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AI-powered identity resolution for connected customer experiences

Published: October 22, 2025 by Experian Marketing Services

At A Glance

Identity resolution unifies fragmented IDs into complete customer profiles, helping companies understand their audiences and deliver personalized, privacy-compliant experiences in a cookie-light world. With Experian’s AI-powered identity resolution solution, marketers gain the scale, accuracy, and compliance to compete while making marketing more human.

Every marketer has seen it: a customer browses reviews on a laptop, adds items to a cart on mobile, then “disappears.” In reality, they just likely switched devices or logged in with a different email. Identity resolution connects these scattered signals into a single profile so you never lose sight of the customer journey.

Identity resolution is what helps you keep track of customers who bounce around.

Connecting scattered signals into a single customer profile can help you deliver seamless experiences, meet strengthening privacy standards, turn first-party data into measurable results, and fuel better customer analytics.

See our identity resolution solution in action

What is identity resolution?

Identity resolution is the process of pulling together the different identifiers a customer uses and connecting them to a single profile. Without it, you’re left with an incomplete picture of the customer — like a cart tied to one email, an app login tied to another device, or a loyalty swipe that never links back to the same person.

Identity Resolution

Common identifiers include:

Ultimately, identity resolution can help you recognize the same customer wherever they engage.

Why does identity resolution matter now?

Marketers face incomplete views, data silos, privacy regulations, and shrinking visibility:

  • Rising consumer expectations: People want seamless, personalized journeys across touchpoints.
  • Privacy-first environment: Consumer privacy legislation (like the GDPR, CCPA, GLBA, FCRA, and new state laws) makes compliance non-negotiable.
  • Signal loss: The decline of cookies, MAIDs, and walled gardens are pushing brands toward first-party data.

Experian utilizes AI and machine learning to fill these gaps, predict behaviors, and connect signals across devices — providing marketers with a clear, privacy-safe view of their customers, even when traditional identifiers are missing.

In this environment, identity resolution matters because it gives marketers a way to deliver seamless, personalized customer experiences and engage audiences effectively while respecting their privacy. It’s the basis for turning consented first-party data into measurable marketing outcomes without sacrificing trust.

Why is identity resolution critical in a privacy-first world?

Even as cookies linger, marketers have already shifted their strategies to rely on first-party data, where choice and transparency are the baseline expectation. At Experian, our long history as a regulated data steward makes us a uniquely capable and trusted partner for managing modern compliance expectations. Our identity resolution solutions maximize the value of permission-based data while meeting consumer demand for privacy, personalization, and control.

Struggling with scattered customer data? Experian makes identity resolution seamless

How does identity resolution help brands?

Identity resolution turns fragmented signals into unified profiles that drive personalization, efficiency, and compliance. Here’s how it creates measurable business impact.

Creates a unified customer view

One of the biggest advantages of identity resolution is the ability to integrate data from loyalty programs, point-of-sale (POS) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, web analytics, and offline sources into a single, comprehensive profile. Experian strengthens identity resolution with AI-driven clustering models that resolve household and individual identities across billions of signals with greater accuracy.

Identity Resolution Creates Unified Customer View

With a clearer picture of each customer, brands see higher match rates and larger addressable audiences, which translates to more substantial reach and better return on ad spend (ROAS).

Enables better personalization

Customers constantly switch devices, update their information, and change preferences. Experian makes it easier to keep pace with these changes through frequent data enrichment and near-real-time identity resolution via Activity Feed.

Combined with our long-standing use of AI and machine learning, this approach ensures shifting behaviors are captured quickly, enabling timely personalization, and more responsive engagement.

Identity Resolution Enables Better Personalization

With less delay from data to action, the result is faster response times and higher conversion rates.

Improves the customer experience

Customers notice when brands deliver relevant ads and contextual content across every channel. Consistency matters! But consistency doesn’t just happen on its own; it comes from identity resolution, which keeps the customer journey connected.

Identity Resolution Improves the Customer Experience

As brands maintain continuity, they build trust, strengthen engagement, and increase customer lifetime value.

Drives better marketing ROI

Not every profile is valuable. Identity resolution helps marketers identify the highest-value audiences and reduce wasted spend.

