Contextual ad targeting paves the way for new opportunities
Advertisers and marketers are always looking for ways to remain competitive in the current digital landscape. The challenge of signal loss continues to prompt marketers to rethink their current and future strategies. With many major browsers phasing out support for third-party cookies due to privacy and data security concerns, marketers will need to find new ways to identify and reach their target audience. Contextual ad targeting offers an innovative solution; a way to combine contextual signals with machine learning to engage with your consumers more deeply through highly targeted accuracy. Contextual advertising can help you reach your desired audiences amidst signal loss – but what exactly is contextual advertising, and how can it help optimize digital ad success?
In a Q&A with our experts, Jason Andersen, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partner Solutions with Experian, and Alex Johnston, Principal Product Manager with Yieldmo, they explore:
- The challenges causing marketers to rethink their current strategies
- How contextual advertising addresses signal loss
- Why addressability is more important than ever
- Why good creative is still integral in digital marketing
- Tips for digital ad success
By understanding what contextual advertising can offer, you’ll be on the path toward creating powerful, effective campaigns that will engage your target audiences.
Check out Jason and Alex’s full conversation from our webinar, “Making the Most of Your Digital Ad Budget With Contextual Advertising and Audience Insights” by reading below. Or watch the full webinar recording now!
Macro impacts affecting marketers
How important is it for digital marketers to stay informed about the changes coming to third-party cookies, and what challenges do you see signal loss creating?
Jason: Marketers must stay informed to succeed as the digital marketing landscape continuously evolves. Third-party cookies have already been eliminated from Firefox, Safari, and other browsers, while Chrome has held out. It’s just a matter of time before Chrome eliminates them too. Being proactive now by predicting potential impacts will be essential for maintaining growth when the third-party cookie finally disappears.
Alex: Jason, I think you nailed it. Third-party cookie loss is already a reality. As regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) take effect, more than 50% of exchange traffic lacks associated identifiers. This means that marketers have to think differently about how they reach their audiences in an environment with fewer data points available for targeting purposes. It’s no longer something to consider at some point down the line – it’s here now!
Also, as third-party cookies become more limited, reaching users online is becoming increasingly complex and competitive. Without access to as much data, the CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) that advertisers must pay are skyrocketing because everyone is trying to bid on those same valuable consumers. It’s essential for businesses desiring success in digital advertising now more than ever before.
Contextual ad targeting: A solution for signal loss
How does contextual ad targeting help digital marketers find new ways to reach and engage with consumers? What can you share about some new strategies that have modernized marketing, such as machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Jason: We’re taking contextual marketing to the next level with advanced machine learning. We are unlocking new insights from data beyond what a single page can tell us about users. As third-party cookies go away, alternative identifiers are coming to market, like RampID and UID2. These are going to be particularly important for marketers to be able to utilize.
As cookie syncing becomes outdated, marketers will have to look for alternative methods to reach their target audiences. It’s essential to look beyond cookie-reliant solutions and use other options available regarding advertising.
Alex: I think, as Jason alluded to, there’s a renaissance in contextual advertising over the last couple of years. If I were to break this down, there are three core drivers:
- The loss of identity signals. It’s forcing us to change, and we must look elsewhere and figure out how to reach our audiences differently.
- There have been considerable advances in our ability to store and operate across a set of contextual signals far more extensive than anything we’ve ever worked with in the past and in far more granular ways. That’s a huge deal because when it comes to machine learning, the power and the impact of those machine learning models are entirely based on how extensive and granular the data set is that you can collect. Machine learning can pull together critical contextual signals and figure out which constellations, or which combinations of those signals, are most predictive and valuable to a given advertiser.
- We can tailor machine learning models to individual advertisers using all those signals and find patterns across those in ways that were previously impractical or unfeasible. The transformation is occurring because of our ability to capture much more granular data, operate across it, and then build models that work for advertisers.
Addressability: Connect your campaigns to consumers
How does advanced contextual targeting help marketers reach non-addressable audiences?
Jason: Advanced contextual targeting allows us to take a set of known data (identity) and draw inferences from it with all the other signals we see across the bitstream. It’s taking that small seed set of either, customers that transacted with you before that you have an identity for, or customers that match whom you’re looking for. We can use that as a seed set to train these new contextual models. We can now look at making the unknown known or the unaddressable addressable. So, it’s not addressable in an identity sense, it is addressable in a contextual or an advanced contextual sense that’s made available to us, and we can derive great insight from it.
