The document discusses issues that can arise with tag management systems. It notes that tag management promises independence from IT but often results in IT feeling kicked out of their role and distrusting marketing. It also promises ease of use for marketing executives but they typically get lost during setup and end up delegating the task. Finally, tag management promises that tagging can be done once and forgotten, but in reality data layers often break over time or do not meet reporting needs as site evolutions are not always followed by tag updates. The document provides solutions such as involving IT early on, strict tagging processes, training, and quality assurance testing.

1. More info at: juliencoquet.com
Tag Management is not a miracle cure
JULIEN COQUET – VP, CHIEF EVANGELIST @ HUB'SCAN
March 2017

2. © Julien Coquet 2017 2
The captain has turned on the seatbelt sign
AGENDA
Speaker bio1
About Tag Management2
Issues with Tag Management3
In closing4
Q&A5
Appendix - removedA

3. © Julien Coquet 2017 3
Oh God, here we go
AGENDA
Speaker bio1
About Tag Management2
Issues with Tag Management3
In closing4
Q&A5

4. © Julien Coquet 2017 4
About Julien Coquet
• Cunning Linguist
• Level 80 Digital Analytics Warrior
• Consultant, evangelist, speaker
• Blogger, author, translator
• KPI Therapist (one word)
• Keeper of the One True Tagging Plan
VP, CHIEF EVANGELIST @ HUB'SCAN

5. © Julien Coquet 2017 5
I'll take Tag Management for $200, Alex
AGENDA
Speaker bio1
About Tag Management2
Issues with Tag Management3
In closing4
Q&A5

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Obligatory quick show of hands
Who here uses a tag management system?
What now? Yes! Maybe? No, I hate hackers

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Tag Management 101
• A single piece of code (aka container)
• Embedded digital marketing solutions (tags)
• A data layer
• Variables (macros)
• Rules (triggers)
• Works for mobile apps using a SDK

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Tag Management 101 (for LOTR nerds)
"One tag to rule them all,
one variable to find them,
one trigger to bring them all
and in the data bind them."

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And if you're paranoid…

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And of course, there are other vendors out there…
Tag Management: a mature, saturated market

11. Insight #1
Tag Management sucks

12. Insight #2
I <3 Tag Management

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Your brain, right now

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It's going to be, waiiit for it…
AGENDA
Speaker bio1
About Tag Management2
Issues with Tag Management3
In closing4
Q&A5

15. Tag Management
makes promises it cannot keep

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Promise #1: No more IT intervention
1. Independence from your IT department
2. Place the tag once
3. Goodbye IT!
4. Profit?

17. You're in for a rude awakening

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What really happens…
• Companies don't realize implementation means… re-tagging!
• Errors happen
• Containers are misplaced / broken
• Data layers are missing data or contain the wrong variables
• IT feels kicked out of its private playground.
• IT feels distrust towards corporate / marketing

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End result: IT is now your enemy

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Solution(s)
• Involve IT early
• Consult them for feasibility (datalayer for instance)
• Keep them in the loop for site evolutions
• Give them a little love <3

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Promise #2: Marketing execs can use it
1. It's easy, just click
2. Workflow, processes, hurray!
3. Access rights
4. Put agencies on a leash (aka the end of ninja Floodlight tags)

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Yeah, that will work out great

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What really happens…
• Marketing people start with little analytics and tagging experience
• Execs get lost during setup and end up delegating to an agency
• Access rights confuse users
• Project communication breaks down, changes are not pushed live
• Execs question the value of a TMS, end up rolling back regular tagging

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Solution(s)
• Set strict rules and actual processes for tag/rule creation and publication
• Leave your TMS in the hands of your digital analysts
(or dedicated, trained professionals)
• Train your team

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Promise #3: Tag and forget
1. Tagging will auto-magically follow site evolutions
2. My data layer is bullet proof
3. My reports will contain the data I need

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Quit your day job and switch to comedy

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What really happens…
• AKA "IT messed up"
• The data layer is broken
• The data in the layer is not compliant with your requirement
• Bigger projects increase chance of errors
• Data quality is an afterthought

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Solution(s)
• Define quality assurance procedures
• Define a super-tight tagging plan
• Enforce and maintain that tagging plan
• Use automated quality assurance
• Even if you don't use a TMS, tag your site with a data layer

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Sweet rapture, take me now
AGENDA
Speaker bio1
About Tag Management2
Issues with Tag Management3
In closing4
Q&A5

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To paraphrase:
"You go to war with the army you
have, not the army you might want
or wish to have at a later time"
- Former US Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld

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More paraphrasing:
"You analyze based on the data you
have, not the data you might want
or wish to have at a later time"
- Digital evangelist Avinash Kaushik

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Don't worry
Your
Data Layer
Gets Better
(in theory)

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It's no magic bullet
Tag Management is
not a miracle cure,
it's chicken soup
for your tags

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Pro tips for TMS success
• Design, structure and communication
• Governance For The Win
• Training, training, and more training
• Don't trust the TMS, don't trust the CMS
• Don't forget Quality Assurance

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Super subtle plug for Hub'Scan
Learn more at http://www.hub-scan.com/

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Super subtle plug for Hub'Scan
Pages are not tagged
Analytics data does not match requirements
Punish your
front-end developer
Save time running boring audits
How many Google
accounts do you need?!

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That's all, folks!
AGENDA
Speaker bio1
About Tag Management2
Issues with Tag Management3
In closing4
Q&A5

38. © Julien Coquet 2017 38
Discuss?
• Read my blog at https://juliencoquet.com/en/
• Follow me on Twitter at @juliencoquet
• Google me!