For years, marketers have been promised that data could solve just about everything—better targeting, better measurement, and better business outcomes.
But in today’s fractured digital ecosystem, most are finding that more data hasn’t necessarily meant better data. As cookies disappear and signal loss accelerates, many brands are left cobbling together fragmented inputs in the hopes of forming a complete customer picture.
Spoiler alert: It’s not working.
To meet the moment, marketers need a new approach—one that centers on privacy, trust, and the ability to scale insights across real-world, omnichannel experiences. The reality is that marketing today doesn’t just require more data. It demands a better kind of data partner—one capable of delivering compliance and connection at every stage of the consumer journey.
So, what are the new table-stakes requirements for unlocking data at scale? It starts where all lasting relationships begin: with trust.
Trusted consumer relationships
When it comes to data, everything falls apart if you’re not starting with a trusted relationship. Consumers today are more aware—and more wary—of how their data is being used. They expect transparency, control, and most importantly, value in exchange for their engagement. That means data collection can’t be passive or opportunistic. A data foundation must be built on consent.
When a company starts from a place of permission and purpose, it unlocks more than just signals. It unlocks deeper insights, richer engagement, and the ability to turn data into actionable outcomes.
T-Mobile’s approach to data is grounded in trust. Over 15 million people have opted in to share their information—not because they have to, but because they understand the value exchange. Programs like the T-Mobile Tuesdays rewards program and the T-Life app are designed to offer meaningful benefits, from account access to lifestyle content, creating a more integrated and rewarding customer experience.
High-fidelity data at scale
Unlocking data at scale begins with consent and continues with connectivity. As people move across devices, channels, and physical spaces, marketers need a data partner that can mirror that complexity—without losing fidelity.
In this regard, mobile data represents a powerful anchor. People’s phones are their daily touchpoints. They reveal intent, location, communication patterns, commerce behaviors, and media preferences—all in a privacy-centric framework. This data can serve as a launchpad for true omnichannel intelligence, breaking down silos between digital, social, CTV, retail media, and offline channels.
Importantly, no omnichannel efforts are complete if they don’t include digital out-of-home (DOOH). Consumers are constantly on the go—on their phones, near screens, and navigating real-world spaces. DOOH is uniquely positioned to intersect with mobile data, bridging the physical and digital in a way that few channels can.
To better understand and reach audiences in context, T-Mobile has invested in deepening its DOOH capabilities through the acquisitions of Vistar and Blis—two companies with complementary strengths in mobility intelligence and location-based audience targeting. These additions help strengthen the connection between who consumers are and where they are, closing the loop between intent, exposure, and conversion.
Ultimately, this is about moving from data overload to data that delivers. First-party data, powered by mobile and extended across environments like DOOH, enables marketers to move beyond impressions and clicks toward outcomes that matter.
AI-driven connectivity
Still, the real power isn’t just in having data—it’s in how it’s linked. The future belongs to those who can bring together disparate data sets, extract real insights, and use predictive AI to drive performance at scale. AI-driven connectivity is how our industry unlocks smarter, more efficient, and more effective advertising.
For instance, analyzing how people engage with apps—the types they use, how frequently, how long, and at what times—can reveal patterns that predict likely audience cohorts, such as business travelers or fitness enthusiasts.
More critically, advanced modeling can scale these insights, enabling marketers to map these behavioral signals to media opportunities across channels and screens. It’s a way to activate rich audience intelligence through predictive models, all without relying on addressable identifiers.
By bridging data across publishers, partners, retailers, platforms, and clients, and layering in first-party assets, marketers can sit at the center of a strategic ecosystem. The future of advertising belongs to those who can connect the dots—those who can layer trust, fidelity, and intelligence to create a more strategic, omnichannel ecosystem.
At the end of the day, better data means better ads. And better ads mean better outcomes for everyone.
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Andrea Zapata is the VP of advertising data, measurement, and partnerships at T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, where she spearheads data services, measurement, and insights products.
