At A Glance
As commerce media reshapes digital advertising, the line between first- and third-party onboarding is blurring. Whether you’re activating data for your own campaigns or helping partners reach new audiences, how that data is used matters more than ever. This article explores what happens when first-party data becomes third-party, how the new environment changes activation, and how Experian helps brands navigate it all with privacy-led identity, efficient modeling, and seamless ecosystem connections.In this article…
In the past, first-party onboarding focused on activating a brand’s own customer data, while third-party onboarding allowed advertisers to tap into external audiences. But the rise of commerce media networks (CMNs) — which now influence over 14% of all digital ad spend — has blurred those once-clear lines.
CMNs, retail media ecosystems, and brand partnerships are reshaping how data is shared, accessed, and activated. Today, the question isn’t just who owns the data but why it’s being used. Whether to strengthen customer relationships or create new revenue opportunities, intent now shapes how data must be governed, shared, and measured.
For brands with strong first-party data, this shift creates opportunities to deliver more personalized, privacy-safe campaigns to their own audiences and to extend that data’s value by enabling partners to reach new segments.
In this connected ecosystem, data onboarding enables brands to activate, scale, and monetize their data responsibly, turning first-party insights into privacy-led growth opportunities. Trusted onboarding partners like Experian can help marketers activate first-party audiences with accuracy while scaling and connecting those audiences across the ecosystem for compliant, revenue-generating collaboration.
What is data onboarding?
Data onboarding moves offline consumer data — like CRM records, loyalty details, or transaction histories — into digital environments for activation and measurement. It connects real-world insight with digital engagement across display, social, search, connected TV (CTV), and commerce media. Data onboarding is now a strategic pillar for marketers managing signal loss, disconnected data, and rising privacy expectations.
The approach you take and who owns the data determine what kind of onboarding it is:
- First-party onboarding: A brand activates its own customer data across digital platforms.
- Third-party onboarding: A brand enables others to use its data, often monetizing it — common in CMNs or commerce media ecosystems.
Experian helps marketers succeed in both models. With AI-driven identity resolution, persistent identifiers, and privacy-first infrastructure, we make onboarding accurate, compliant, and scalable, regardless of who owns the data.
Why do marketers need data onboarding?
Even the most data-rich brands often have a limited view and reach when it comes to their audiences. They’re confined to the data they collect directly and to the owned channels they use to engage those people. Customer files may reveal who’s already in the ecosystem, but not always where those people spend time, how they behave across channels, or why they make certain decisions.
Onboarding bridges that gap. It transforms offline data into digital activation power, allowing marketers to connect insight with action. Experian makes this possible at scale with trusted identity resolution, data ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset, audience modeling expertise, and seamless data integration across platforms, helping marketers activate confidently and compliantly.
With Experian’s onboarding solutions, marketers can achieve:
- Unified customer identity across devices, channels, and touchpoints.
- Cross-channel personalization with consistent, relevant messaging wherever customers engage.
- Scaled, privacy-compliant reach beyond owned channels without sacrificing control or consent.
- Better insights and audience creation by blending first-party and Experian Marketing Data for a deeper understanding.
- Cross-channel activation with deep integrations into the advertising ecosystem.
Core steps in the onboarding process
While onboarding can vary across use cases, the core process remains consistent. Experian’s AI-enhanced identity infrastructure streamlines every stage of data migration and activation, making each step safer and faster:
- Data ingestion: Transfer the data into the onboarding environment using privacy-safe encryption and consented parameters to protect sensitive information responsibly from the start.
- Transformation: Cleanse, standardize, and format records to align with digital identifiers. This eliminates inconsistencies and makes every record easier to recognize and activate later.
- Identity resolution: Link offline identifiers (names, emails, addresses) to hashed digital equivalents like mobile advertising IDs (MAIDs), CTV IDs, and universal IDs via Experian’s Offline and Digital Graphs. Identity resolution connects customers to their digital presence without exposing personal information.
- Identity matching: Match hashed emails, MAIDs, and device-graph identifiers to activation partners for each audience across demand-side platforms (DSPs), social, and CTV platforms. This expands your audience reach while maintaining accuracy and privacy.
- Activation: Deliver privacy-safe audiences to DSPs, social, search, or CMN shelves from third-party data providers (not the CMN’s own data) — or directly to an advertiser’s seat for immediate activation. You’ll turn insights into action and be able to reach the right people with relevant, compliant messaging.
Behind this flow is Experian’s identity graph, which links 250 million U.S. individuals, 900 million hashed emails, and 4.2 billion digital identifiers refreshed weekly. It’s the foundation that keeps onboarding accurate as the signal landscape shifts.
First-party vs. third-party onboarding
Every digital marketing data point has a story, but whose story it tells depends on who’s using it. That distinction defines the difference between first-party and third-party onboarding. Both are essential to modern marketing, but they carry different expectations for control, consent, and accountability.
First-party onboarding: Activate your own data safely and strategically
First-party onboarding starts with the data a brand earns directly from its own customers through trusted relationships. This data belongs to the brand, as customers have given consent, and the brand has the responsibility (and opportunity) to use it well.
That data might include:
- CRM records
- Loyalty-program data
- Purchase or transaction histories
- Website or app interactions
- Email subscribers or reward members
How first-party onboarding works in practice
The onboarding process connects this offline data to digital identity so marketers can reach their existing customers across channels.
For example, a credit card company might take its CRM file of cardholders, hash the email addresses, and upload that file to a DSP via Experian’s Audience Engine. Experian’s identity graph resolves those emails to privacy-safe digital identifiers like MAIDs, CTV IDs, or universal IDs. The result is a ready-to-activate audience that can be reached on CTV, social, and display without exposing raw personally identifiable information (PII).