One of the terms I like to use is contextual indexing. This is where we take a set of users we know something about. So, I may know the identity of a particular group of households, and I can look at how those households index against any of the rich data sets available to us in any data marketplace, for example, the data Yieldmo has. We can look at how that data indexes to those known users to find patterns in that data and then extrapolate from that. Now we can go out and find users surfing on any of the other sites that traditionally don’t have that identifier for that user or don’t at that moment in time and start to be able to advertise to them based on the contextually indexed data.
Historically, we’ve done some contextual ad targeting based on geo-contextual, and this is when people wanted to do one to one marketing, and geo-contextual outperformed the one to one. But marketers weren’t ready for alternatives to one to one yet. We want marketers to start testing these solutions. Advertisers must start trying them, learning how they work, and learn how to optimize them because they are based on a feedback loop, and they’re only going to get better with feedback.
Alex: Jason, you described that perfectly. I think the exciting opportunity for many people in the industry is figuring out how to reach your known audience in a non-addressable space, that is based on environmental and non-identity based signals, that helps your campaign perform. Your known audience are people that are already converting – those who like your products and services and are engaged with your ads. Machine learning advancements allow you to take your small sample audience and uncover those patterns in the non-addressable space.
It’s also worth noting that in this world in which we are using seed audiences, or you are using your performing audiences to build non-addressable counterpart targeting campaigns, having high-quality, privacy-resilient data sets becomes incredibly important. In many cases, companies like Experian, who have high quality, deep rich training data, are well positioned to support advertisers in building those extension audiences. As we see the industry evolve, we’re going to see some significant changes in terms of the types of, and ways in which, companies offer data, and make that available to advertisers for training their models or supporting validation and measurement of those models.
Jason: Addressable users, the new identity-based users, are critical to marketers’ performance initiatives. They’re essential to training the models we’re building with contextual advertising. Together, addressable users and contextual advertising are a powerful combination. It’s not just one in isolation. It’s not just using advanced contextual, and it’s not just using the new identifiers. It’s using a combination to meet your performance needs.
It’s imperative to start thinking about how you can begin building your seed audiences. What can you start learning from, and how do you put contextual into play today? You are looking to build off a known set and build a more advanced model. These can be specialized models based on your data. You can hone in and create a customized model for your customer type, their profile, and how they transact. It’s a greenfield opportunity, and we’re super excited about the future of advanced contextual targeting.
Turn great creative into measurable data points
Why does good creative still play an integral part in digital advertising success?
Jason: Good creative has always been meaningful. It’s vital in getting people to click on your ad and transact. But it’s becoming increasingly important in this new world that we’re talking about, this advanced contextual world. The more signal that we can get coming into these models, the better. Good creative in the proper ad format that you can test and learn from is paramount. It comes back to that feedback loop. We can use that as another signal in this equation to develop and refine the right set of audiences for your targeting needs.
Alex: If you imagine within the broader context of identity and signal loss, creative and ad format becomes incredibly powerful signals in understanding how different audiences interact with and engage with different creative. In the case of the formats that serve on the Yieldmo exchange, we’re collecting data every 200 milliseconds around how individual users are engaging with those ads. Interaction data like the user scrolling back or the number of pixel seconds they stay on the screen, fills this critical gap between video completes and clicks. Clicks are sparse and down the funnel, and views and completes are up the funnel. All those attention and creative engagement type metrics occupy the sweet spot where they’re super prevalent, and you can collect them and understand how different audiences engage with your ads. That data lets you build powerful models because they predict all kinds of other downstream actions.
Throughout my career, I learned that designing or tailoring your creative to different audience groups is one of the best ways to improve performance. We ran many lift studies with analysis to understand how you can tailor creative customized for individual audiences. That capability and the ability to do that on an identity basis is starting to deteriorate. The ability to do that using a sample of data or using a smaller set of users, either where you’re inferring characteristics or you’re looking at the identity that does exist in a smaller group, becomes powerful for being able to customize your creative to tell the right story to the right audience. When you layer together all the interaction data collected at the creative level on top of all the contextual and environmental signals, you can build powerful models. Whether those are driving proxy metrics, or downstream outcomes, puts us in a powerful position to respond to the broader loss of identity that we’ve relied on for so many years.
Our recommendations for marketers for 2023 and beyond
Do you have recommendations for marketers building out their yearly strategies or a campaign strategy?
