A few weeks ago, Experian and OpenX hosted a supply-side think tank at our New York City office. Over 70 industry leaders met to talk about targeting in a cookieless future and how we can reach consumers in intentional ways.
Publishers and supply-side partners shared what challenges they face, what solutions they’re considering, and what the future holds once the third-party cookie begins to deprecate in 2024. In this blog post, we’ll cover the top challenges, cookieless solutions, and actionable strategies we discussed at the event that can help publishers, their partners, and agencies make informed decisions about how to navigate tomorrow’s digital ecosystem.
Four main challenges
Four main challenges were discussed at the event:
First-party data monetization
Publishers possess a wealth of first-party data, but collecting and centralizing this information can be difficult for actionable insights. Streamlining data centralization and organizing first-party data is crucial for effective decision-making. Even with a wealth of first-party data, it’s important to be aware of any blind spots in your data and enrich those gaps with data partners rooted in offline connections.
“We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the supply-side think tank led by OpenX and Experian, two industry leaders in navigating a cookieless future. We’re excited to collaborate with them on testing privacy sandbox APIs, identity resolution products, and audience development tools to enhance creator monetization and support an open internet amidst rapid technological and regulatory shifts.”
Patrick McCann, SVP, Research, Raptive
Lack of authenticated data and persistent IDs
The deprecation of third-party cookies means there will be a shortage of authenticated user data and persistent identifiers. Without this information, targeting and personalization become more challenging. Participants discussed the need to find alternative ways to gather and use personal data responsibly. It’s time to start evaluating data partners who have accurate, multi-source compiled, privacy-compliant data with the dedication to reach and recency.
Fragmentation and scale with alternative IDs currently in the market
The multitude of alternative identifiers in the market poses a challenge for publishers. Each of these identifiers comes with its own set of rules and integration processes, leading to fragmentation and complexity. Publishers must find ways to navigate this landscape. Look to ID agnostic partners who provide a way to access multiple IDs at scale.
“The industry needs a more streamlined standard to integrate alternative IDs, given the ongoing challenges of third-party cookie deprecation, measurement, and clean rooms. This burden falls heavily on product and engineering teams, who must prioritize and address these issues one at a time.”
Ryan Boh, Head of Identity, Lockr
Time
Cookie deprecation is almost here. It is crucial to organize your legal, engineering, and product resources, and align internal go-to-market strategies. Establish partnerships that work with your team to follow these timelines and help build phased or cohesive strategies to prepare for a path to monetization. It is imperative to establish a sense of urgency and not wait for others to take the lead. Start testing now to determine if your infrastructure is ready and capable. Many partners who attended the think tank offered insights on how they’ve been tackling challenges to help their industry peers.
Solutions and action plans for a cookieless future
Participants discussed ways they are starting to prepare for a cookieless future and other approaches on their roadmaps:
Work with data partners heavily rooted in offline data across the ecosystem
Enriching your first-party data with partners who rely on offline IDs can help bridge gaps in your audience knowledge. This approach allows you to build a more complete audience profile while third-party cookies are still operational.
Experian is rooted in deterministic offline data and has decades of experience managing it safely. We have insights on over 250 million U.S. consumers and 126 million U.S. households. With our digital technology assets, we bring in 4 billion devices and 1 trillion device signals to definitively connect offline records to online identifiers. With Experian identity widespread adoption throughout the industry, we’re able to provide a common language for us all to collaborate. Experian identity organizes people into households, links their digital devices and IDs to them, enriches their identity with behavioral attributes, and then makes this data actionable in any environment, all while maintaining consumer privacy and data regulations.
“Experian’s supply-side think tank provided a platform for publishers and AdTech companies to discuss the challenges posed by cookie deprecation, privacy regulation updates, and identity restrictions. It highlighted the need for AdTech companies to assist publishers in addressing anonymous users without requiring a value exchange — fostering a mutually beneficial and privacy-compliant open web solution.”
