At A Glance
Updated in 2025 after Experian’s acquisition of Audigent and Google’s decision to retain third-party cookies, this article explains that signal fragmentation remains. Experian is evolving its Digital Graph and integrating Audigent’s capabilities, while working with partners like The Trade Desk and ID5 to deliver privacy-safe reach, measurement, and performance across traditional identifiers and emerging alternatives.Experian offers a suite of next-generation tools built on the Experian Digital Graph to help marketers adapt to ongoing signal fragmentation and privacy regulation. These solutions enable brands to maintain behavioral targeting and campaign performance even as traditional signals decrease.
Through Experian’s integration with Audigent, we now offer early access to Curated Deals, contextually-indexed audiences, and Geo-Indexed Audiences that help advertisers test privacy-first audience activation in a period of accelerating signal fragmentation.
Experian and Audigent offer a data management platform (DMP) that enables publishers to collect, manage, and understand their first-party data, while also accessing third-party data, to better monetize their data assets.
At the same time, Experian continues to advance its signal-agnostic Digital Graph, which already covers industry-standard universal IDs, like Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) and ID5, as well as both IPv4 and IPv6, which are becoming more and more prevalent.
Together, these updates give marketers a reliable, privacy-forward foundation for audience reach, cross-device targeting, and measurement as signal fragmentation continues to reshape digital advertising.
How is Experian’s Digital Graph evolving in a multi-signal world?
Signal fragmentation is reshaping how marketers reach and measure audiences, so we continue to strengthen the Experian Digital Graph to keep performance steady across channels. Recent updates focus on improving connectivity, accuracy, and durability:
- More signals to keep reach strong: We added IPv6 and phone-based UID2s to our Digital Graph, building on the hashed email (HEM)-based UID2s we already support.
- Better AI models for cleaner identity data: We improved our AI clustering and device classification models to sharpen ID resolution.
- More stable customer profiles: We enhanced stability in our Digital Graph by tying it more closely to our Offline Graph, ensuring more complete customer profiles that last over time.
Together, these updates give marketers a more resilient identity foundation and help maintain performance in a market defined by rising signal fragmentation.
How is Experian advancing contextual targeting and geo-based targeting with our partners?
AWith more signals in market and traditional identifiers becoming less reliable advertisers are returning to tactics that don’t rely on cookies. Contextual targeting and geo-based targeting have both delivered results for years, and are becoming even more important as marketers look for consistent ways to reach audiences without relying on ID-level data.
Experian is modernizing these approaches by pairing Experian Marketing Data with contextual and geographic signals to create privacy-first activation paths that hold up as identifiers fade.
With our acquisition of Audigent, we’re expanding the ways marketers can activate privacy-forward audiences at scale. Together, these capabilities strengthen how brands reach people with relevant experiences, even as traditional IDs fade:
- Contextually- Indexed Audiences: We index Experian’s syndicated audiences against contextual signals inside private marketplace (PMP) deals using Experian’s Digital Graph and Audigent’s Hadron ID. In a 15-day test with a national advertiser, this ID-less approach exceeded click-through rate goals by 25% while matching the scale and delivery of ID-based campaigns.
- Geo-Indexed Audiences: We also offer Geo-Indexed Audiences that use location-based signals to reach consumers in the right places and moments, providing another durable option when IDs are unavailable or restricted.
- Evolving toward more intent-rich signals: Looking ahead, we are developing ways to incorporate additional intent indicators, such as content consumption patterns and repeated contextual behaviors, to give marketers stronger cues about where their audiences are in their decision process, all without relying on user-level identifiers.
Together, these tactics make contextual and geo-based targeting more measurable, scalable, and privacy-safe, helping marketers keep performance steady as signal fragmentation accelerates.
Which alternative IDs does Experian’s Digital Graph support?
Experian’s signal-agnostic Digital Graph is designed to interoperate across identity frameworks and connect digital identifiers into a single, privacy-compliant system. It now supports alternative IDs such as:
- UID2s
- ID5 IDs
- HEMs
- Connected TV (CTV) IDs
Our Digital Graph is rebuilt weekly to maintain high accuracy and addressability across campaigns. These capabilities ensure marketers can continue cross-device activation and measurement as legacy signals decline.
“Experian is a valued partner in Nexxen’s unified identity graph powering the Nexxen data platforms, which bring us the ability to seamlessly onboard client data, activate campaigns, and measure performance while maximizing biddable opportunities for our advertisers. They help ensure our clients can continue reaching audiences at scale and successfully execute campaigns.”
NexxenChance Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer
What’s next for Experian’s identity and connectivity roadmap?
As digital signals change and CTV viewership grows, we continue to expand the identifiers supported within the Experian Digital Graph. Recent additions such as IPv6 and phone-based UID2s, alongside existing IPv4 and email-based IDs, help marketers and platforms understand the full customer journey across screens and households within a privacy-first framework.