Jason: Be proactive and start testing and learning these new solutions. I mentioned addressability and being in the right place at the right time. That’s easier in today’s third-party cookie world. But as traditional identity is further constricted, you will have these first-party solutions that will not be at scale, so you’re less likely to find your user at the scale you want. It would be best if you thought about how to reach that user at the right place at the right time. They may not be seen from an identity basis. They might not be at the right place at the right time when you were delivering or trying to deliver an ad. But you increase your chance of reaching them by building these advanced contextual targeting audiences using this privacy-safe seed ‘opted-in’ user set; this is a way to cast that wider net and achieve targeted scale.
Alex: Build your seed lists, test your formats with different audiences, and understand what’s resonating with whom. Take advantage of some of the pretty remarkable advances in machine learning that are allowing us, really, for the first time to fully uncork the potential and the opportunity with contextual in a way that we’ve never done before.
Jason: At the end of the day, it’s making the unaddressable addressable. So, it’s a complementary strategy; having that addressable piece will feed the models. But also, that addressable piece still needs to be identity-based, addressable still needs to be part of your overall marketing strategy, and you need to complement it with other strategies like advanced contextual targeting. The two of them together are super complimentary. They learn from each other, and it’s a cyclical loop. Now is the time to take advantage and start testing and understanding how these solutions work.
We can help you get started with contextual ad targeting
Contextual advertising can help you stay ahead of the curve, identify your target audience, and continue to drive conversions despite signal loss. We’ve partnered with Yieldmo to help make sure that your marketing campaigns are reaching the right target audiences on the platforms that are most relevant. To get started with contextual ad targeting to reach the right audience at the right time and drive conversions, contact our marketing professionals. Let’s get to work, together.
Find the right marketing mix in 2023
Check out our webinar, “Find the right marketing mix with rising consumer expectations.” Guest speaker, Nikhil Lai, Senior Analyst from Forrester Research, joins Experian experts Erin Haselkorn, and Eden Wilbur. We discuss:
- New data on the complexity and uncertainty facing marketers
- Consumer trends for 2023
- Recommendations on finding the right channel mix and the right consumers
Get in touch
About our experts
Jason Andersen, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives and Partner Solutions, Experian
Jason Andersen heads Strategic Initiatives and Partner Enablement for Experian Marketing Services. He focuses on addressability and activation in digital marketing and working with partners to solve signal loss. Jason has worked in digital advertising for 15+ years, spanning roles from operations and product to strategy and partnerships.
Alex Johnston, Principal Product Manager, Yieldmo
Alex Johnston is the Principal Product Manager at Yieldmo, overseeing the Machine Learning and Optimization products. Before joining Yieldmo, Alex spent 13 years at Google, where he led the Reach & Audience Planning and Measurement products, overseeing a 10X increase in revenue. During his time, he launched numerous ad products, including YouTube’s Google Preferred offering. To learn more about Yieldmo, visit www.Yieldmo.com.
Latest posts
If Santa used data to plan his holiday campaign, he’d call Experian. After all, how else could he deliver the right gifts to the right household? From sleigh bells to savings alerts, the holiday season isn’t just about Christmas. Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Lunar New Year, or simply the season of giving, brands have one thing in common: a need to reach the right audience at the right time, with messaging that resonates. Retail sales for 2025 are expected to grow 2.7–3.7% YoY, reaching nearly $5.48 trillion, with mobile commerce driving 75% of e-commerce growth. With so many brands vying for attention, delivering the right message to the right audience can be the difference between a one-time click and a lifelong customer. In this article, we’ll unwrap Experian’s holiday shopping audiences, including 25 new audiences, designed to help you reach the most relevant shoppers for your holiday campaigns. These audiences are available for activation on-the-shelf of most major platforms, including TV, social, and programmatic. You can find the complete audience segment name in the appendix. 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report Download our latest report, in collaboration with GroundTruth, for data-driven insights you can use to refine your messaging and reach the right audience in their preferred channels this holiday season. Download now Deck the data halls: What separates Experian's syndicated audiences? Utilize Experian’s syndicated audiences to ensure your marketing messages resonate with shoppers. Experian’s 3,200+ syndicated audiences can be sent to 200+ leading social platforms, such as Meta and Pinterest, TV, programmatic advertising platforms, and directly within Audigent for activation within 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 for activation in PMPs, and directly on platforms like DirectTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk. Four audience categories to target this holiday season Even Santa needs help organizing his list these days, especially with so many kinds of households to deliver holiday magic to. With the U.S. population growing by roughly 21.7 million people in the last decade, there are more holiday tables to set, more last-minute