Why control matters in first-party onboarding
The advantage of first-party onboarding is control; the brand decides what to share and how to use it. It’s a powerful way to:
- Personalize messages for known customers
- Re-engage lapsed buyers or loyalty members
- Suppress existing customers from prospecting campaigns
- Measure performance with closed-loop attribution
Doing first-party onboarding responsibly
That control comes with responsibility. Even consented customer data that has been consented to can pose risks if handled carelessly or shared with unverified partners. Experian’s First-Party Onboarding sits on a privacy-first identity foundation, governed by decades of compliance leadership under laws like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
We connect data and identity responsibly, so marketers can activate with confidence while protecting consumers.
Why first-party onboarding matters
First-party onboarding is the cornerstone of responsible marketing. It allows brands to deepen relationships they already have, using data that customers have freely shared. And with Experian’s secure First-Party Onboarding, that data stays encrypted, compliant, and under the brand’s control from start to finish.
Third-party onboarding: Share and monetize data responsibly
Third-party onboarding begins when a brand allows someone else to use its data. It’s how data providers, publishers, and especially CMNs monetize their audiences — turning first-party customer insights into addressable, privacy-safe segments that advertisers can buy and activate across digital channels.
How third-party onboarding works in practice
Think of it as data collaboration at scale. Let’s say a retailer collects first-party shopper data like product purchases, loyalty card usage, and store visits. Then, they partner with Experian to make that audience available to outside advertisers, such as a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand.
Through Experian Third-Party Onboarding, those audiences are resolved, privacy-protected, and distributed to integrated destinations such as The Trade Desk, Magnite, or NBCUniversal for activation.
- To the retailer, it’s their first-party data.
- To the CPG, it’s third-party data they can use for targeted campaigns.
- To Experian, it’s an opportunity to ensure the entire exchange is accurate and compliant.
Why scale matters in third-party onboarding
The benefit of third-party onboarding is scale. It enables data owners to monetize their insights, while giving advertisers access to richer audiences they couldn’t build on their own. It’s the engine behind CMNs, commerce media, and the growing data-sharing economy.
With a partner like Experian, that scale becomes even more powerful. Our advanced modeling and identity solutions help brands expand their audiences responsibly using lookalike and predictive modeling to identify high-value segments, increase reach, and maximize performance across every activation channel.
The responsibilities of data sharing in third-party onboarding
As data ecosystems grow, so does the opportunity to collaborate responsibly. Once data leaves its original owner’s ecosystem:
- Consent obligations become more complex.
- Control over downstream usage can blur.
- Regulatory oversight increases, especially around transparency and consumer rights.
With the right governance in place, these responsibilities can help strengthen partnerships, protect consumers, and create a foundation for sustainable growth.
Experian’s ethical enablement role in third-party onboarding
Experian’s enablement role is both technical and ethical. Our deep expertise enables us to partner with brands and support their monetization efforts, helping them derive new value from their data while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and compliance. Meanwhile, our infrastructure ensures third-party data onboarding happens securely and transparently:
- Identity resolution expands reach without overexposing identifiers.
- Data verification and governance ensure partners meet strict privacy standards.
- Revenue-share structures maintain fairness without hidden costs.
- Cross-channel integrations enable you to onboard your data once and activate it everywhere (programmatic, CTV, or social) through Experian’s 30+ direct and 200+ indirect destination partnerships.
Why third-party onboarding matters
Third-party onboarding is the foundation of modern data collaboration. When done through Experian, it becomes a trusted extension of your brand’s identity governed by the same privacy, consent, and accuracy standards that strengthen your first-party ecosystem. We help brands uncover new opportunities for growth, partnership, and responsible innovation.
When first-party onboarding turns into third-party onboarding
When data ownership shifts, privacy expectations change, and the rules of onboarding start to look a little different. This stage can feel complex, but with the right approach, the crossover becomes clear. It’s a natural evolution that helps brands connect data more effectively and collaborate confidently.
Here’s what that can look like in practice. A retailer uses its own first-party data to engage loyal shoppers through its website, app, or email program. The data is secure, consented, and fully under the retailer’s control. Then comes collaboration. The retailer decides to partner with a brand, like a CPG company, to reach those same shoppers across connected TV or the open web.
In that moment, the retailer’s first-party data becomes the CPG’s third-party data. Ownership doesn’t really change, but accountability does, along with new privacy and compliance considerations.
This “crossover moment,” when first-party onboarding turns into third-party activation, is a small shift with big potential that can lead to new reach, deepen collaboration, and strengthen customer connections across the marketing ecosystem when managed responsibly.
Why clarity matters in the crossover between first- and third-party onboarding
When data starts flowing beyond owned channels, questions naturally come up. Marketers want to know things like:
- Who “owns” the audience once it’s shared with a partner or DSP?
- Whose privacy notice applies — the retailer’s, the brand’s, or both?
- How do we keep match accuracy without overexposing PII?
- Who’s responsible for opt-outs and suppression compliance downstream?
These are the right questions to be asking, and they’re signs of a mature, data-driven strategy. Asking them is what helps brands strengthen governance, build trust, and get more value from collaboration. With the right framework in place, what could feel complicated becomes clear, opening the door to more confident growth across CMNs and other shared-data environments.
How Experian brings clarity and control to the first- and third-party onboarding crossover
As a neutral, privacy-first partner, we provide the infrastructure that keeps data secure, compliant, and meaningful wherever it flows. Our onboarding solutions help both sides of the partnership — retailers and advertisers — maintain trust through:
- Clear ownership and consent management: Experian enforces data-handling rules that preserve each party’s control. Every record is matched and activated in accordance with strict consent parameters and Global Data Principles that exceed industry standards.
- Accurate, privacy-safe identity resolution: Our Offline and Digital Graphs connect people to their devices, households, and behaviors using hashed identifiers, ensuring match precision while protecting individuals.
- AI-powered contextual intelligence: Experian’s AI models analyze real-world behavior and contextual signals to enhance match quality and extend reach without reliance on cookies. For CMNs, that means better off-site activation, targeting the right shoppers in the right environments while maintaining compliance.