We are committed to maintaining and increasing connectivity in the digital world, ensuring that clients can reach their audiences even as familiar signals decline. A core part of that commitment is strengthening the overlap between our Offline and Digital Graphs. This work improves cross-channel consistency and gives marketers more reliable links between individuals, households, and devices.
As we keep investing in identity resilience, clients can expect ongoing innovation that supports addressability and performance despite evolving privacy constraints.
How can marketers maintain addressability at scale today?
Experian’s connected toolkit of signal-agnostic advertising solutions empowers brands to continue reaching audiences with confidence:
- Identity resolution through Experian’s Digital Graph
- Curation via Audigent
- Cross-device measurement built for privacy compliance
- Universal ID interoperability across platforms
As the industry adjusts to signal fragmentation, Experian provides the scale, trust, and connectivity required to sustain effective targeting.
A resilient path forward for addressable advertising
As the AdTech industry continues to evolve, Experian’s Digital Graph continues to power interoperability, scale, and privacy-safe measurement.
With data ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset, collaborations across the AdTech ecosystem, and ongoing support for universal IDs, Experian gives marketers a reliable path to addressable, measurable, and privacy-first advertising.
Connect with our team
About the author
Budi Tanzi, VP of Product and Solution Engineering, Experian Marketing Services
Budi Tanzi is the Vice President of Product at Experian Marketing Services, overseeing all Identity Products. Prior to joining Experian, Budi worked at various stakeholders of the ad-tech ecosystem, such as Tapad, Sizmek and StrikeAd. During his career, he held leadership roles in both Product Management and Solution Engineering. Budi has been living in New York for almost 11 years and enjoys being outdoors as well as sailing around NYC whenever possible.
FAQs
Experian’s Digital Graph enables consistent audience targeting and measurement across browsers and devices using privacy-compliant identifiers. It connects verified digital data, giving advertisers continuity as traditional IDs become less reliable.
Experian’s Digital Graph supports consistent audience targeting and measurement across browsers and devices using privacy-compliant identifiers. By connecting verified digital data, the Digital Graph gives marketers continuity as signals such as cookies, device IDs, and IP-based identifiers become less reliable. Recent updates, including IPv6, phone-based UID2s, and improved AI clustering, help you maintain reach and accuracy even as digital signals shift.
Experian works with a variety of partners to source digital IDs. We work with The Trade Desk and ID5 to incorporate their universal IDs into our Digital Graph. Additionally, Audigent, now a part of Experian, offers Curated Deals, which are a non-cookie dependent way to provide reach and relevance.
Yes. Experian’s identity and data solutions align with IAB Data Privacy Standards and regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), ensuring transparent and compliant data use.
Our current focus is to increase the overlap between our Offline and Digital Graphs, enabling more cross-channel addressability for our clients. We also continue expanding supported identifiers and improving our AI models to maintain performance as signal fragmentation grows.
You can reach out directly to explore privacy-first activation options, including contextual, geo-indexed, curated deals, and ID-based strategies supported by the Experian Digital Graph.
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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 Georgia Campbell, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Kontext. What types of audiences does Kontext provide, and what are some top use cases for these insights in marketing strategies? Kontext leverages its 1st-party, deterministic shopping data to generate real-time online audiences. What sets Kontext apart is our ability to see the entire consumer journey, from shopping interest to intent and purchases, at a SKU-level. This comprehensive visibility allows us to create purchase-based audiences across various consumer verticals, such as frequent online shoppers, consumers shopping for beauty, segments using Mastercard, or Black Friday enthusiasts. Our data engine, built on a foundation of approximately 100 million consumer profiles and over 10 billion full-funnel, real-time shopping events, enables the creation of precise audience segments. This real-time 1st-party shopper data is invaluable for partners aiming to understand and engage with consumers more effectively. Whether a brand wants to activate past shoppers in a specific category or reach new audiences with a propensity to buy, Kontext provides the insights needed to make informed decisions. Some examples of audience types include these (and hundreds more): In-Market Shoppers: Consumers showing high intent to purchase specific categories, like skincare or electronics, based on recent online behavior. Past Purchasers: Shoppers who have made verified purchases within specific time frames, such as beauty products in the last 18 months. Frequent Shoppers: High-frequency buyers identified through repeated purchasing behaviors. Seasonal Shoppers: Consumers active during key shopping seasons, like Black Friday, Mother’s Day, Valentine's Day, etc Premium Buyers: Shoppers who used a premium CC (eg. Amex) and a higher AOV (average order value) Beauty Buyers: an audience that has indicated intent to purchase beauty products (deterministic past purchasers also avail) By using Kontext data, brands can identify the right audiences across multiple verticals, such as retail, CPG, health & wellness, auto, business, energy & utility, financial, and travel. Additionally, our collaboration with Experian allows further refinement of these audiences through layered data from specialty categories like demographics, lifestyle & interests, mobile location, and TV viewing habits. How is Kontext’s data sourced, and what differentiates it from other data providers? Kontext’s data is unique because it is deterministic, 1st-party, and collected as transactions occur. We capture the entire path-to-purchase, down to the SKU-level product detail, across 100 million consumer profiles and more than 10 billion real-time shopping events. Our proprietary technology, embedded in widgets across our 5 million premium online destinations, tracks the full consumer journey—from reading an article of interest to clicking on our dynamic commerce modules, adding items to cart, and completing purchases. This real-time data collection ensures there is no lag between digital events and their connection to consumer profiles. Unlike other providers, we do not aggregate data from multiple platforms; instead, we focus on building our models and insights based on authentic online consumer behavior. Our data stands out due to its: Deterministic Nature: We capture 1st-party data as transactions occur (all in real time) Full-Funnel Coverage: We capture consumer journeys from awareness to purchase, providing a complete view of consumer behavior. Real-Time Insights: Our data engine processes events in real-time, enabling timely and relevant marketing actions. How does Kontext ensure the accuracy and reliability of its audience data? Kontext ensures accuracy and reliability through our unique technology and direct data sourcing. By not aggregating data from other platforms, we maintain control over the quality and integrity of our insights. Our continuous investment in refining our models around online consumer behavior further enhances the precision of our audience data. What types of brands or verticals might resonate the most with Kontext audiences for activation? Any brand looking to understand and activate online shopping behavior – informed by 1st-party transaction data – will resonate with Kontext audiences. Essentially, any vertical that benefits from understanding real-time shopping behaviors, such as retail, health & wellness, auto, and financial services, will find our data invaluable. We have particularly strong insights in beauty, hair care, health & wellness, and values-based online shopping habits, as well as the food & beverage space. Retail & Consumer Goods: Leveraging shopping behavior data for targeted campaigns. Health & Wellness: Identifying consumers with specific health and wellness interests. Automotive: Targeting potential buyers of electric vehicles or eco-friendly products. Financial Services: Engaging high-value shoppers with premium credit card usage. And many more How does Kontext’s data help advertisers navigate the challenges posed by the deprecation of third-party cookies? As third-party cookies become less reliable, Kontext’s 1st-party data becomes invaluable. Our deterministic data engine, which does not rely on cookies, offers: Direct Consumer Insights: Accurate and consented data directly from consumer interactions. Privacy Compliance: Our data collection methods are fully compliant with privacy regulations, ensuring secure usage. Cross-Device Coverage: We use verified digital identifiers, allowing seamless unification and targeting across multiple devices. What measures does Kontext take to maintain data privacy and compliance, and how does this benefit advertisers? Data privacy and compliance are fundamental to Kontext. We meet or exceed all privacy compliance and security standards, ensuring that our data sourcing and usage are transparent and comply with regulations (CCPA, CPRA, VCDPA, etc). Kontext prioritizes data privacy and compliance through: Consented Data Collection: All data is collected with explicit consumer consent. Robust Security Protocols: Data is encrypted and secured with industry-leading practices. Compliance with Regulations: We adhere to global privacy laws, including GDPR and CCPA. User Control: Consumers have the ability to opt-out and manage their data preferences. Can you share success stories / use-cases where advertisers significantly improved their campaigns using Kontext’s data? To give you a sense of how Kontext data can be applied, here are two use-cases: Beauty Brand Campaign: An agency hoping to activate an audience of beauty purchasers for a Major Beauty Brand could utilize Kontext's custom audience of high-value beauty product purchasers. By targeting those consumers who had bought similar products in the last 12 months and had an average cart size of over $50, the campaign would significantly increase performance and ROAS. Electric Vehicle Launch: For a major auto manufacturer’s EV launch, Kontext could be used to identify eco-friendly consumers who had not yet purchased an EV but had shown interest in sustainable products. This precise targeting could lead to higher engagement and conversion rates for the campaign. Thanks for the interview. Any recommendations for our readers if they want to learn more? For those interested in learning more about Kontext, reach out for a personalized consultation. Contact us About our expert Georgia Campbell, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Kontext In her current role as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Kontext, Georgia plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's strategic direction within the data space. With a deep-seated expertise in leveraging data to drive impact for companies, Georgia has been forging key partnerships that enhance the effectiveness and reach of Kontext's offerings. Georgia comes from a background in emerging technology, where she has been focused on cultivating partnerships and employing data-driven approaches to spearhead market expansion efforts. She started her career in finance, managing investments across equity, debt, and alternative assets at Brown Advisory. In this Q&A, Georgia shares her insights on Kontext's Onboarding partnership with Experian, offering perspective on how Kontext's unique insights can unlock new opportunities for advertisers and brands alike. Latest posts
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