carts to fill, and more families hitting the road than ever before. Experian Audiences and Partner Audiences help Santa (and your brand) get the message just right. New this season! Experian now offers Consumer Packaged Goods audiences to help you reach consumers ready to get into the holiday spirit with seasonal baking, cooking, and other goods. Here are four households on Santa’s sleigh route and how you can reach them with Experian: The merry makers The list-checkers The holiday hoppers The entertainers Let’s unwrap the segments within each category. This group isn’t just celebrating; they’re setting the stage. Whether they’re prepping for Friendsgiving or a cozy Diwali dinner, they’re fueling the season with food, décor, and hospitality. Holiday hosts and entertainers allocated more than $260 on food, candy, and decor alone in 2024, and according to GroundTruth, Saturday, December 7, 2024, was the busiest in-store shopping day across nearly every major category. Grocery store sales climbed 2.1% during the 2024 holiday season, and hosting Thanksgiving cost an average of $431. Here are 10 holiday host audiences to target this holiday season and how you can reach them with Experian: NEW! Bakeries High Spend NEW! Caterers High Spend NEW! Chocolate Candy Box Bag Bar Shoppers 3.5oz Plus NEW! Chocolate Shoppers NEW! Cocktail Mix Shoppers NEW! Frosting and Frosting Mix Shoppers NEW! Marshmallow Shoppers NEW! Ready-to-Use Pie Crust Shoppers NEW! Sugar Shoppers Holiday Shoppers: High Spenders How to use these audiences Santa knows this household is hosting the holiday magic, so he loads his sleigh with gourmet cocoa, festive napkins, and extra marshmallows to make sure the party is stocked with seasonal favorites. A consumer-packaged goods brand launching a new holiday baking product can reach Chocolate Shoppers, Holiday Shopping High Spenders, and Ready-to-Use Pie Crust audiences to connect with high-intent hosts prepping festive desserts. This household isn’t just shopping; they’re creating the perfect gifts. In 2024, U.S. shoppers planned to spend more than $1,000 on holiday gifts as online purchases surged, totaling $241 billion between November 1 and December 31. Looking to 2025, according to our latest holiday insights, just 22% of consumers expect to spend more, while 27% anticipate cutting back. With consumer confidence still on an uneven footing and inflation having climbed up to 2.9%, shoppers are approaching holiday lists with greater caution. Experian’s purchase-based data shows mass retail remains a bright spot, with value-driven spending holding strong amid recent dips and rebounds, as shoppers cautiously resume purchases. That makes gift-focused households more deliberate with their choices and reinforces that brands emphasizing value and trust will earn lasting loyalty. Here are 10 list-checker audiences to consider this holiday season: NEW! Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High Spend Big Box/Club Stores Holiday Shoppers Black Friday Holiday Shoppers Cyber Monday Holiday Shoppers Heavy Buyer/Spenders Holiday Shoppers: In-Store or Online High Spend Gift Shoppers Holiday Shoppers: Apparel (Clothing) Luxury Gift Shoppers Online Coupon Users Post Holiday Shoppers How to use these audiences Santa knows this household goes big when it comes to gifting, so he makes sure their stockings are filled with trinkets, timeless watches, and the kind of treasures that twinkle under the tree. A luxury jewelry brand launching a limited-edition holiday collection can activate Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High Spend and Luxury Gift Shoppers audiences to reach buyers who believe in gifts that sparkle. This household is on the move. From planes and trains to jam-packed highways, travel is back in full force. In 2024, a record 119.3 million Americans traveled during the holiday period, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Road trips remained the most popular mode, while air travel hit a new high with 7.85 million flyers. Here are 10 holiday travel audiences to target: NEW! Bridge and Road Fees Tolls High Spend NEW! Hotel High Spend NEW! Lodging Hotels Motels Resorts High Spend NEW! Passenger Railways High Spend NEW! Timeshares High Spend NEW! Tourist Attractions and Exhibits High Spend NEW! Travel Agencies and Tour Operators High Spend Holiday Budget Savvy Airline Travelers Holiday Travel – Airline Holiday Travel – Train How to use these audiences For this household, Santa swaps his sleigh for the train car – booking them on a magical Polar Express journey complete with cocoa, carols, and a golden ticket to holiday wonder. When brands want to deliver the same magic, a travel package could bundle tickets to a railway’s Polar Express immersive experience with air travel and lodging, activating the Hotel High Spend, Travel Agencies High Spend, and Passenger Railways High Spend audiences to reach travelers seeking an unforgettable holiday adventure. This household knows how to celebrate from the couch. Whether it’s football, holiday movies, or once-a-year specials, the screen is their gathering place. On December 25, 2024, Americans streamed more than 50 billion minutes of content, making it the most-streamed day in U.S. television history. From dazzling halftime shows to nostalgic holiday classics, entertainment is the heartbeat of the season. Here are 10 entertainer audiences to target: Cable and Streaming TV Service Subscribers Cable Satellite or Streaming Network Subscribers Co-Watchers Cord Cutters Holiday TV NFL Enthusiasts Paid TV High Spenders Screen Size – Large Sports Enthusiasts Streaming Video: High Spenders Download our holiday audience guide How to use these audiences Santa knows this audience loves flipping between a holiday classic and the big game. That’s why he delivers gifts for households craving the latest binge-worthy content. It could be a subscription or a big-screen update wrapped with a bow. These audiences