Solving for Signal Loss: Identity Resolution

For nearly three decades, the ad tech industry has relied on third-party cookies to support online consumer experiences, such as easy logins and being shown relevant ads. While these functionalities have provided consumers with a more seamless online experience, they have also created risks around consumer privacy. Browsers such as Firefox, DuckDuckGo, and Apple’s Safari blocked third-party cookies a while ago, and they have not replaced them with new tracking tools, more private or otherwise. Google, on the other hand, was slower to act, first announcing their plans in 2020 to deprecate them and only beginning to phase them out in January 2024. This approach involved a trial where 1% of randomly selected users browsing Chrome on either desktop or Android received a notification allowing them to opt into “Browse with more privacy.”

Six months later, after weeks of uncertainty and numerous industry folks caught off guard, Google announced that they were killing their plan to deprecate cookies. Some see this as positive news, offering more certainty around Google’s plans and enabling the development of new technological advancements. Although Google’s policy-shifting announcement may slow adoption of their respective identity solutions (RAMPID and UID2), companies like LiveRamp and The Trade Desk believe the news reinforces the need for the industry to embrace authenticated identity, while simultaneously using the cookie to maximize reach as long as it remains available.

In an era where digital advertising is increasingly complex and data privacy concerns are at the forefront, addressing the deprecation of cookies and signal loss has become crucial for marketers. Signal loss, which impacts the ability to accurately track and measure user behavior due to the elimination of digital identifiers such as cookies and mobile IDs, poses a significant challenge in optimizing ad performance and ensuring effective targeting. However, there are established solutions for overcoming these challenges and achieving reliable marketing outcomes.

Cookieless Identity Solutions:

1. Authenticated IDs

Utilizing authenticated IDs, such as RampIDs and UID 2.0, provides reliable user identification and targeting. These IDs enable you to accurately recognize and reach your audiences across different platforms and devices.

2. Strong Signal Environments

Channels like Connected TV offer more addressable and impactful ad delivery. Focusing on these environments, ensures higher engagement and better ad performance.

3. First-Party Data

Leveraging online and offline first-party data from your known customers enhances personalization and makes it possible to close the loop on the performance of your campaigns. This data also allows you to create look-alike models to reach new, valuable audiences and avoid wasting impressions on existing customers.

4. Conversion APIs and Server-to-Server Integrations

Implementing new tracking methods, such as conversion APIs and server-to-server integrations, helps capture online and offline conversion data without relying on traditional pixels. This ensures accurate performance tracking and measurement while adhering to stringent privacy standards.

5. Identity Resolution

Identity Resolution involves connecting multiple identifiers across various touchpoints to create a unified customer profile. This approach enhances scale, targeting, measurement, and frequency management.

6. Data Clean Rooms

Data clean rooms enable secure data collaboration for insights analysis and attribution. By using these environments, you can gain valuable insights while preserving user privacy.

7. Incrementality Measurement

Incrementality measurement evaluates the true impact of your marketing efforts. This method goes beyond attribution, which often struggles without cookies, by focusing on the actual contribution of advertising to business outcomes.

Navigating the complexities of signal loss requires a multifaceted approach. By integrating various techniques such as authenticated IDs, strong signal environments, and data clean rooms, marketers can effectively address the challenges of tracking and measurement in the digital age. These methodologies not only help bridge the gap caused by signal loss but also enhance overall marketing effectiveness to ensure that advertising efforts remain robust, data-driven, and impactful.

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