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Digital After Dark

Digital After Dark

Written by: Digital After Dark
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 Two mates talking about all things Digital. Topics can cover Digital Analytics, Data, Transformation, Technology, Concepts and everything inbetween. If it is related to Digital, and we find it interesting, we are going to discuss it.Copyright Digital After Dark Careers Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Success
Episodes
  • DAD014: Discussing Compliance, GTM/GA4 & Automation with Dan Truman

    DAD014: Discussing Compliance, GTM/GA4 & Automation with Dan Truman
    Jan 5 2026
    This episode explores the state of digital analytics across consent and ethics, UK/EU regulatory shifts, implementation pitfalls in GA4 and GTM (client‑side and server‑side), what “good” governance looks like, misconceptions that hold businesses back, and how automation and AI will reshape MarTech. The discussion balances NON-legal guidance (we are not lawyers - we will discuss how we would guide our clients) & ethical nuance (cookie consent, PECR/ePrivacy, “ads‑or‑data” paywalls, consent mode ambiguity) with hands‑on implementation guidance (trigger ordering, config tags, enhanced measurement pitfalls, server‑side GTM on first‑party endpoints). It closes with pragmatic views on analytics as a revenue function and near‑term opportunities to productise repeatable work with automation and AI agents.
    • Rising public awareness of data collection and the messy reality of consent banners, paywalls, and browser‑level signals—and how this varies by market.
    • Regulatory ambiguity (UK guidance, PECR/ePrivacy/DUAA interplay, “statistical analysis” carve‑outs) and why organisations must define a clear legal/ethical risk posture—not just a technical stance.
    • Consent Mode, Google Signals, and the “German GTM ruling”: what actually triggered panic, why context matters, and how intent and downstream controls are key.
    • GA4/GTM mistakes: firing order and race conditions, multiple config tags, over‑reliance on Enhanced Measurement, noisy form submits, undocumented “cute” renames, legacy tags, and excessive custom JS.
    • Server‑side GTM: value, common missteps (not truly first‑party endpoints, A‑record/IP mismatches), and SaaS vs self‑host trade‑offs.
    • Analytics isn’t “plug‑and‑play”; “capture everything” promises just shift effort from engineering to data teams. Analytics is a revenue function that powers activation and models.
    • AI/automation: use agents and scripts to productise repeatable tasks, orchestrate tools, and summarise outputs rather than “let AI do it all.”
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • DAD013: Our Presentations at MeasureCamp London: Part 2

    DAD013: Our Presentations at MeasureCamp London: Part 2
    Dec 30 2025
    In this episode of Digital After Dark, Matt and Andrew dive deep into data layer quality, JSON schema validation, and automated monitoring at scale. Using real-world examples from MeasureCamp and client implementations, they explore how teams can move from messy, inconsistent analytics data to a reliable, validated, and scalable data ecosystem.

    Andrew focuses on how JSON schemas bring structure and confidence to data layers, empowering developers, QA, and analysts to catch issues early. Matt then builds on that foundation by showing how to operationalize schema validation at scale using tools like ObservePoint, automation, and APIs—ensuring data quality doesn’t break when changes ripple across large sites or multiple domains.

    The conversation blends technical depth with practical workflows, developer empathy, and a healthy dose of humor (including an unforgettable “number two before number one” moment).

    Key Takeaways
    • Your data layer is the schema — the events are temporary, but the schema defines long-term data quality.
    • Validate early, not after launch — catching issues in dev saves exponential time later.
    • JSON Schema turns analytics specs into enforceable contracts, not just documentation.
    • Data quality deserves the same rigor as UX, even if the consequences appear later.
    • Manual testing doesn’t scale — automation and monitoring are essential for modern analytics stacks.
    • Schema validation builds confidence across teams, from developers to analysts to stakeholders.
    • Start small (MVP) — even basic type validation delivers immediate value.
    • At scale, governance beats heroics — automation, APIs, and shared standards win every time.
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • DAD-013: Measurecamp 2025 Review Part 1

    DAD-013: Measurecamp 2025 Review Part 1
    Nov 29 2025
    In this episode of Digital After Dark, Andrew and Matt dive into their experiences at MeasureCamp London 2025, an unconference powered entirely by the analytics community. They reflect on the energy that comes from 450+ analysts giving up a Saturday to learn, share, and collaborate as well as remanence on the evolution of MeasureCamp—from its early days of beanbags and pizza to today’s polished format with sponsors, merchandise and expertly managed logistics.

    They walk through memorable moments from the day: the mad “Black Friday dash” to claim session slots, the humour and chaos of handwritten talk cards, and the joy of reconnecting with industry friends. As both presenters and attendees, Matt and Andrew experienced the day from multiple angles, comparing notes on crowd sizes, room selection strategy, session clashes, and the sense of community that continues to define MeasureCamp.

    The episode then moves into a rapid-fire discussion of the sessions they each attended, ranging from Simo Ahava’s exploration of server-side tagging philosophy, to clever GA4 anomaly detection approaches, to compliance innovation at Condé Nast, to TV analytics “fiendish questions” from ITV. The hosts also tease upcoming podcast guests they met at the event and share key personal takeaways—new tools, new ideas, and renewed appreciation for the digital analytics community.

    The second part is still being edited, where Matt and I present to each other the sessions we presented at MeasureCamp. Listen through the closing to listen to why there was a break in the middle.

    TOPICS COVERED:
    • What MeasureCamp is, why it matters, and how the London 2025 edition was organised
    • The “session board rush” and discussion of fairness, first-timers, and room allocation
    • Overall vibe of the day: community, conversations, introverts surviving social overload
    • Session breakdowns (list below)
    • Themes: schema validation, data quality, consent & compliance, server-side tooling
    SESSIONS ATTENDED
    • Unsolved Problems with Server-Side Tagging – Simo Ahava
    • GA4 Anomaly Detection and Data Quality Checks at Scale – Marco Tognon
    • Enhancing Condé Nast’s Compliance Methodology with Snowplow
    • Discussion on AEP, CJA and CJO with Max Lagace
    • When Data Talks but Nobody Listens: How to Present with Confidence – Parveen Downar
    • Three Fiendish Questions from Streaming & TV Analytics – Tom Milne (ITV)
    • Open-Source GTM Alternative – Alexander Kurzel. (elbwalker.com)
    • Server-Side Circus: End-to-End Server-Side Setup in 15 Minutes – Annie Salo CEO of tracklution
    • GA4 Custom Events and Event Schema Documentation - Hawa Teladia
    • iFrames Are a Pain (But Don’t Have to Be) – Kaail Bigos
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    1 hr and 10 mins
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