Identity Resolution Drives Better Marketing

That efficiency leads to lower CPA and a higher overall ROI across campaigns.

The power of modeling from a stronger foundation

When you have a unified customer view, your models are built on better data. That means you can find more people who look like your best customers, build more responsive audience segments, and target with greater accuracy. This foundation can lead to better spending, more relevant campaigns, and a higher ROI.

Maintains privacy compliance

With GLBA/FCRA-grade standards and consumer choice mechanisms like opt-outs and data correction, you can protect your brand while maintaining personalization — without compromising legal or ethical safeguards.

Identity Resolution Maintains Privacy Compliance

What are some identity resolution use cases and examples?

Every industry faces its own unique identity challenges, but identity resolution is the common thread that turns scattered data into connected experiences. Let’s break down how companies in different verticals are putting it to work (and the kinds of results they’re seeing).

Retail and e-commerce

Shoppers bounce between websites, carts, and checkout lines, leaving behind scattered signals in the process. In retail, identity resolution bridges the gap between online and in-store experiences by matching online carts with loyalty swipes or connecting connected TV (CTV) exposure to in-store sales. This means fewer silos, better targeting, and more personalized offers wherever people shop.

Identity Resolution Retail and eCommerce

Our 2025 Digital trends and predictions report calls out that omnichannel experiences aren’t optional anymore. With CTV and social dominating spend, brands need identity resolution to cut through silos and build a complete view of customer behavior.

Financial services

In financial services, identity resolution makes it possible to deliver personalized, compliant offers like refinancing options for likely mortgage switchers or the right rewards card for frequent spenders.

Our partnership with FMCG Direct to create Consumer Financial Insights® and Financial Personalities® segments helps banks, insurers, and lenders understand behaviors — such as credit card use, deposit balances, and investment habits — without exposing sensitive details.

Read more below about how our financial audiences enable privacy-safe personalization.

Travel and hospitality

Travel decisions aren’t always planned out in advance. Many bookings happen spur-of-the-moment, which is why real-time identity resolution is so powerful; it keeps the journey seamless when travelers jump from phone to laptop to tablet and presents relevant offers right as decisions are being made.

Windstar Cruises put this information into action with Experian’s identity graph to connect digital interactions with actual bookings, which drove 6,500+ reservations and $20 million in revenue.

Media and TV

Viewers tend to hop around between linear TV, streaming apps, and social feeds. And without identity resolution, every screen looks like a different person. Marketers can accurately plan, activate, and measure campaigns by unifying viewing behaviors into one ID with Experian’s AI-powered identity graph.

Identity Resolution Media and TV

Optimum Media tackled its multiscreen challenge by partnering with Experian for identity solutions. Layering our audience insights and our AI-driven Digital Graph onto their subscriber data, they were able to connect the dots across channels, reach the right households, and measure results instead of just impressions. In the end, they finally got a clear view of what works across every screen.

Curious how identity resolution can power your customer analytics? We can walk you through it.

Healthcare and pharma

Healthcare marketers can’t afford slip-ups with HIPAA regulations. Identity resolution makes it possible to engage the right patients and providers with de-identified audiences rather than third-party cookies.

Identity Resolution Healthcare and Pharma

At Experian, AI and machine learning have always been part of how we power identity resolution. In healthcare, that means using AI-enhanced modeling to connect de-identified clinical and claims data with lifestyle insights. The result is a more comprehensive picture of the patient journey that helps close care gaps, reduce wasted spending, and improve outcomes.

By working with partners like Komodo, PurpleLab, and Health Union, we make it possible to activate campaigns at scale that boost engagement and adherence while keeping patient privacy front and center:

  • Komodo Health enriches our identity graph with insights from millions of de-identified patient journeys plus lifestyle data, giving brands a fuller view of where care gaps exist and how to close them.
  • PurpleLab connects real-world clinical and claims data to Experian’s platform, letting advertisers activate HIPAA-compliant audiences across CTV, mobile, and social with the ability to measure real outcomes like prescription lift and provider engagement.
  • Health Union contributes a data set built from 50 million+ patient IDs and 44 billion+ patient-reported data points. Combined with our identity and modeling capabilities, this expands match rates and unlocks up to 76% net-new reach, so campaigns reach patients and caregivers in critical health moments.

