At A Glance
AI can make your holiday advertising more efficient, but identity makes it accurate. This season, the brands that connect their AI tools to a strong identity foundation will see measurable performance.Originally appeared in Adweek
This holiday advertising season, identity is the real differentiator
Marketers are betting big on AI to run their holiday advertising, using it to build predictive audiences, generate creative at scale, and optimize media buys in real time. The draw is clear: greater efficiency, delivered at scale.
But here’s the problem: without a solid identity foundation, AI is just guessing. And in a year when consumers are cautious and competition is fierce, guesses won’t deliver the outcomes you need.
Experian’s 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report shows that success this season will depend on connecting the right data to the right audiences in real time.
Are shoppers really using AI to make holiday purchases?
Not yet. Only 12% of consumers plan to use AI tools to shop this season, mostly for finding discounts. Instead, trusted influences (like retailer websites, product reviews, and recommendations) still guide buying decisions.
For marketers, that’s a signal to focus on credibility and connection. AI can support your holiday advertising strategy, but trust still wins the sale.
Consumer sentiment heading into the holidays is low, but that could mislead marketers
How marketers are really using AI in holiday advertising
Behind the scenes, AI is working overtime. Teams use it to segment audiences, test creative, and optimize media in real time. These capabilities are powerful, but only if they’re grounded in accurate, persistent data.
Think about the typical holiday shopper. They may browse a product online, validate it in store, and finally purchase days later from a different device than they used while browsing. If AI isn’t anchored in identity, it struggles to connect those touchpoints. Instead of amplifying relevance, it amplifies noise.
Why identity is the GPS for AI-driven holiday advertising
Identity is what turns AI from a blunt instrument into an accurate tool. By unifying fragmented signals across channels and devices, identity provides the consistent consumer view that AI needs to be effective.
With that foundation, AI can do more than churn out models. Instead, it can:
Identify the right audiences and filter out waste
Personalize with context, not just scale
Measure real outcomes, linking exposures to visits and purchases
Identity doesn’t just improve efficiency; it creates accountability. And in a season where every holiday advertising campaign dollar is scrutinized, accountability is the difference between investment and waste.
How to turn complexity into clarity this holiday season
This year’s holiday advertising season is complicated. Marketers are confident, consumers are cautious, and AI is somewhere in the middle. The challenge isn’t just speed or volume, it’s accuracy.
By pairing AI with identity, you can adapt to real behavior instead of assumptions. You can build campaigns that are consistent across connected TV, retail media, and social platforms. And you can prove results when it matters most.
AI isn’t a holiday miracle. But when it’s powered by identity, it can give you clarity in a noisy season and proof of performance when budgets are under scrutiny.
What’s the real takeaway for marketers this season?
Don’t assume AI alone will save your holiday advertising strategy. It won’t. Consumers still trust human voices more than machines, and your AI models are only as strong as the data beneath them. Identity is the difference between guesswork and accuracy, between activity and impact.
This holiday season, the winners won’t be the brands that simply spend more or automate faster. They’ll be the ones that put identity at the core of their AI strategy and meet consumers where they really are.
Download Experian’s 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report to see where consumers are spending and how identity can help your holiday advertising campaigns more effective.
FAQs
AI works best when it’s grounded in accurate data. Without identity, it can’t connect actions across devices or channels, which limits its effectiveness.
Identity creates a single, persistent view of your audience. That means AI can personalize content, measure conversions, and cut waste with far greater accuracy.
It’s the data layer that connects people across their devices, browsers, and behaviors—so your campaigns reach real individuals.
By tying exposure to verified outcomes—like store visits or purchases—using identity-linked data. That’s how Experian helps brands move from impressions to impact.