- Trusted integrations and transparent reporting: With direct integrations into 30+ programmatic and TV destinations, Experian delivers consistent match rates and unified measurement through solutions like Activity Feed and Experian Outcomes.
This is how Experian transforms complex data challenges into seamless, scalable collaborations that give marketers the confidence to expand responsibly into commerce media and commerce ecosystems.
The new standard of responsible AI and commerce media
Commerce media represents the future of audience activation, but only if the transition is managed responsibly. As the lines blur between data ownership and activation rights, Experian’s AI-driven, privacy-first identity framework acts as the connective tissue between retailers, brands, and platforms.
We help CMNs:
- Enrich shopper data with Experian Marketing Attributes for deeper insights.
- Extend addressability off-site using privacy-safe identity resolution.
- Optimize activation through real-time, contextually aware audience expansion.
- Measure results transparently through privacy-compliant feedback loops.
In short, we ensure that when your first-party onboarding becomes third-party activation, trust and performance stay intact.
Why choose Experian’s onboarding solutions?
Many view onboarding as a data transfer, but we treat it as a trust process where accuracy, privacy, and performance align. Here’s why marketers choose us:
1. Unmatched data and identity foundation
When brands struggle with incomplete or siloed customer data, Experian’s unified foundation connects fragmented records into a single, accurate identity.
Our Offline and Digital Graphs link households, individuals, and devices with persistent accuracy. Updated weekly and built on decades of historical data, our graphs maintain 97% household coverage across the U.S., even through signal loss.
2. Privacy-first and compliance-led
Given tightening regulations and growing consumer expectations, privacy compliance is essential. With decades as a regulated data steward, we apply the same rigorous controls from our financial operations to marketing data.
Every data partner is verified for transparency and compliance with consent requirements, and all consumer data is governed by Experian’s Global Data Principles, which exceed industry standards. We help brands meet their privacy and consent obligations confidently while maintaining the data integrity that drives results.
3. Real-time, contextual activation
Experian’s industry-leading Offline and Digital Graphs are widely adopted across the advertising ecosystem, powering identity resolution and audience activation for the world’s top marketers. Our integrations span 30+ direct and 200+ indirect activation platforms, including leading DSPs, CTV networks, and commerce environments.
With real-time, AI-driven contextual intelligence, Experian enables privacy-safe targeting even in signal-limited environments through solutions like Contextually-Indexed Audiences that deliver reach without reliance on cookies or personal identifiers.
4. Platform flexibility
Modern marketing requires interoperability. Experian’s onboarding framework is technically integrated across multiple platforms, offering brands and data providers the freedom to activate where they choose.
Whether through self-service onboarding in Audience Engine for first-party data or managed onboarding for third-party monetization, Experian scales with your organization, providing transparent pricing, seamless delivery, and dedicated support teams to ensure every connection performs.
5. Human-centered innovation
Marketing should strengthen relationships and build trust. Our AI-driven identity systems are designed to protect privacy, respect individuals, and create real human value — helping brands connect with people meaningfully. They aren’t built to collect more data but to make better use of the data you already have by connecting insights responsibly and ethically.
Every innovation at Experian is guided by the principle of balancing personalization with compliance.
Top use cases for Experian’s onboarding solutions
Our onboarding solutions are transforming how brands operate across industries every day. Whether you’re deepening loyalty, expanding reach, or proving performance, Experian helps connect data responsibly to drive measurable results.
Here’s where we make the biggest impact:
- Automotive: Connect purchase intent data with digital identifiers for more efficient targeting.
- Commerce media: Use both first- and third-party onboarding — first-party for on-site activation and owned marketing, third-party for off-site activation and monetization —all while maintaining compliance and accurate attribution.
- CPG: Activate shopper data through retailer partnerships to drive off-site reach and stronger brand collaboration.
- Data providers: Monetize audience segments across Experian’s programmatic and TV integrations.
- Financial services: Deliver compliant, personalized cross-channel offers with unified identity.
- Healthcare: Use National Provider Identifier (NPI) onboarding to reach healthcare professionals compliantly.
- Retail: Power loyalty personalization, partner monetization, and CMN audience activation.
Across each use case, Experian’s privacy-first identity foundation turns data onboarding into a trusted driver of growth and stronger customer relationships.
Navigate the new data economy with Experian
Data onboarding has come a long way, mirroring the changes in marketing itself. We’ve moved from relying on third-party cookies to empowering first-party data, and now to building collaborative ecosystems like CMNs.
At Experian, we’re right in the middle of that evolution. With decades of data expertise, privacy leadership, and AI-driven activation, we help marketers connect more responsibly, measure what matters, and grow with confidence.
Want to see what that looks like for your brand? Let’s build safer connections together.
Start connecting responsibly
Data onboarding FAQs
Experian First-Party Onboarding helps brands take the customer data they already own, like CRM lists or loyalty files, and use it safely across digital channels for targeting, personalization, and measurement. Experian Third-Party Onboarding helps retailers, publishers, and data providers share or monetize their audiences responsibly with partners through secure, privacy-first activation.
Both are powered by Experian’s trusted identity foundation that keeps every connection accurate, compliant, and privacy-safe.
The difference between first- and third-party onboarding is who’s using the data. First-party means a brand is activating its own customer information, while third-party means that data is being shared or used by another advertiser or partner.
First-party onboarding becomes third-party onboarding most often in CMNs or commerce media. When a retailer monetizes its first-party shopper data for use by CPGs or advertisers, the use case shifts to third-party onboarding.
First-party onboarding helps brands reach and understand their existing customers, while third-party onboarding helps expand reach, enable partnerships, and monetize data responsibly.