Anthony Caccioppoli, Head of AdTech & Solutions, Insider
Develop your own persistent ID
Creating and maintaining a proprietary persistent ID can be a valuable cookieless solution. It provides control and independence in the new environment post cookie, giving publishers the ability to maintain a consistent user profile.
Use your data to expand contextual targeting opportunities
Contextual targeting involves placing ads based on the content of the web page rather than user data. In the absence of cookies, this strategy can prove effective in reaching relevant audiences.
“The masking or deprecation of IP addresses will eventually impact the availability of addressable IDs in non-authenticated web environments. In addition to ensuring maximum resiliency of our Graph and increasing support for authentication-based IDs, we are also investing in research and development around the use of other signals, such as contextual data, to maintain behavioral targeting inside non-authenticated environments. We will be sharing our findings and future plans in this space in the coming months.”
Budi Tanzi, VP, Product, Experian
Facilitate a knowledge exchange
Reach out to your network to find out what others are testing and what’s working. Start collaborating with agencies and brands across the buy-side to meet their needs.
“The collaborative spirit displayed by our partners constantly inspires me. Listening to the obstacles our industry faces allows this community to build strong relationships, create action plans, and deliver true value.”
Carly Allcorn, Account Executive, Publisher & Supply-Side Partnerships, Experian
Invest in an identity graph
Invest in an identity graph provider to sync first-party cookies and addressable IDs. This ensures that your data remains accessible and actionable in a cookieless world.
“Many participants at our think tank with Experian expressed the need to find an identity solution while also exploring other ways they can start to address cookie deprecation while maintaining business as usual.”
Callie Askenas, Director of Publisher Development, OpenX
How Experian and OpenX can help
Graph from Experian captures all available digital identifiers in real-time and resolves them back to individuals and households. We’re signal agnostic, continuously expand the IDs we support, and futureproof identity resolution through a combination of deterministic, probabilistic, and cookieless identifiers.
Experian is a key player in OpenX’s OpenAudience solution and helps to power many of their data segments as well as their identity graph. While OpenX collaborates with a variety of providers and operates a fully interoperable platform, Experian remains valuable to the core technology within OpenX’s supply-side platform (SSP).
Experian can help you prepare for the cookieless future
It’s clear that the cookieless future poses some unique challenges for publishers, but there are solutions. Publishers and their supply-side partners can come up with strategies to target consumers in intentional ways by continually testing multiple identifiers and cookieless solutions, developing their own persistent ID, creating velvet rope content, and returning to contextual targeting. Collectively, these actionable strategies can help ensure that publishers have a more successful transition into a cookieless future.
Experian has been preparing for signal loss for quite some time and we continue to make substantial investments to ensure our resiliency and the resiliency of our customers. We continue to diversify our signal creating profiles with more persistent identifiers which allows us to pair authentication-based universal identifiers such as UID2 into our Graph seamlessly.
Experian is ready and we are here to navigate the future of privacy together.
To find out more about how Experian can help you prepare for the cookieless future, get in touch with a member of our team today.
