In the digital landscape, the exponential growth of online content competes with increasing desperation for consumer attention. The sector is dominated by the huge content publishing networks, which monetize consumers by spamming them with algorithmically targeted ads. In an environment where the statistical probability of a consumer clicking on a display ad is as likely as that consumer being struck by lightning, volume is king and the user experience is correspondingly poor.

Marketers have long known that influencer marketing is a more effective means of stimulating consumer engagement than this one-size-fits-all approach, as influencers (especially those with smaller audiences) tend to have loyal followings who value their authenticity and trust their recommendations. However, Web 2.0 marketing technology has failed to organize and aggregate this talent in a way that commerce can access and leverage efficiently, at scale.

“Decentralized marketing is a game-changing example of how Web3 can transform inefficient and ineffective Web 2.0 solutions,” said Claudio Lisco, Director of Strategic Initiatives at ConsenSys. “Online advertising is clearly no longer fit for purpose and the opportunity is to build a technology that enables commerce to access grassroots influencers, at scale, across all media and rewards all parties fairly and automatically for their contribution to the value creation process.”