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Experian Audiences help financial marketers serve consumers with very different financial habits, digital behaviors, and spending patterns. Backed by our deep insight into income, debt, and credit, digital behavior, and household dynamics, our approximately 400 financial audiences and 3,500+ syndicated segments give financial marketers the ability to engage consumers with relevance across every life stage, channel, and financial mindset. To help financial marketers build effective, more adaptable programs, in this article, we’ll explore two approaches: Generational: How financial behaviors differ across life stages Seasonal: How consumer financial motivation spikes at key times of year Together, these approaches help financial marketers reach the right consumers with the right message at the right moment. Generational approach Financial marketers face a new kind of challenge: some consumers still visit branches, while others manage nearly every financial task from their phones. 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Behavior/metricBoomerMedian net worth$410,000TV consumption98% watch TV; 77% watch more than 2 hours per dayNewspaper readership50%+ still read print or a mix of print and digital Here are eight audiences to target Boomers: Charitable Causes Discretionary Spend Discretionary Spend Donations Discretionary Spend Travel Equity Loan Age Home Equity Financial Personality Mortgage Loan Paid Off or “Has Existing” Net Asset Score (Net Worth) How to use these audiences Financial marketers can target audiences such as Home Equity Financial Personality, Mortgage Loan Paid Off, and Net Asset Score to support messaging around wealth preservation, estate planning, and retirement security. Seasonal approach Alongside generation insights, financial advertisers should also capitalize on key seasonal events where financial motivation naturally spikes. Each season brings unique consumer behaviors, and Experian Audiences can be activated to align with these key seasonal moments. Tax season Refunds and debt payoff are top of mind as consumers prepare and file their returns. Experian Audiences you can activate: Household Tax Shelter User Tax Preparation Services and Software Tax Return: Professional Service Prepare User Tax Return: Self Prepare User How to use these audiences Use Tax Preparation Services and Software or Tax Return: Self Prepare User to reach consumers actively preparing returns, paying down debt, or planning how to use their refunds. Home buying season Mortgage, refinancing, and home equity activity increases as consumers enter the peak home buying window. Experian Audiences you can activate: In Market First Mortgage In Market Home Equity In Market New Mortgage In Market Second Mortgage Refinancing Homeowners How to use these audiences Use In Market First Mortgage or Refinancing Homeowners to connect with consumers exploring first-time home purchases, refinance options, or equity-based borrowing. 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Experian Audiences you can activate: Baby Boomer Household Income $150K–$249K Baby Boomer Household Income $250K–$499K Estimated Household Income Range $500K Gen X Household Income $1M Plus Geo-Indexed Household Income $1M Plus How to use these audiences Use Estimated Household Income Range $500K or Geo-Indexed Household Income $1M Plus to engage consumers focused on financial wrap-up activities. What sets Experian Audiences apart? Our syndicated audiences give you an advantage across channels, offering both scale and accuracy: Experian’s 3,500+ syndicated audiences can be sent to 200+ leading social platforms, such as Meta and Pinterest, TV, and programmatic advertising platforms, and activated directly within Audigent, a part of Experian, with private marketplaces (PMPs). Reach consumers based on who they are, where they live, and their household makeup. Experian ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes. Access to unique audiences through Experian’s Partner Audiences available on Experian’s data marketplace, within Audigent, a part of Experian, for activation in PMPs, and directly on platforms like DirectTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk. You can activate our syndicated audiences on-the-shelf of most major platforms. For a full list, download our syndicated audiences guide. Explore Experian and FMCG Direct’s financial audiences in non-financial campaigns Where can you activate Experian Audiences? Experian Audiences can be activated on 200+ leading destinations or found directly on over 30 platforms, including: Basis FreeWheel Magnite Nexxen The Trade Desk Viant Microsoft Advertising and more Need a custom audience? Reach out to our audience team and we can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice. Want to activate an Experian Audience on Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok or on a platform not listed above? Contact us today. Explore our other audiences that you can activate today Activate Experian Audiences today with Audigent Audigent will build customized deals that combine premium Experian Audiences or Partner Audiences and inventory into a single, streamlined deal ID – tailored to your campaign needs. Plus, our powerful supply-side optimization ensures your campaigns deliver top marks in performance. Connect with the Audigent team today at AudigentAgency_Brands@experian.com to get started. Make every consumer part of your financial strategy From first paychecks to retirement portfolios, every generation has its own financial story, and seasonal moments create predictable spikes in financial behavior. With Experian Audiences, you can plan across life stages and timing to meet consumers when intent is highest, building relationships grounded in trust, relevance, and meas Reach out to us today FAQs What are Experian Audiences? Experian Audiences are pre-built, privacy-compliant consumer segments that help marketers target based on verified demographic, financial, and behavioral data.They’re designed for flexibility across channels and can be activated on 200+ platforms, including major social, CTV, and programmatic partners.Experian ranks #1 in demographic accuracy according to Truthset, and marketers can choose from 3,500+ syndicated audiences that capture signals such as income, spending behavior, household structure, financial attitudes, and ability to pay. These same audiences are also available through partnerships on platforms like DirecTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk.For a deeper look at our audience catalog, explore our syndicated audience guide. How can financial marketers use Experian Audiences effectively? Financial marketers can use Experian Audiences by aligning audience selection with generational priorities, such as digital banking for Gen Z or retirement planning for Boomers, to improve engagement and ROI. Are Experian Audiences compliant with financial marketing regulations? Experian Audiences are designed to meet a variety of needs while respecting different levels of privacy standards. For example, we offer FLA-compliant segments where required, as well as broader audiences for objectives such as brand awareness, promotion, credit union membership growth, and more.Experian’s approach to data is guided by our Global Data Principles, which reflect how we protect and manage information:Data security: safeguarding data against unauthorized access, use, or lossAccuracy: ensuring data is as accurate, complete, and relevant as possibleFairness: collecting and using data responsibly and for legitimate purposesTransparency: being open about the data we collect, how it’s used, and where it’s sharedInclusion: using data to expand financial access and support consumer financial health Where can you activate Experian Audiences? You can activate Experian Audiences are available across 200+ digital and connected TV platforms, including Meta, Pinterest, The Trade Desk, and Audigent PMPs. Can I combine Experian data with my own? Yes, you can combine Experian data with your own. You can combine your own first-party data with Experian’s 3,500+ syndicated audiences and additional segments from multiple Partner data providers, as a custom audience within a Curated Deal or self-service via Audience Engine. Footnote “Fair Lending Friendly” indicates data fields that Experian has made available without use of certain demographic attributes that may increase the likelihood of discriminatory practices prohibited by the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”). These excluded attributes include, but may not be limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, disability, handicap, family status, ancestry, sexual orientation, unfavorable military discharge, and gender. Experian’s provision of Fair Lending Friendly indicators does not constitute legal advice or otherwise assures your compliance with the