represent a golden opportunity to pair campaigns with highly engaged moments. A beverage brand can target NFL Enthusiasts during a holiday football broadcast with ads for limited-edition game-day packs. Sleigh your campaign goals this holiday season with Experian Audiences The holiday season is the busiest time of year for brands – and for Santa. That’s why he relies on Experian to make his list, check it twice, and be sure every sleigh stop is spot-on. Experian’s data, ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset, allows brands to reach people based on demographic, geographic, and behavioral attributes (e.g., websites visited and purchase history). By using Experian Audiences in your holiday advertising campaigns, you can reach holiday hosts, gift-givers, entertainers, holiday travelers, and many more. Where can you activate Experian Audiences? Find our audiences available directly on over 30 platforms including: Basis FreeWheel Magnite Nexxen The Trade Desk Viant Microsoft Advertising and more Just as shoppers seek the perfect gifts, with the right strategy, your holiday advertising campaigns can capture the right shoppers. 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 syndicated audience on Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok or on a platform not listed above? Contact us today. Additionally, work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation. You can activate our syndicated audiences on-the-shelf of most major platforms. For a full list of Experian’s syndicated audiences and activation destinations, download our syndicated audiences guide. Explore our other seasonal audiences that you can activate today. View now Activate holiday audiences today with Audigent Planning a performance-driven push this holiday season? Audigent will build customized deals that combine premium Experian syndicated 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 your holiday campaign wrapped and ready to go. Let's make your holiday campaigns magical FAQs Where can I activate Experian Audiences? Experian Audiences can be activated on 200+ leading platforms, including social media (Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok), TV and streaming (DirectTV, Dish, OpenAP), programmatic platforms (The Trade Desk, Magnite, Nexxen), and directly within Audigent PMPs. How many syndicated audiences does Experian offer? Experian offers over 3,200 syndicated audiences, ranging from demographic and geographic segments to purchase-based and lifestyle categories. These are ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes. What’s new for the 2025 holiday season? This year, Experian has introduced 25 new holiday-ready audiences, including consumer packaged goods (CPG) segments like Chocolate Shoppers, Ready-to-Use Pie Crust Shoppers, and Cocktail Mix Shoppers, plus new travel audiences. Can I create a custom audience? Yes. If you need something beyond syndicated segments, Experian’s team can help you build and activate custom audiences tailored to your campaign goals on the platform of your choice. Latest posts Appendix Here are the complete audience segment names (taxonomy paths) for all audience segments discussed in this blog post. The merry makers Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Bakeries High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Caterers High Spend Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Chocolate Candy Box Bag Bar Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Chocolate Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Cocktail Mix Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Frosting and Frosting Mix Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: High Spenders Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Marshmallow Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Ready To Use Pie Crust Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Sugar Shoppers The list-checkers Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High Retail Shopper: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Big Box/Club Stores Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Black Friday Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Cyber Monday Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Heavy Buyer/Spenders: In Store Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Heavy Buyer/Spenders: Online Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Shopping Behavior > Gift Shoppers High Spend Spenders Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Apparel (Clothing) Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Luxury Gift Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchased Based > Shopping Behavior > Online Coupon Users Retail Shoppers: Purchased Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Post holiday The holiday hoppers Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Bridge and Road Fees Tolls High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Hotels High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Lodging Hotels Motels Resorts High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Passenger Railways High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Timeshares High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Tourist Attractions and Exhibits High Spend Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Travel Agencies and Tour Operators High Spend Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Budget Savvy Airline Travelers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Travel – Airline Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal> Holiday Travel – Train The entertainers Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cable and Streaming Service Subscribers Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cable Satellite or Streaming Network Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Co-Watchers Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cord Cutters Publisher Derived > IAB Television > Holiday TV Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Activities and Entertainment > NFL Enthusiasts Television (TV) > TV Enthusiasts > Paid TV High Spenders Television (TV) > Viewing Device Type > Screen Size – Large Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Sports and Recreation > Sports Enthusiast Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Entertainment > Streaming/Video/Audio/CTV/Cable TV: Streaming Video: High Spenders