Get ready for the cookieless future with Experian
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As audiences shift from linear TV to streaming and digital platforms, measurement is becoming more complex and critical. In 2024, brands that can unify impressions across channels, resolve identity, and connect measurement to business outcomes will gain a significant advantage. Here’s what advertisers and platforms need to know. Why TV measurement is under pressure One name has long stood as the bedrock in TV measurement: Nielsen. Nielsen Nielsen is a leading provider of TV audience measurement and analytics. It is known for its TV rating system, which tracks viewership across various demographics and time slots. Nielsen’s data is used by media companies, advertisers, and broadcasters to understand audience preferences, develop, and plan advertising campaigns, and monitor program performance. Nielsen’s recent global expansion Nielsen has continued to expand its global coverage and now fully represents 100% of TV households in the continental U.S., delivering comprehensive and accurate audience measurement. Through this expansion, Nielsen has remained a go-to resource for domestic and international television analytics. In 2021, Nielsen faced a significant setback when it was stripped of its MRC (Media Rating Council) accreditation, sending shockwaves through the industry. While the accreditation was eventually reinstated in 2023, the incident underscored the need for diversification and alternatives within TV measurement. TV measurement competitor outlook For decades, advertisers and agencies have relied on Nielsen's metrics as the gold standard, a trusted source of data guiding ad spending and campaign strategies. However, recent developments have shaken this foundation, prompting a reevaluation of the TV measurement landscape. One notable trend emerging in TV measurement in 2024 is the increasing interest in alternative measurement providers. As advertisers seek greater transparency, accuracy, and flexibility in measurement, many are exploring options beyond Nielsen. These providers offer distinct advantages and drawbacks, presenting advertisers and agencies with a wealth of options and considerations. Panel-based TV measurement providers Panel-based TV measurement has long been a staple in the industry, relying on representative samples of viewers to extrapolate audience behavior. In 2024, several providers offer panel-based solutions, each with different strengths. Comscore Comscore is a key player in panel-based TV measurement, offering comprehensive audience measurement solutions for both linear and digital television. With its massive panel of opted-in households, Comscore provides advertisers with detailed demographic and behavioral insights, enabling targeted advertising strategies. Comscore recently earned MRC accreditation for total household and average audience measurement in national and local TV reports. Kantar Media Kantar Media offers a range of panel-based TV measurement services, including audience measurement, ad effectiveness measurement, and competitive intelligence. With its global footprint and deep expertise in media analytics, Kantar Media helps advertisers understand audience trends and optimize their media investments. Kantar Media is currently working to create a cross-media measurement panel similar in size to what Nielsen offers. While Kantar Media does not presently operate in the U.S. TV measurement market, it would be a formidable competitor should it move into the arena. ACR-based TV measurement providers Automatic content recognition (ACR) technology has revolutionized TV measurement, allowing for real-time monitoring of content consumption across devices. In 2024, several providers use ACR technology to deliver innovative measurement solutions. iSpot.TV iSpot.TV has emerged as a leading provider of ACR-based TV measurement, using its advanced technology stack to capture and analyze TV ad exposures in real-time. Through its acquisition of 605, iSpot.TV strengthens its position in the market, offering advertisers enhanced audience targeting and attribution capabilities. iSpot.tv’s ad catalog and ad occurrence data are fully accredited by the MRC, which is one of its strongest assets. Watch our Ask the Expert with 605 here Samba TV Samba TV offers a comprehensive ACR-based TV measurement platform, providing advertisers with insights into audience behavior across linear, streaming, and connected TV environments. With its robust data infrastructure and machine learning algorithms, Samba TV enables advertisers to optimize their TV advertising campaigns for maximum impact. Samba has recently partnered with HyphaMetrics to create an alternative panel to compete with others in the market. TVision TVision is a smaller competitor in this group that blends ACR-based TV measurement solutions with a panel-based approach, offering advertisers and networks real-time visibility into viewer engagement and attention metrics. By tracking viewer attention and emotional response, TVision helps advertisers understand the effectiveness of their TV ad campaigns and make data-driven decisions. Four common misconceptions in CTV advertising Advantages of alternative measurement providers As the TV measurement landscape evolves in 2024, alternative providers present compelling advantages over traditional approaches, with three key benefits