FHA, ECOA, or any other applicable laws. Clients should seek legal advice with respect to your use of data in connection with lending decisions or application and compliance with applicable laws. Appendix Generation Z Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Uninterested, Average Credit Card Balance Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Reluctant User, High Credit Card Balance Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Loyal Rewards Enthusiast, Low Credit Card Balance Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Credit Seeking Card Switcher, High Credit Card Balance Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Complacent Card User, Low Credit Card Balance Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $4302-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $2084-$4301 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $0-$2083 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $512-$1227 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $1228-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $0-$511 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $4607-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $2230-$4606 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $0-$2229 Financial FLA Friendly > In Market > Buy Now Pay Later Financial > In Market > Buy Now Pay Later Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Auto Loan Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Auto Lease Demographics > Homeowners/Renters > Renter Millennials Financial Personalities > Deposits Financial Personality > Uninterested, Average Deposit Balance Financial Personalities > Deposits Financial Personality > Self-Directed Diversifier, Very High Deposit Balance Financial Personalities > Deposits Financial Personality > Hesitant Borrower, Low Deposit Balance Financial Personalities > Deposits Financial Personality > Demanding Advice Seeker, Low Deposit Balance Financial Personalities > Deposits Financial Personality > Conservative Branch Banker, Very High Deposit Balance Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $512-$1227 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $1228-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $0-$511 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $2602-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $1272-$2601 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $0-$1271 Financial FLA Friendly > In Market > Buy Now Pay Later Financial > In Market > Buy Now Pay Later Publisher Derived > In-Market: Real Estate > In-Market Real Estate Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score Less Than $10000 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $10000-$49999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $50000-$99999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $100000-$249999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $250000-$499999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $500000-$999999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $1000000 Plus Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Movers > Likely to Move Financial Personalities > Mortgage Financial Personality > Uninterested, Slightly Below Average Mortgage Balance Financial Personalities > Mortgage Financial Personality > Secure, Active Refinancer, Above Average Mortgage Balance Financial Personalities > Mortgage Financial Personality > Disciplined, Passive Borrower, Below Average Mortgage Balance Financial Personalities > Mortgage Financial Personality > Conservative, Bank Loyalist, Slightly Below Average Mortgage Balance Financial Personalities > Mortgage Financial Personality > Advice Seeking Refinancer, Slightly Above Average Mortgage Balance Life Events > New Parents > Child Age 0-36 Months Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 9 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 8 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 7 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 6 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 12 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 11 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > 10 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > <5 Years Generation X Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Travel Annual Spend $682-$1364 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Travel Annual Spend $1365-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Travel Annual Spend $0-$681 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Reading Annual Spend $193-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Reading Annual Spend $102-$192 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Reading Annual Spend $0-$101 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Personal Annual Spend $993-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Personal Annual Spend $525-$992 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Personal Annual Spend $0-$524 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $2602-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $1272-$2601 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $0-$1271 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Other Annual Spend $911-$1973 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Other Annual Spend $1974-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Other Annual Spend $0-$910 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment AV Annual Spend $952-$1763 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment AV Annual Spend $1764-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment AV Annual Spend $0-$951 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $4607-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $2230-$4606 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $0-$2229 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Admissions Annual Spend $833-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Admissions Annual Spend $326-$832 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Admissions Annual Spend $0-$325 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $512-$1227 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $1228-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $0-$511 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Donation Annual Spend $2568-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Donation Annual Spend $1265-$2567 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Donation Annual Spend $0-$1264 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $31619-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $0-$7900 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $7901-$10930 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $21952-$31618 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $15180-$21951 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $10931-$15179 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $4302-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $2084-$4301 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $0-$2083 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Apparel Annual Spend $2818-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Apparel Annual Spend $1459-$2817 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Apparel Annual Spend $0-$1458 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Alcohol and Wine Annual Spend $727-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Alcohol and Wine Annual Spend $331-$726 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Alcohol and Wine Annual Spend $0-$330 Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 9 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 7-8 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 12+ Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 11 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 10 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > <6 Years Financial Personalities > Insurance Financial Personality > Uninterested, Below Average Insurance Policy Face Value Financial Personalities > Insurance Financial Personality > Secure Agent-Oriented Loyalist, High Insurance Policy Face Value Financial Personalities > Insurance Financial Personality > Reluctant Insurance Skeptic, Below Average Insurance Policy Face Value Financial Personalities > Insurance Financial Personality > Insurance Averse, Below Average Insurance Policy Face Value Financial Personalities > Insurance Financial Personality > Engaged Advice Seeker, Average Insurance Policy Face Value Financial Personalities > Insurance Financial Personality > Confident, Self-Directed Planner, High Insurance Policy Face Value Financial Personalities > Investments Financial Personality > Skeptical, Fund-Oriented Investor, Low to Medium Investable Assets Financial Personalities > Investments Financial Personality > Savvy Sounding-Board Seeking Investor, Average Investable