If you've ever sat in a meeting and heard an AdTech term you didn’t understand, you’re not alone. The industry evolves as quickly as a café turns over tables on a busy weekend. Even seasoned regulars can get tripped up by the jargon. So instead of scratching your head over the “menu,” let's walk through some of the most common terms: served café-style. The ingredients: The many flavors of first-party data Every meal starts with ingredients, and in AdTech, those ingredients are data. First-party data is not just one thing: it's more like everything your favorite neighborhood café knows about you. First-party data The café knows your coffee preferences because you've told them directly; whether by ordering at the counter, calling in, or placing an order online. This is information you’ve willingly provided through your interactions, and it belongs only to that café. First-party cookies The barista writes down your preferences in a notebook behind the counter, so next time you walk in, they don’t have to ask. First-party cookies remember details to make your experience smoother, but only for that café. Authenticated identity A loyalty app that connects online orders to in-person visits. By logging in, you're saying, “Yes, it's really me.” Authenticated identity is proof that the customer isn't just a face in line, but someone with a verified profile. Persistent identity Recognizing you whether you order through the app or in person. Persistent identity enables the ability to keep track of someone across different touchpoints, consistently, without confusing them with someone else. Permissioned data Agreeing to join the loyalty program and get emails. Permissioned data is a connection to the customer that the customer proactively shared with the café by signing up for their loyalty program or email newsletter. Each piece comes from direct interactions, stored and used in different ways. That's what makes first-party data nuanced. The saga of third-party cookie deprecation and changing privacy regulations makes it important to understand which types of data you can collect and use for marketing purposes. And once you have those ingredients, the next step is making sure you recognize how they fit together, so you can see each customer clearly. That’s where identity resolution comes in. The recipe: Bringing the ingredients together with identity resolution At the café, identity resolution is what helps the staff recognize you as the same customer across every interaction. Without it, they might think you’re two different people; one who always orders breakfast and another who sometimes picks up pastries to go. Matching The café has a loyalty program, and the pet bakery next door has one too. When they match records across their two data sets, they realize “M. Jones” from the café is the same person as “Michelle Jones” from the bakery. That connection means they can activate a joint promotion, like free coffee with a dog treat, without either business handing over their full customer lists. In marketing, matching works the same way, linking records across data sets for activation so campaigns reach the right people. Deduplication Collapses duplicate profiles into a single, clean record, so you don't get two birthday coupons, even though that would be nice to get. That's what Experian does at scale: we connect billions of IDs in a privacy-safe way, so you can get an accurate picture of your audience. And once you can recognize your customers across touchpoints, the next challenge is collaborating across systems and partners for deeper insights. That's where the behind-the-counter processes come in. Behind the counter: Crosswalks and clean rooms At a café, these terms are like the behind-the-counter processes that keep everything running smoothly. They may sound technical, but they all serve the same purpose: helping data collaborate across different sources, while keeping sensitive information safe. The goal is a better “meal” for the customer, deeper insights, better targeting, and more personalized campaigns. Here's how they work. Crosswalks The café partners with the pet bakery next door. They both serve a lot of the same people, but they track them differently. With a crosswalk, they can use a shared key to recognize the same customer across both businesses, so you get a coffee refill, and your dog gets a treat, without either one handing over their full customer list. A crosswalk is the shared system that lets both know it is really you, without swapping personal details. It's the bridge connecting two silos of data. Clean rooms The café and the pet bakery want to learn more about their shared customers, like whether dog owners are more likely to stop by for brunch on weekends. Instead of swapping their full records, they bring their data into another café’s private back room, a clean room, where they can compare trends safely and privately. Both get useful insights, while customer details stay protected. That’s a clean room: secure collaboration without exposing sensitive data. Of course, sharing and protecting data is only part of the picture. The real test comes when you need to serve customers in new ways, especially as the industry moves beyond cookies. Serving customers in new ways: Cookie-free to ID-free Targeting has evolved beyond cookies, just like cafés no longer rely only on notebooks to remember regulars. ID-free targeting The café looks at ordering patterns, like cappuccinos