients in the best possible way. We would also like to thank all our partners, clients, and friends – we could not have done this without you! Booster Box is continuously growing, gaining new clients, better strategies, and more optimization. We can’t wait for what’s next!
by Elena | Sep 14, 2020 | Our News
In continuing our mission to build Silicon Tuscany and being the firestarter for a technology ecosystem in a place mostly known for hills, olive oil and wine we’ll be at the DMSS Mastermind Retreat from October 8-10, 2020.
This exclusive getaway will host some of the leading experts in the industry (our very own Gianluca Binelli, one of the most influential personalities in PPC, among them) and together we’ll be sharing our secrets in PPC, SEO, Social Media, CRO, Funnels, Analytics as well as a few surprises.
Just the subject matter and access to the experts would be worth the price of admission, but what if we also added in good company and good wine in an incredible venue on the rolling hills of Tuscany? Are you tempted yet?
Sign up here. Limited to 30 seats.