Assets Financial Personalities > Investments Financial Personality > Price Sensitive, Self-Directed Investor, Very High Investable Assets Financial Personalities > Investments Financial Personality > Cautious Investing Novice, Low Investable Assets Financial Personalities > Investments Financial Personality > Broker-Reliant Delegator, Very High Investable Assets Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score Less Than $10000 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $10000-$49999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $50000-$99999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $100000-$249999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $250000-$499999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $500000-$999999 Consumer Financial Insights > Investable Assets > Investable Annual Assets Score $1000000 Plus Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 9 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 8 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 7 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 6 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 5 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 13 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 11-12 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > 10 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Age > <4 Years Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Asset Score Net Worth $1000000 Plus Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Asset Score $2500000 Plus Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score Less Than $25000 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $750000-$999999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $75000-$99999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $500000-$749999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $50000-$74999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Asset Score $5000000 Plus Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $250000-$499999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $25000-$49999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $2500000-$4999999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $100000-$249999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $1000000-$2499999 Baby boomers Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Private Foundations Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Political Charities Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Health Charities Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Education Charities Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Charities Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Arts/Culture Charities Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes by Volunteering Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Travel Annual Spend $682-$1364 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Travel Annual Spend $1365-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Travel Annual Spend $0-$681 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Reading Annual Spend $193-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Reading Annual Spend $102-$192 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Reading Annual Spend $0-$101 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Personal Annual Spend $993-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Personal Annual Spend $525-$992 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Personal Annual Spend $0-$524 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $2602-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $1272-$2601 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Furnishings Annual Spend $0-$1271 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Other Annual Spend $911-$1973 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Other Annual Spend $1974-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Other Annual Spend $0-$910 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment AV Annual Spend $952-$1763 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment AV Annual Spend $1764-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment AV Annual Spend $0-$951 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $4607-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $2230-$4606 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Annual Spend $0-$2229 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Admissions Annual Spend $833-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Admissions Annual Spend $326-$832 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Entertainment Admissions Annual Spend $0-$325 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $512-$1227 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $1228-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Education Annual Spend $0-$511 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Donation Annual Spend $2568-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Donation Annual Spend $1265-$2567 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Donation Annual Spend $0-$1264 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $31619-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $0-$7900 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $7901-$10930 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $21952-$31618 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $15180-$21951 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Discretionary Annual Spend Estimate $10931-$15179 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $4302-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $2084-$4301 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Dine Out Annual Spend $0-$2083 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Apparel Annual Spend $2818-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Apparel Annual Spend $1459-$2817 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Apparel Annual Spend $0-$1458 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Alcohol and Wine Annual Spend $727-$99999 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Alcohol and Wine Annual Spend $331-$726 Financial – Analytics IQ > Discretionary Spend > Alcohol and Wine Annual Spend $0-$330 Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 9 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 7-8 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 12+ Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 11 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > 10 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Equity Loan Age > <6 Years Financial Personalities > Home Equity Financial Personality > Uninterested, Low Home Equity Balance Financial Personalities > Home Equity Financial Personality > Secure, Savvy Credit User, High Home Equity Balance Financial Personalities > Home Equity Financial Personality > Home Equity Enthusiast, Very High Home Equity Balance Financial Personalities > Home Equity Financial Personality > Home Equity Averse Skeptic, Very Low Home Equity Balance Financial Personalities > Home Equity Financial Personality > Hesitant Borrower, Low Home Equity Balance Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Paid Off Financial FLA Friendly > Mortgage Loan Has Existing Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Asset Score Net Worth $1000000 Plus Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Asset Score $2500000 Plus Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score Less Than $25000 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $750000-$999999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $75000-$99999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $500000-$749999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $50000-$74999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Asset Score $5000000 Plus Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $250000-$499999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $25000-$49999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $2500000-$4999999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $100000-$249999 Consumer Financial Insights > Net Assets Score (Net Worth) > Net Assets Score $1000000-$2499999 Tax season Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Financial Behavior > Household Tax Shelter User Publisher Derived > In-Market: Financial Services > Tax Preparation Services and Software Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Financial Behavior > Tax Return –Professional Service Prepare user Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Financial Behavior > Tax Return – Self prepare user Home buying season Financial FLA Friendly > In Market First Mortgage Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Home Equity Financial FLA Friendly > In Market New Mortgage Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Second Mortgage Financial FLA Friendly > Refinancing Homeowners Back to school Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Back to School Apparel – High School Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Back to School Moderate Spend Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Back to School High Spend – PreK (Early Ed – PreK) Geo-Indexed > Discretionary Spend > College Tuition GeoIndex High Spenders Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Credit Seeking Card Switcher, High Credit Card Balance Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Credit Card Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Personal Loan Consolidated Mobile Location Models > Visits > College Students Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Age > <5 Years Financial FLA Friendly > Student Loan Has Existing Year-end planning Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > Baby Boomer Household Income $150K-$249K Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > Baby Boomer Household Income $250K-$499K Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > Estimated Household Income Range $500K Plus Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > Gen X Household Income $1M Plus Geo-Indexed > Demographics > Geo-Indexed Household Income $1M Plus Latest posts