selling on Mondays and croissants on Fridays, without tracking who's ordering what. Instead of focusing on who the customer is, the café tailors choices based on the context of the situation, like time of day or day of the week. This is like contextual targeting, serving ads based on the environment or behavior in the moment, rather than on personal identity. ID-agnostic targeting The café realizes customers show up in all sorts of ways: walk in, online ordering, delivery. Each channel has its own “ID,” a name on the app, a credit card, or a loyalty profile. ID-agnostic targeting means no matter how you order, the café can still serve you without being locked into one system. Just like cafés no longer rely only on notebooks to keep track of regulars, marketers no longer have to depend solely on cookies. Today, there are multiple paths, cookie-free, ID-free, and ID-agnostic, that can all help deliver better, more relevant experiences. But even with new ways to reach people, one big question remains: how do you know if it’s actually working? That’s where measurement and outcomes come into play. Counting tables vs. counting sales At the café, measurement and outcomes aren't the same. Measurement Tables filled, cups poured, specials ordered. Outcomes What it all means: higher revenue, more loyalty sign-ups, or increased sales from a new promotion. Both matter. Measurement shows whether the café is running smoothly, but outcomes prove whether the promotions and strategies are truly paying off. Together, they help connect day-to-day activity to long-term success. All of this brings us back to the bigger picture: understanding the menu well enough to enjoy the meal. From menu to meal In AdTech, there will always be new terms coming onto the menu. What matters most is understanding them well enough to know how they help you reach your business goals. Just like at the café, asking a question about the specials isn’t foolish. It’s how you make sure you get exactly what you want. The more we, as an industry, understand the “ingredients” of data and identity, the better we can cook up new solutions that serve both brands and consumers. After all, the goal isn't just to talk about the menu, it’s to enjoy the meal. At Experian, we help brands turn that menu into action. From identity resolution to privacy-safe data collaboration, our solutions make it easier to connect with audiences, activate campaigns, and measure real outcomes. If you're ready to move from decoding the jargon to delivering better customer experiences, we’re here to help FAQs What is first-party data, and why is it important? First-party data is information a customer shares directly with a brand, like purchase history, preferences, or sign-ups. It’s the most valuable and privacy-safe data marketers can use to build personalized campaigns. How do identity resolution and matching work in marketing? Identity resolution ensures a brand can recognize the same customer across different touchpoints. Matching links records across data sets (e.g., between partners) so campaigns reach the right people without exposing full customer lists. What’s the difference between a crosswalk and a clean room? A crosswalk bridges two data systems with a shared key to recognize the same customer, while a clean room allows partners to analyze data together securely without exposing sensitive details. What does “cookie-free” or “ID-free” targeting mean? Cookie-free and ID-free targeting shift focus away from tracking individuals, instead tailoring ads based on context (like time of day or content being viewed) or allowing flexibility across multiple IDs. How is measurement different from outcomes? Measurement tracks activity (like clicks or visits), while outcomes prove business impact (like sales, loyalty, or revenue). Both are essential, but outcomes show whether strategies are truly effective. How does Experian help marketers with these AdTech challenges? Experian provides tools for identity resolution, privacy-safe data collaboration, and campaign measurement, helping marketers move from understanding the “menu” of AdTech terms to achieving real results. Latest posts
Holiday shopping in 2025 feels a lot like a complicated relationship. Shoppers want deals, but they also want trust. They start shopping early, but they’re still browsing well into December. They love the convenience of online shopping, but they still show up in-store before making the final call. Our 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report, created this year in collaboration with GroundTruth, explores these contradictions. Our findings show that this year’s holiday season isn’t about one big shift; it’s about managing the push and pull between what consumers say, what they do, and how marketers respond. Here are three complicated truths you need to know. Experian's 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report Optimize your 2025 holiday shopping campaigns with our latest report with GroundTruth. Download now 1. The new rules of holiday timing Almost half (45%) of consumers plan to start shopping before November, but 62% admit they’ll still be buying in December. And post-holiday shopping (think gift card redemptions and deal-hunting) remains a real factor. Why it’s complicated The holiday calendar isn’t what it used to be. There’s no single “big moment” anymore. Instead, shoppers are spreading purchases across months, peaking around the “Turkey 12” (the 12 days surrounding Thanksgiving) and again in the final December rush. What to do about it Stretch your campaigns across the full season, not just Cyber Week. Refresh offers to stay relevant as shopper motivations change from deal-seeking to last-minute urgency. Watch for post-holiday momentum and extend your promotions into January. How belVita nailed the timingIn celebration of National Coffee Day, belVita partnered with GroundTruth on a one-month campaign to boost product awareness and drive foot traffic to Target stores. By utilizing digital out-of-home (DOOH) and mobile ads powered by location, behavioral, and purchase-based targeting, the campaign achieved a 3.44% visitation rate, nearly $476k in products added to carts, and a low cost-per-visit of just $0.22. 