As a result, healthcare brands can launch campaigns that are privacy-first, highly targeted, and proven to drive meaningful impact.

Audio

People use audio while commuting, working out, and even folding laundry. It can be one of the hardest channels to track because of how frequently listeners switch between apps, stations, and devices.

Identity Resolution Audio

Experian’s identity resolution partnerships with Audacy and DAX change the game:

  • Audacy helps tie scattered listening into a single view, so advertisers can follow audiences across devices and keep ads relevant in the moment.
  • DAX pairs Experian’s 2,400+ syndicated audiences with its audio network, enabling brands to target precisely and launch impactful campaigns at scale.

These partnerships turn audio into an accurate channel where ads feel personal, privacy-safe, and measurable.

Gaming

Gamers don’t stick to one platform. Player data gets scattered across mobile, console, and PC, so it’s tough to keep track of individuals. Experian helps stitch those signals together so publishers can finally see the whole picture, personalize gameplay, and keep players coming back.

With enriched profiles, publishers can deliver offers that resonate and unlock fresh revenue by packaging high-value gaming audiences for advertisers outside the industry.

Unity, a leading gaming platform, is tapping into Experian’s syndicated audiences to gain player insights and help advertisers reach gamers across mobile, web, and CTV. For global publishers, unifying player data with Experian has driven higher engagement and stronger ad ROI.

How should I evaluate identity resolution providers?

When choosing an identity resolution partner, look for:

  • Data scale and quality: The value of identity resolution depends on how complete and accurate the underlying data is. The right provider should bring together a wide range of identifiers from online and offline sources, maintaining high accuracy so your customer profiles are broad and reliable.
  • Match accuracy and recency: The best partners also refresh their data regularly and can blend deterministic (exact, one-to-one matches) with probabilistic (pattern-based matches) methods. That way, you get the accuracy of “this email is definitely that customer” with the reach of “this device likely belongs to the same person.”
  • Privacy and compliance readiness: Compliance can’t be an afterthought. Your identity partner should be ready for GLBA, FCRA, GDPR, CCPA, and the latest state-level rules with built-in tools for opt-outs, corrections, and deletions.
  • Integration flexibility: A good provider fits into your world, not the other way around. Look for pre-built integrations with your customer data platform (CDP), demand-side platform (DSP), or marketing tech (MarTech) stack so you can get up and running without the heavy IT lift.
  • Data analytics capabilities: You need proof that identity resolution drives ROI. Look for closed-loop measurement that ties unified IDs directly to campaign performance, so you can see what’s working and optimize with confidence.

How Experian enables enterprise-grade identity resolution

Experian delivers identity resolution at the scale, accuracy, and compliance required by the world’s largest enterprises. Our solutions are:

  • Built on trust: Backed by 40+ years as a regulated data steward and rated #1 in data accuracy by Truthset, so you can act with confidence.
  • Powered by our proprietary AI-enhanced identity graph: Combining breadth, accuracy, and recency across four billion identifiers, continuously refined by machine learning for maximum accuracy.
  • Seamlessly connected: Pre-built data integration with leading CDPs, DSPs, and MarTech platforms for faster time to value.
  • Always up to date: Frequent enrichment and near-real-time identity resolution through Activity Feed for timely personalization and more responsive customer engagement.
  • Privacy-first by design: Compliance with GLBA, FCRA, and emerging state regulations baked in at every step, supported by rigorous partner vetting.

The bottom line

Identity resolution turns fragmented signals into connected, measurable, and compliant experiences. From retail to gaming, brands using it see stronger personalization, engagement, and ROI.

With Experian, you get the data, trust, and responsible AI innovation to make identity resolution work across every channel. Our approach uses AI to connect identities, predict behaviors, and deliver personalization that balances privacy with performance. If you’re ready to turn fragmented data into growth, now’s the time to start.

The world’s leading brands trust us to power identity resolution at scale. See how we can do the same for you.

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Identity resolution FAQs

What’s the difference between deterministic and probabilistic matching?

Deterministic uses exact identifiers (like an email) for accuracy, while probabilistic uses signals and algorithms to expand reach. Best-in-class providers usually combine both.

How does identity resolution improve ROI?