Remember when “6-7” was all over your feed and no one really knew why, but somehow everyone got it? In 2025, the internet proved that connection doesn’t always make sense — at least not at first. The “6-7” meme was random, ridiculous, and everywhere. It spread because it felt connected; an inside joke everyone could share. Marketing in 2026 will have its own 6-7 moment. Experian's 2026 Digital trends and predictions report explores how 2026 will be defined by connection: between activation and measurement, data and AI, platforms and outcomes. After years of fragmentation, the industry is finally unifying around shared foundations: data accuracy, identity resilience, and measurable performance. Here are three connections to watch for in 2026. 1. AI is only as good as its data foundation AI’s performance depends on the quality, recency, and integrity of its inputs. In 2026, marketers will recognize that the differentiator is not the algorithm itself but the data that informs it. As AI becomes embedded into workflows (from audience discovery to media optimization) accurate identity and privacy-safe data become essential. Why it matters Good data fuels responsible automation, predictive insight, and personalization that feels human. Without it, even the most advanced models will simply automate bad decisions faster. What actions should marketers take to strengthen their data foundation? To make AI adaptive, ethical, and aligned with real-world context, marketers need to strengthen the data foundation beneath it. In 2026, that means taking four core actions: 1. Prioritize accuracy Verify data and anchor it in real human identity, rather than inferred or fragmented signals. 2. Keep data fresh Ensure inputs stay current through continuous updates that reflect real-time consumer behavior and conditions. 3. Maintain consent standards Source data responsibly and stay compliant with privacy regulations emerging across 20+ U.S. states. 4. Enable interoperability Connect data securely across platforms through a signal-agnostic identity framework that supports consistency and scale. When these elements come together, AI becomes more than just automation: it becomes adaptive, ethical, and responsive to real-world context. 2. Commerce media expands beyond retail Commerce media is no longer just a retail play. What began as retailers monetizing their data and media has evolved into a multi-sector movement uniting data, media, and transaction insights. Auto, travel, CPG, and even financial brands are launching their own media networks or partnering with existing ones to close the loop between exposure and conversion. More than half (58%) of advertisers are interested in advertising on non-retail media networks. eMarketer Why it matters In 2026, commerce media becomes a strategy for any brand with first-party data, measurable outcomes, and the need for closed-loop insight. What should marketers do with this expansion? Activate beyond owned channels Extend audiences beyond owned inventory into addressable connected TV (CTV) and open-web environments where identity links every impression to real outcomes. Make identity the growth engine Privacy-first identity resolution increases data addressability and keeps media measurable across every channel. Collaborate for scale and consistency Partner with providers that deliver transparency, interoperability, and shared measurement – not just data volume. 3. Curation becomes the programmatic standard Curation is reshaping programmatic advertising into something more focused, efficient, and accountable. In an era shaped by privacy regulation and signal loss, curation brings identity, quality, and control together, allowing marketers to target confidently across CTV, audio, and the open web. More than 66% of open-exchange ad spend (over $100 billion annually) now runs through curated private marketplaces (PMPs). eMarketer Why it matters Curation aligns with the industry’s need for accurate identity, transparent supply, and stable outcomes, especially as traditional signals fluctuate. How can marketers use curation more effectively? Utilize supply-side innovation Use supply-side platform (SSP) curation tools from partners like Index Exchange and Magnite to optimize in real time and keep your supply paths transparent. Adopt curated marketplaces Work with agency-built marketplaces from groups like GroupM and Butler/Till to control data costs, maintain transparency, and improve performance. Activate with Experian Curated Deals Tap high-performing audience segments, including PurpleLab’s HIPAA-compliant health audiences, through curated PMPs in leading demand-side platforms (DSPs) such as Amazon DSP. Optimize and prove performance Combine Experian data with Audigent supply-path intelligence to adjust campaigns mid-flight using metrics like CPM, CTR, and video completion rate. 2026 will be the 6-7 era for marketing The “6-7” meme didn’t need to make sense to go viral. But your marketing does. 2026 will be the year marketers move from fragmentation to connection. Download Experian’s 2026 Digital trends and predictions report to explore all five digital marketing trends shaping 2026. Download now Ready to get started? Connect with a member of our team About the author Fred Cheung Director, Partnership Sales, Audigent, a part of Experian Fred Cheung has spent over a decade in the programmatic advertising space, with roles at Mindshare, Jounce Media, Twitter, and The Trade Desk. His deep experience in trading and product management helps in his current function on the Experian Marketing Services’ Sales team where he focuses on data growth and adoption across the industries’ leading buy-side platforms. FAQs Why does Experian describe 2026 as marketing’s “6–7 moment”? Experian uses this phrase to describe the inflection point where AI, identity, commerce media, and programmatic curation finally connect in practical, scalable ways. It reflects the shift from fragmentation toward unified activation and measurement. Experian covers five digital marketing trends to watch for in 2026 in our 2026 Digital marketing trends and predictions report. How does Experian support AI strategies for marketers? Experian provides verified consumer data, identity resolution, and privacy-first frameworks that strengthen AI accuracy. AI tools require reliable inputs, and Experian’s data foundation helps marketers apply AI in predictive modeling, audience insight, and media optimization. Why is identity central to commerce media growth? Identity allows brands and media networks to connect exposure to conversion across sites, screens, and environments. Experian supports this through resilient identity frameworks that maintain recognition even as signals shift. How does Experian help marketers activate curated programmatic buys? Experian provides high-performing audience segments and outcome-based signals that improve curated PMP performance. These capabilities give buyers more control, more stability, and clearer pathways to measurable results. Where can marketers learn more about Experian’s 2026 predictions? Experian’s 2026 Digital trends and predictions report outlines the five forces shaping the year ahead, including AI’s dependence on data quality, commerce media expansion, and the rise of curation. Latest posts