to consider. Diverse data sources: Alternative providers use a wide array of data sources, including set-top boxes, smart TVs, streaming platforms, and digital devices, offering a more comprehensive view of audience behavior. Granular insights: Many alternative providers offer granular insights into viewer demographics, preferences, and engagement metrics, allowing for more targeted and effective advertising strategies. Real-time analytics: Some providers deliver real-time insights that let advertisers optimize campaigns on the fly and quickly act on emerging trends. Learn how our Digital Graph creates a unified view across TV and digital Challenges with alternative measurement providers Alternative providers face several key challenges that need to be addressed before they are widely adopted. Let's dive into each challenge in more detail. Fragmentation With multiple providers using different methodologies and metrics, achieving standardization and comparability across campaigns can be a daunting task. With the proliferation of over-the-top (OTT) services, the TV measurement landscape has become increasingly complex, with new platforms emerging regularly. While ACR technology has enhanced data collection directly from televisions, the market remains highly fragmented, with many manufacturers (like Vizio, LG, and Samsung) building their own ACR solutions. We've teamed up with both LG and Samsung to make our identity and audience solutions available directly within their platforms, enhancing targeting, activation, and measurement capabilities for advertisers in the CTV space. Data privacy concerns As TV measurement becomes increasingly data-driven, concerns around consumer privacy and data ethics loom large, necessitating robust privacy protocols and compliance measures. We’ve already seen lawsuits around the ACR approach to TV measurement. Education and adoption Shifting away from the familiar territory of Nielsen requires education and buy-in from stakeholders, including advertisers, agencies, and media buyers, which can be a gradual and iterative process. See how we help Optimum Media connect every screen to real results Next steps for an identity graph in TV measurement As the TV measurement landscape trends toward a blend of options instead of singular approaches, the ability to identify and target audiences across platforms is crucial. An identity graph serves as a foundational tool that can enable brands and advertisers to resolve disparate data sources into a unified view of the consumer. Experian’s Digital Graph includes more than 4 billion digital identifiers in the U.S., such as mobile ad IDs (MAIDs), universal IDs, connected TV (CTV) IDs, third-party cookies, and hashed emails (HEMs). Representing 250 million individuals and 275 million CTV IDs, it helps advertisers maintain consumer connections as signals fade. Our ability to merge offline and digital data delivers stronger ID resolution, cross-channel attribution, and clearer insights into audiences across streaming, linear, and digital environments. And because identity is only as powerful as the activation it enables, Experian’s data marketplace makes these audiences directly addressable across TV platforms. Advertisers can seamlessly activate custom audience segments for CTV, streaming, and linear partners – all while maintaining the same identity foundation across planning, targeting, and measurement. As advertisers navigate the complexities of the TV measurement landscape in 2024, combining Experian’s Digital Graph, Offline Graph, and data marketplace will be essential for building effective cross-channel advertising strategies and maximizing ROI. Learn how our Digital Graph strengthened MiQ's Identity Spine How Experian supports TV measurement Experian has been in the TV measurement space for decades and offers flexible attribution reports that can attribute media spend on TV to real actions or outcomes, such as website visits, physical location visits, and online and offline sales. We also have unique data through our automotive and financial databases that can be used for attribution. Through our Consumer Sync solutions, you can elevate your attribution quality to understand the true path to conversion by linking all digital touchpoints to a single person. The next frontier of TV measurement TV measurement in 2024 presents both challenges and opportunities for understanding audience behaviors and preferences. We anticipate a continued migration toward alternative providers as advertisers seek greater flexibility and accuracy in measurement. We expect a fragmented future for TV measurement, where data sources extend beyond traditional giants like Nielsen to include numerous smaller players. Despite the entrenched role of linear TV measurement, advertisers must adapt to a blend of data from diverse sources to navigate the evolving landscape. Read our playbook on how to capture future buyers on FAST At Experian, we have the solutions to help you tackle 2024 marketing trends and make the most of your consumer marketing data. Our Graph enables seamless tracking across devices and channels, allowing us to implement first-touch, last-touch, and multi-touch attribution models with unparalleled accuracy. By harnessing the capabilities of our Graph, our attribution solutions can assign value to every crucial touchpoint in the customer journey, giving you a more holistic and comprehensive