Latest posts
At the recent Beet Retreat 2023 in Santa Monica, a fireside chat featuring Kimberly Gilberti, Experian’s Chief Product Officer, shed light on how connected TV (CTV) is changing content delivery and introducing a profound shift in audience engagement and advertising strategies. In this blog post, we’ll recap Gilberti’s discussion about advertising on CTV. CTV's transformative impact on media consumption CTV brings together the nostalgia of traditional television and the cutting-edge capabilities of digital targeting, opening new doors for advertisers to connect more meaningfully with audiences. This integration heralds a new wave of viewer engagement opportunities. The revolution goes beyond altering content consumption modes; it fundamentally transforms how audiences interact with media. Advertisers now have the tools to forge deeper, more personalized connections with their audience, thanks to CTV. "The evolution of media is exciting, offering endless opportunities due to the vast inventory and engaged audiences. The key to using this is understanding the consumer, the 'who' behind the viewing."kimberly gilberti, chief product officer The evolution of advertising on CTV In CTV, traditional advertising strategies are being re-evaluated. Advertisers must pivot to meet changing viewer trends, focusing on campaigns that resonate on a personal level and harness the targeted delivery capabilities of the medium. Data and technology stand at the forefront of advertising on CTV. Effective collection, analysis, and application of audience data are crucial for creating impactful CTV campaigns. Advanced analytics tools are essential in deciphering complex viewer habits. Companies like Experian are key players, offering the necessary tools and insights for advertisers to navigate the CTV space effectively. "Experian's unique data assets are incredibly valuable. We understand consumers wherever they are, connecting the offline and online worlds. Our database, rooted in real people's information, is extensive and privacy-focused, covering virtually every U.S. household."kimberly gilberti, chief product officer The complexities and opportunities in advertising on CTV Even though the CTV landscape is filled with vast opportunities and significant challenges, one major hurdle is accurately identifying viewers within shared household accounts, complicating targeted advertising on CTV efforts. Additionally, the fragmentation of content across multiple streaming platforms amplifies the challenge of reaching specific audience segments. The presence of 'walled gardens' adds another layer of complexity in achieving a comprehensive understanding of audience behavior across different platforms. Despite these challenges, the potential for effective, personalized advertising on CTV is immense. Key to unlocking this potential is the accurate measurement of ROI and the alignment of content with viewer preferences. These areas of focus underscore the need for sophisticated identity resolution and audience analysis solutions. Collaboration is the key to unlocking CTV's potential The future of advertising on CTV relies on collaboration. Joint efforts from advertisers, agencies, technology providers, and publishers are essential for sharing data and insights while maintaining consumer privacy. This collective approach is pivotal in tackling the challenges of advertising on CTV and harnessing its full potential. As the industry dives deeper into the CTV landscape, insights from Beet Retreat 2023 and leaders like Gilberti underscore the importance of understanding and engaging with your consumers. The collaborative efforts of the industry, bolstered by technological and data-driven expertise, are critical in capitalizing on the power of CTV. Experian’s Collaboration solution connects our client's and partner's data to unlock more robust insights, smarter activation, and more holistic measurement for online and offline media efforts. To learn more about what our data collaboration services can do for your business in this new era of CTV, visit our website or connect with a member of our team today. Start collaborating with Experian Latest posts
In the fast-paced advertising world, collaboration is crucial to keep up with the flux in consumer behaviors. Samsung Ads and Experian have joined forces to address this challenge. This partnership aims to equip marketers with the necessary tools and insights to create compelling and impactful content that resonates with the right audience at the right time. By combining our expertise and precision, through this new partnership, we promise to maximize the reach, effectiveness, and efficiency of advertising campaigns. This collaboration ensures that marketing messages get noticed and strike a chord with the intended audience, leading to meaningful engagement and measurable outcomes. The Samsung Ads and Experian collaboration The powerful integration between Samsung Ads and Experian brings together Samsung Ads’ industry-leading viewership data and massive device scale with the detailed data insights of Experian. This combined effort enhances the effectiveness of advertising campaigns by merging scale with precision. Advertisers can now reap the benefits of a comprehensive solution that delivers customized content to a wide audience with unparalleled accuracy. “Navigating the dynamic landscape of digital advertising requires innovative solutions and strategic collaborations. This partnership with Samsung Ads exemplifies our commitment to empowering advertisers with data-driven insights that reach and resonate with audiences. With Experian Marketing Data directly accessible within the Samsung DSP, advertisers are equipped to orchestrate campaigns with unprecedented precision and impact, marking a significant stride in personalized advertising." chris feo, svp, sales & partnerships, experian Samsung Ads: Orchestrating reach and precision Samsung Ads’ suite of advertising solutions uses Samsung’s massive global scale to bring advertisers unmatched opportunities to engage consumers across every screen, during every moment that matters, delivering quantifiable results on a massive scale. Samsung DSP: Key features and benefits Samsung Ads believes that smarter advertising doesn’t need to be more complicated. With Samsung DSP, every intuitive feature is engineered to make media simple again, offering advertisers the ability to reach their audience more effectively, across every screen. Addressable TV Transforms traditional viewing experiences by delivering personalized content to specific households, enhancing engagement and connection. Contextual targeting Nurtures audience engagement by placing ads in relevant content environments that amplify their relevance and