In our Ask the Expert Series, we interview leaders from our partner organizations who are helping lead their brands to new heights in AdTech. Today’s interview is with Dan Lynch a Senior Manager, Insights and Analysis at M3 MI, the company behind the MARS Consumer Health Study and MARS Audiences. Audience impact across health vertical Which healthcare advertisers see the greatest impact from MARS audiences? Could you share an example of how health marketers have successfully utilized your data to achieve specific campaign goals, such as patient engagement, awareness, or adherence? We’re seeing a clear shift in healthcare advertising away from generic, one-size-fits-all campaigns. With MARS, advertisers from pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC), health insurance companies, and hospitals are seeing the greatest impact by defining highly specific patient and caregiver personas and using those insights to build personalized media plans and deliver unique messaging by segment. As a result, our partners are seeing stronger engagement, increased ad recall, and more effective outcomes because they’re speaking directly to what matters most to each audience. Media agencies who utilize the MARS Consumer Health Study to build their strategic marketing plans are seeing a great impact by then taking those strategic targets and activating them. Those who are not activating those audiences are really missing out on bringing their strategy to consumer screens. Building stronger health campaigns with advanced segmentation What key health-related audience segments does MARS offer? While other competitors may offer caregiver segments by condition, we go further by layering engagement levels, such as caregivers actively involved in medical decisions or those who regularly discuss care with physicians. Similarly, for patients, we don’t stop at identifying over 60 health conditions; we add behavioral dimensions like whether they’re proactive in managing their health or primarily doctor-led. These nuanced attributes allow advertisers to craft personalized campaigns that resonate on a much deeper level. We can also look at patients that are willing to pay more for an Rx not covered by their insurance, which has been a trend with GLP-1s. How can health advertisers use these segments to craft more personalized and effective campaigns? Advertisers can use MARS’ advanced segmentation to move beyond simple demographics or condition-based targeting by layering behavioral and engagement attributes for greater relevance and impact. With MARS, a single condition can be the starting point for building multiple test-and-learn audiences to identify prime prospects. For example, GLP-1 patients have diverse treatment journeys; some pay out-of-pocket due to lack of insurance coverage, others switch brands for cost savings, and some purchase directly through patient websites. Each of these scenarios represents a distinct audience that can be created using MARS data, enabling highly personalized activation strategies. Data sourcing and quality How does MARS source and curate consumer data relevant to health audiences? Our audiences are survey-based, first-party data built from the MARS Consumer Health Study and Kantar’s trusted LifePoints Panel. We do not use medical claims, insurance data, or personal health records; our data is 100% self-reported. The study has over 5,000 different healthcare data points used to create syndicated and custom audiences. Our syndicated audiences are curated based on marketplace trends (e.g., we’ve added more information on GLP-1s), client feedback for enhancements to the MARS study, and reaching audiences medical claims data cannot (e.g., caregivers, treatment satisfaction, act based on healthcare advertising). What data quality standards do you follow, and how do you ensure consistency and reliability, especially for sensitive or regulated health-related data? M3 MI is part of M3 Global Research which is committed to transparency and high-quality data with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certifications. These certifications demonstrate that our research practices align with international regulations. In a crowded data marketplace, what unique attributes set MARS apart, particularly for health advertisers? We don’t just identify patients or caregivers, we uncover their motivations, preferences, and behaviors, enabling advertisers to build highly targeted and meaningful audiences that competitors simply can’t replicate. The MARS Consumer Health Study offers an extensive range of data for audience building, spanning healthy living profiles, OTC, vitamins, and prescription purchasing behaviors, as well as media consumption habits and lifestyle activities. How MARS ensures regulatory compliance What measures does MARS take to maintain data privacy and regulatory compliance? We take a privacy-first approach to exceed all Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) regulations. Since the data to build our audiences is self-reported via the MARS Consumer Health Study, we do not use PII data. We also take the following steps to maintain data privacy and compliance: State regulatory compliance: We proactively exclude survey respondents for audience seeds from certain states with consumer privacy laws that preclude audience data use Consent and transparency: Survey panelists are required to double-opt-in to all data usage terms before participating in the MARS study. Our panel partner’s privacy policy clearly explains use cases such as look-alike modeling and audience creation. Privacy-safe modeling: Data is scaled using propensity models built from an offline, people-based national consumer database. All seed survey data is removed from final models to eliminate any risk of re-identification, ensuring respondents are never targeted directly based on their survey responses. Click here for full details on M3 MI's privacy policy How do these efforts help advertisers navigate an evolving regulatory landscape while ensuring ethical standards? By relying solely on double opt-in, self-reported data, and removing identifiers, we guarantee that our approach is 100% privacy-safe and compliant. This gives advertisers confidence that our audiences are built on ethical, transparent practices without compromising consumer trust. Success stories Could you share a recent success story where a health advertiser achieved significant campaign improvements using M3 MI’s MARS data? What were the key factors behind that success, such as ROI, engagement lift, or conversion rates? One recent success story involved a diabetes medical device advertiser trying to breakthrough in a cluttered marketing landscape. Their initial broad, non-personalized media campaign delivered lower than expected digital engagement. To address this, the company conducted segmentation research and identified three distinct patient personas. However, the research lacked actionable media insights and a way to effectively reach these personas in the digital world. That’s where MARS data came in. Using the MARS Consumer Health Study, M3 MI mapped the existing personas to uncover each group’s unique media habits. These insights enabled the media agency to design tailored strategies for each persona. Additionally, M3 MI built custom, propensity-modeled persona audiences for activation across CTV, social, and display channels, ensuring precise targeting and personalized messaging. This strategic shift to personalized persona marketing transformed the campaign from a one-size-fits-all approach to a patient-first model. The company saw a significant lift in website engagement and a measurable increase in ROI. Resources to maximize your campaigns Where can readers find additional resources, case studies, or insights to learn more about MARS audience solutions? Interested healthcare marketers can explore additional resources by visiting our Audience Solutions page. There, they’ll find a comprehensive overview, a detailed taxonomy of syndicated audiences, and other helpful materials. For personalized support or further information on customized audiences, they can also reach us directly at info@M3-MI.com. Contact us About our expert Dan Lynch Senior Manager, Insights and Analysis, M3 MI Dan Lynch is a seasoned leader in strategic marketing insights and activation with over 20 years at healthcare focused media agencies. At M3 MI, he helps pharmaceutical companies, media partners, and agencies leverage our syndicated research to address critical business needs. Dan is also a lead of the MARS addressable audience initiative, applying his expertise in developing unique audience personas from our data and activating them across programmatic channels. About M3 MI M3 MI, a division of M3 USA, is the leading provider of unbiased syndicated research for the healthcare industry. We specialize in media measurement, advertising intelligence, and audience insights and activation. Leveraging robust datasets, rigorous methodologies, and decades of healthcare expertise, M3 MI delivers a deeper understanding of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, their behaviors, attitudes, media habits, and communication preferences. These insights empower marketers to make informed, data-driven decisions. Latest posts