Identity resolution helps with personalization by unifying scattered signals into one profile. It reduces wasted spend and increases match rates, which means bigger addressable audiences and higher ROAS.

Can identity resolution work without third-party cookies?

Yes. With first-party data and hashed PII, brands can still maintain addressability and personalization.

What industries benefit most from identity resolution?

Retail, finance, travel, media, gaming, and audio all use identity resolution to personalize, attribute sales, and improve efficiency.

How is Experian different from a CDP?

A customer data platform unifies the data you already own. Meanwhile, we add depth, scale, and higher match rates by layering in our identity graph and data enrichment.

Is Experian identity resolution privacy-compliant?

Yes. Experian is GLBA/FCRA compliant, GDPR/CCPA ready, and supports consumer opt-outs and corrections to ensure responsible personalization.


Latest posts

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Case study: How Experian’s Digital Graph strengthened MiQ’s Identity Spine

As a programmatic media partner for marketers and agencies, MiQ’s mission is to ensure their clients’ media investments are spent on the right audiences in the right environments. MiQ needed a stronger way to unify audience insights, increase scale, and improve efficiency amidst signal loss. To meet this challenge, MiQ integrated Experian’s Digital Graph into their Identity Spine, creating a more comprehensive view of their clients’ target audiences and ensuring their data-driven solutions remain effective, regardless of the signal source or identifier in use. What is Experian's Digital Graph? Experian’s Digital Graph is like a puzzle, connecting billions of digital identifiers to create a complete view of consumers. As signal loss makes targeting harder, our Digital Graph helps marketers stay connected by linking cookies, mobile ad IDs (MAIDs), hashed emails (HEMs), IP addresses, connected TV (CTV) IDs, and universal IDs, like Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) and ID5. We put the pieces together, matching first-party data to a variety of digital IDs for better targeting, measurement, and cross-device insights—so you don’t have to. Challenge: Strengthen targeting capabilities amidst signal loss MiQ needed to stay agile in its strategy and partnerships to ensure digital connectivity amidst ongoing signal loss. To maintain campaign performance and scale, MiQ sought privacy-first partners they could integrate into their Identity Spine. MiQ’s primary objectives included: Strengthen audience targeting across all digital environments, with or without cookies. Reach target audiences in privacy-compliant ways. Maintain or increase the scale — even as reliance on cookie-based targeting declines. The solution: Integrating Experian's Digital Graph into MiQ's Identity Spine MiQ incorporated Experian’s Digital Graph, licensing HEMs, UID2s, and third-party partner cookies, into their proprietary Identity Spine. MiQ’s Identity Spine seamlessly connects over 60 cookieless data feeds and 25 ID solutions. “Experian’s Graph has bolstered our already comprehensive, multi-ID Identity Spine with incredible data on cross-device ownership and cross-channel behavior.”Georgiana Haig, Strategy and Partnerships Director, MiQ Results: MiQ expanded the reach and scale of their Identity Spine The integration of Experian’s Digital Graph with MIQ’s Identity Spine enabled marketers to find, grow, and measure customers across screens even as signal loss evolves and traditional identifiers fluctuate. The integration allowed MiQ to: Create a unified view: MiQ now has a unified view of its clients’ target audiences, enhancing their audience understanding with the addition of 6.5 devices to each matched IP address, enhancing scale and targeting capabilities.  Increase scale: By matching first-party data to multiple universal IDs, MiQ expanded its reach across devices, contributing to a 51% increase in seed audience reach and and a 64% increase in reaching using universal IDs.   Improve efficiency: The combination of Experian’s data with MiQ’s Identity Spine improved cross-device ID resolution, leading to more accurate measurement and reporting with a 70% match rate in associating MiQ-provided IP addresses with universal IDs. Stay connected to your audience despite signal loss with Experian MiQ’s Identity Spine stays strong through their partnership with Experian, keeping audience targeting effective even as signal loss changes the landscape.  Download the full case study to learn more about how Experian’s Digital Graph enabled MiQ to strengthen audience targeting despite ongoing signal loss. Download the full case study Contact us About MiQ MiQ is a global programmatic media partner for marketers and agencies, with 19 offices across Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. They specialize in connecting data from multiple sources to solve business problems for their clients. They are award-winning experts in data science, analytics, and programmatic trading, focused on ensuring clients’ media investments are spent on the right audiences in the right environments. To learn more, please visit www.wearemiq.com. Latest posts