impact. Global reach Navigate the digital expanse with agility, delivering content to millions of consumers across devices and platforms, in brand-safe environments. Data-driven targeting Combine Samsung Ads' unrivaled proprietary device data with Experian's insights, to translate global reach into personalized consumer engagement. “The new partnership between Experian and Samsung Ads is an exciting development for advertisers as they look to maximize the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. With hands-on access to Experian’s identity solution and audiences directly within our platform, Samsung DSP, advertisers can now better address their most important audiences on the screens they use most.”alex boras, platform lead, samsung dsp Why choose Experian in Samsung At Experian, data is more than just numbers; it tells detailed stories about what consumers like, how they behave, and their experiences. Each piece of data supports the connective networks that offer advertisers nuanced insights and actionable strategies. Ease of use Experian syndicated audiences take the guesswork out of developing segments, and they are available turnkey on the Samsung Ads shelf. Expansive reach, scale, and flexibility Our breadth and depth of data ensures detailed and targeted insights, spanning multiple verticals and can be directly attached to households, providing contextual relevance to each consumer's behaviors and purchase patterns. A rich data set that encompasses 126 million households and 750 million hashed emails 5,000 data attributes for enrichment, licensing, and audience creation 2,400 ready-to-use audiences on integrated platforms spanning 8 verticals, complemented by an average of 2,300 attributes per household and 250 attributes per consumer Four benefits to advertisers The partnership between Samsung Ads and Experian offers a plethora of benefits to advertisers, including: Enhanced audience targeting You can use Samsung Ads' ACR data and Experian's syndicated audiences to create highly targeted campaigns that reach the right audience at the right time. This can lead to significant improvements in campaign performance, such as increased engagement, conversion rates, and ROI. Optimized ad spend You can reduce wasted ad spend by using Experian's data to identify and avoid audiences less likely to be interested in your products or services. This can help you get the most out of your advertising budget. Improved attribution You can better understand the consumer journey by tracking how audiences interact with your ads across different devices and platforms. This information can be used to optimize campaigns and improve overall performance. Brand safety You can ensure that your ads are displayed in safe and secure environments by using Samsung Ads' brand safety solutions. This helps to protect brand integrity and reputation. Samsung and Experian are steering the future of advertising Together, our goal is to bring personalized and improved ad experiences to the forefront. This partnership allows advertisers to tailor their ads to individual consumer interests and needs, using the rich consumer data insights provided by Experian. Additionally, the partnership offers measurable aspects that allow advertisers to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns across various platforms, increasing their return on investment. By enhancing the overall ad experience, Samsung and Experian ensure that ads are more relevant and less intrusive, improving consumer engagement. Connect with us to learn more about how you can access our syndicated audiences in Samsung’s DSP. To learn more about our partner Samsung Ads, visit SamsungAds.com. Latest posts
Industry leaders recently gathered at the influential Beet Retreat 2023 conference held in Santa Monica, sharing forward-looking perspectives on the future of advertising. This renowned event known for its diverse mix of leaders from TV, agencies, advertising, and technology sectors, was enriched by insights from Experian’s very own Chris Feo, SVP of Sales & Partnerships, and Kimberly Gilberti, Chief Product Officer. Both Feo and Gilberti brought their expertise and perspectives for harnessing the potential of high-growth connected TV (CTV) advertising. The era of connected everything at Beet Retreat 2023 In the “Era of Connected Everything,” panel, Feo dived into the concept of a ‘connected everything’ world. He emphasized the importance of balancing consumer and privacy expectations with the increasing integration of AI and machine learning. “As decisioning evolves, creative tech and data derived from creative scale will play a bigger role.”chris feo, svp, sales & partnerships Feo further discussed the potential of creative technology, particularly in how AI and machine learning could revolutionize content personalization. He cited examples where the same creative content is used indiscriminately across diverse demographics, suggesting a future where creative content adapts and performs well for a variety of audience identities. Experian's balanced approach at Beet Retreat 2023 During a fireside chat, Gilberti shared her vision on the transformative role of television in the advertising technology landscape. “Connecting exposure to business outcomes is the holy grail of measuring CTV and effectiveness.”kimberly gilberti, chief product officer Her insights reflected the growing interplay between digital and traditional TV advertising, and the opportunities arising from this convergence. Gilberti emphasized the critical role of data analytics in enabling advertisers to tailor content more effectively to diverse TV audiences. She envisioned a future where the integration of digital strategies and traditional TV advertising create a more cohesive and impactful AdTech approach. Future focus: Diversification and partnerships Both Feo and Gilberti underscored the need for advertisers to diversify their partnerships. By working with a variety of partners, you can mitigate risks and foster innovation, ensuring you are not overly dependent on a single channel or approach. Navigate what’s next with Experian Experian's contributions at Beat Retreat 2023 underscore our pivotal role in the AdTech industry. With a unique balance of offline and online data expertise, we are not just adapting to changes but leading the way in innovation and strategy. Our insights and approaches, as highlighted by Feo and Gilberti, demonstrate our commitment to guiding the industry through its rapid evolution, making our role indispensable in the future of advertising technology. At Experian, we’re your partner in data-driven marketing and can help make your interactions more meaningful. To learn more, connect with a member of our team today. Connect with us Latest posts