view of your campaign performance. Connect with an Experian expert to learn more about how we can help you succeed in your marketing efforts. Connect with us today Latest posts FAQs What is TV measurement? TV measurement is the process of tracking how viewers consume content across linear, streaming, and connected TV (CTV), and connecting those impressions to advertising outcomes. Who is TV measurement designed for? TV measurement is built for advertisers, agencies, media owners, and platforms that need to understand reach, frequency, and ROI across fragmented TV and digital ecosystems. What types of TV measurement solutions exist today? There are panel-based providers (like Nielsen and Comscore), ACR-based providers (like iSpot.TV, Samba TV, and TVision), and hybrid or identity-based approaches that unify signals across channels. How do alternative providers ensure accuracy and performance? Many rely on diverse data sources (set-top boxes, smart TVs, streaming platforms) and identity graphs to improve match rates, reduce duplication, and deliver a more complete view of audiences. Is TV measurement privacy-compliant? Yes. Leading providers, including Experian, build privacy and compliance into their solutions. What makes Experian’s approach different from other providers? Experian uniquely combines offline and digital data within its identity graph, enabling precise ID resolution, cross-channel attribution, and outcome-based measurement that connects media spend to real actions. Where can I learn more or get started? You can explore Experian’s measurement solutions or connect with an Experian expert for a personalized walkthrough.
At Experian, we understand the critical role that audience targeting plays in the success of marketing campaigns. That's why we're excited to share this curated list, aimed at helping agencies and media buyers plan their campaigns and effectively reach their audiences with precision and confidence. What separates Experian's syndicated audiences Experian’s 2,400+ syndicated audiences are available directly on over 30 leading television, social, 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. Here's a look at the Experian audiences that were the most popular in Q2 2023. Which ones will you add to your Q2 campaign planning? Our top 10 audiences for Q2 Fitness enthusiast Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Health & Fitness > Fitness Enthusiast In-store high spender on baby products Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Shopping Behavior > Baby Products: In Store High Spenders Has a bachelor’s degree Demographics > Education > Bachelor Degree In-market for an SUV and CUV Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Body Styles > SUV and CUV In-market for a mid-size truck Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Body Styles > Mid-Size Truck Homeowner Demographics > Homeowners/Renters > Homeowner In-market for a small, mid-size SUV Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Body Styles > Small Mid-Size SUV In-market for a full-size truck Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Body Styles > Full-Size Trucks In-market for a full-size SUV Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Body Styles > Full-Size SUVs Household income level Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > $75,000+ Our top 5 audiences by vertical Which audience segments were the most popular by advertiser vertical? Advanced TV Household income level Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > $75,000-$99,999 Interested in dogs Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Pets > Dogs (FLA / Fair Lending Friendly)1 Homeowner Demographics > Homeowner/Renter > Homeowner Household income level Demographics > Household Income (HHI) > $100,000-$124,999 Interested in arts and entertainment Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Art and Entertainment > Visual Art and Design (FLA / Fair Lending Friendly) Agency Dog owner Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Pets > Dog Owners Cat owner Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Pets > Cat Owners Active investor Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Investors > Active Investor Mutual fund investor Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Investors > Mutual Fund Investor In-market for a full-size SUV Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Body Styles > Full-Size SUVs Auto In-market for a new car Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-New/Used > New Car In-market for a used car Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-New/Used > Buyer Used In-market for a Honda Autos, Cars And Trucks > In Market-Make And Models > Honda In-market for an auto loan Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Auto Loan In-market for an auto lease Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Auto Lease Did you know? Consumers looking to buy a new vehicle prefer streaming TV, digital newspapers, and email for communication2. By merging our TrueTouchTM engagement channel audiences with our Auto in-market audiences, you can effectively target these consumers through their preferred channels. TrueTouch facilitates personalized advertising campaigns by predicting consumer preferences, ensuring messaging styles align with the right channels and calls to action. By understanding what types of media people prefer, you can