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Separating fact from fiction: Four CTV advertising misconceptions

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CTV is not ready for performance marketing Why this misconception exists CTV was once seen as a branding tool—good for awareness, but hard to measure. Without clear attribution or precise targeting, it wasn’t built for the kind of performance marketing advertisers expect from digital media. What's actually happening In the not-so-distant past, marketers lacked a consistent way to connect CTV impressions to digital or in-store actions because of device fragmentation and limited signal sharing between platforms. Today, you can reach specific audiences on the biggest screen in the house—and know what happened after they saw your ad. Advancements in identity resolution and cross-device tracking now allow advertisers to measure everything from incremental reach to store visits and purchases. 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What's actually happening Advertisers don’t need to choose between scale and precision anymore. With the right audience and identity strategy, it’s possible to connect the dots across screens and unify fragmented viewing behaviors.  “We activate first- and third-party data across CTV, linear, and video-on-demand in a consistent way—making sure campaigns reach real households, not just devices. We also track unduplicated reach and frequency across platforms, so advertisers can understand what’s actually working. Together with Experian, we can measure whether those impressions moved the needle and guide media planning with full-funnel attribution insights."Anastasia Dukes-Asuen, Sr. Director of Advanced TV Data & Insights, Ampersand Experian Audiences are built on our household-level identity graph, giving advertisers a powerful tool to manage reach and frequency across screens. How Ampersand works with Experian Ampersand utilizes Experian Marketing Data to enhance audience-based media planning, activation, and optimization across linear and addressable TV platforms. By combining Experian Audiences with a footprint of 64 million data-enabled homes, Ampersand helps advertisers find the most valuable networks and dayparts to reach their intended viewers. Through its Addressable Simulator tool, powered by Experian data, Ampersand models different budget scenarios to show how reallocating spend into addressable TV can extend reach and improve efficiency. Using Experian-powered targeting has delivered real-world results, like helping a national cruise brand achieve a 14% lift in incremental reach, a 3.1x increase in frequency, and a 24% lower effective CPM. 4. CTV is only for younger, tech-savvy audiences Why this misconception exists Streaming was originally associated with younger viewers, leading advertisers to believe CTV wasn’t an effective way to reach older demographics. That impression stuck, but it’s no longer true. What's actually happening Smart TVs are everywhere, and CTV has gone mainstream. Across generations, households are tuning in to ad-supported streaming services in record numbers—and they’re doing it on the biggest screens in their homes. What ARF data shows New research from the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) backs this up. According to the 2024 DASH TV Universe Study: 77% of U.S. households own at least one Smart TV 82% receive at least one ad-supported streaming service 62% of households receive at least one ad-supported subscription streaming service (AVOD) like Netflix or Max with ads “The audience with the highest Smart TV and ad-supported CTV adoption? Millennials and Gen Xers—Americans in their prime parenting years. Even Boomers have embraced CTV: 73% own a Smart TV and 72% receive at least one ad-supported CTV service.” Jim Meyer, General Manager of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) DASH TV Universe Study ARF and Experian gives marketers the most accurate understanding of who is watching We partnered with the ARF and its DASH universe study to create 18 TV audiences. By combining the ARF’s DASH data set with Experian Marketing Data, we developed one-of-a-kind TV audiences that reflect how viewers interact with digital devices and e-commerce accounts. We created this resource so our customers can align their marketing campaigns with media usage. These audience segments also yield insights that help marketers reach their audiences with the right messages and content. Make CTV work for you this Upfront season CTV is evolving fast, and advertisers who rely on outdated assumptions risk missing out on its full impact. If you're weighing where to place your bets this Upfront season, don’t let old myths steer you off course. CTV delivers reach, performance, and accountability—especially when powered by high-quality data. Experian helps advertisers get more from their CTV investment with household-level insights that control ad frequency and unified audience activation to maintain consistent messaging across platforms. Let’s make your CTV campaigns work smarter. Learn how Experian can help you understand your customers, reach the right audience, and measure performance. Get in touch Latest posts

May 12,2025 by Jeff Weston, Head of Customer Success, Sell-Side

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