2. Online leads, but in-store still seals the deal Nearly 40% of shoppers say they’ll split their purchases between online and in-store and 80% of consumers still prefer the in-store experience. Only a small fraction plan to shop exclusively in one channel. That means while digital often starts the journey, the final decision often happens in a physical store. Why it’s complicated Shoppers love the convenience of browsing online, but they still want the reassurance of seeing, touching, or testing products before buying. In-store isn’t just about the transaction, it’s the validation step. What to do about it Build omnichannel strategies that connect digital discovery with in-store follow-through. Use location and identity data to tie digital impressions to real-world actions, like foot traffic and purchases. Focus on consistency: shoppers expect the same value, tone, and trust whether they’re on a website, in an app, or standing in a store aisle. How Duke Cannon used on-premise targeting to drive sales liftDuke Cannon, a premium men's grooming brand, partnered with GroundTruth to launch a successful multichannel campaign utilizing location-based and behavioral audience targeting across CTV and mobile screens to drive in-store visits and sales. By targeting consumers with mobile ads while they were physically in-store, the company capitalized on high purchase intent, aiding in the 12% sales lift. This strategic approach resulted in over 43.9k provable in-store visits and a significant increase in sales. 3. Marketers double down, consumers hold back This holiday season, expectations are split. 66% of marketers expect holiday spend to rise, but only 22% of consumers agree. While brands are leaning into bigger investments across CTV, retail media, and social, shoppers are staying cautious, weighing value and waiting for the right deal. Why it’s complicated That disconnect introduces risk. If marketers don’t align spend with real consumer behavior, budgets can get wasted in the rush to cover every channel. Shoppers haven’t stopped spending, but they're spending differently. They’re trading down to discount and big-box retailers while cutting back in discretionary categories like apparel and restaurants. What to do about it Prioritize efficiency by focusing on the right audiences, not just more impressions. Make consistency your advantage: reach people once and connect across platforms instead of chasing fragmented signals. Balance aggressive media investment with messaging that acknowledges consumer caution — shoppers want value and trust, not hype. Measuring TV and streaming impact with iSpotiSpot’s Audience Builder, powered by Experian’s Marketing Attributes, helps brands reach high-value audiences. During the holiday season, a luxury retailer could target $100K+ households with affluent lifestyle interests. With iSpot’s Unified Measurement platform, they can track performance across linear TV and streaming and shift spend in real time to maximize results. The bottom line on 2025 holiday shopping trends This year’s holiday shopping season is, well…complicated. Shoppers are cautious but still engaged. They’re early planners and last-minute browsers. They want the ease of digital, but the confidence of in-person. For marketers, the opportunity lies in embracing that complexity, not trying to simplify it away. The brands that balance relevance, trust, and convenience across the full season and across every channel will be the ones that win. Download our full 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report to explore all five shifts shaping this season and see how you can turn complexity into opportunity. Download FAQs Why is holiday shopping in 2025 described as “complicated”? Because consumer behavior is full of contradictions. People will shop earlier but also later, browse online but purchase in-store, and want deals while demanding trust. Marketers need to navigate these push-and-pull dynamics. When do most shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping? Nearly half (45%) say they’ll start before November, but 62% admit they’ll still be buying in December, with momentum even continuing into January through gift card redemptions and deal-hunting. What role do physical stores still play in holiday shopping? Although many consumers begin online, the majority still make their final decisions in-store. In-person shopping acts as a validation step where customers can see, touch, or try products before buying. How should marketers adapt their strategies to shifting holiday timing? Instead of focusing only on Black Friday or Cyber Week, marketers should stretch campaigns across the full season, refresh offers frequently, and continue promotions into January. Are marketers and consumers aligned on holiday spending expectations? Not entirely. 66% of marketers expect spending to rise, but only 22% of consumers agree. Shoppers are cautious, prioritizing value and often trading down to discount or big-box retailers. What’s the best way to connect online discovery with in-store sales? An omnichannel approach using identity and location data can bridge digital impressions with real-world actions like store visits and purchases, ensuring consistency across touchpoints. What can brands learn from the case studies in the report? Brands like belVita and Duke Cannon successfully tied digital campaigns to in-store results by utilizing precise audience targeting, location data, and well-timed promotions. Where can I get the full insights report? You can download Experian’s 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report to explore all five shifts shaping this season. Latest posts