match the best way to talk to them with what to offer, using the right channels for personalized ads. No consumer is the same – and you need to engage with them on their terms to successfully market to them. Financial Active in the military Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Occupation > Military – Active In-market for a credit union loan Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Credit Union Loan 40-49 years old Demographics > Ages > 40-49 30-39 years old Demographics > Ages > 30-39 Small business owner Consumer Behaviors > Occupation: Small Business Owners Health 25-29 years old Demographics > Ages > 25-29 30-34 years old Demographics > Ages > 30-34 Weight conscious Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Health & Fitness > Weight Conscious Moms interested in fitness Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Moms, Parents, Families > Fitness Mothers High spenders at vitamin/supplement stores Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Health and Fitness > Vitamins/Supplements: Vitamins/Supplements Retail & CPG Dog owners Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Pets > Dog Owners Cat owners Lifestyle And Interests (Affinity) > Pets > Cat Owners Fitness enthusiast Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Health & Fitness > Fitness Enthusiast Interested in healthy living Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Health & Fitness > Healthy Living High spenders at vitamin/supplement stores Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Health and Fitness > Vitamins/Supplements: Vitamins/Supplements Activate the right audiences with Experian When you choose Experian’s syndicated audiences, you gain access to over 2,400 audiences that span across 15 verticals and categories. These audiences are directly available for activation on over 30 platforms and can be sent to over 200 media platforms. Experian is ranked #1 for data accuracy (as validated by Truthset) and Experian Marketing Data is the foundation for successful targeting, enrichment, and activation. For a full list of Experian's syndicated audiences and activation destinations, download our syndicated audiences guide. Need a custom audience? We can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice. Connect with our audience team Check out other seasonal audiences you can activate today. Contact us Footnotes Fair Lending Act Friendly audiences: “Fair Lending Friendly” indicates data fields that Experian has made available without use of certain demographic attributes that may increase the likelihood of discriminatory practices prohibited by the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”). These excluded attributes include, but may not be limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, disability, handicap, family status, ancestry, sexual orientation, unfavorable military discharge, and gender. Experian’s provision of Fair Lending Friendly indicators does not constitute legal advice or otherwise assure your compliance with the FHA, ECOA, or any other applicable laws. Clients should seek legal advice with respect to your use of data in connection with lending decisions or application and compliance with applicable laws. Experian looked at our Auto and TrueTouch audience data to understand media preference trends over the past year. Latest posts
With the impending deprecation of third-party cookies, marketers find themselves at the crossroads of innovation and adaptation. As we bid farewell to this identifier, the emphasis shifts to forging deeper connections, understanding customer needs, and navigating the marketing landscape with data-driven precision. At Experian, we stand as your trusted partner, committed to guiding you through this transition. In this blog post, we'll explore: How third-party cookie deprecation is impacting digital advertising Six alternatives to third-party cookies and where they fall short How Experian can help you navigate a cookieless world Four ways third-party cookie deprecation is impacting digital advertising Third-party cookie deprecation is causing significant challenges within the AdTech industry, manifesting in four key areas: Reach: Advertisers and demand-side platforms (DSPs) will face difficulties in reaching their target customers due to the absence of third-party cookies. Understanding audiences: Advertisers will find it challenging to understand the demographics and behaviors of their customer base without third-party cookies. Similarly, publishers are struggling to identify their audiences accurately, resulting in less addressable and appealing inventory. Measurement: Measurement providers may encounter obstacles in accurately assessing the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Additionally, DSPs are finding it hard to measure the impact of their ads without the assistance of third-party cookies. Matching: Data providers may experience challenges in matching users with the appropriate audience segments, leading to difficulties in delivering targeted advertising. Six alternatives to third-party cookies As the deadline approaches for Google's removal of third-party cookies from Chrome by the end of 2024, marketers are scrambling to discover alternative methods for delivering effective advertising. Fortunately, various alternatives are emerging. However, the abundance of options can create confusion rather than clarity. Which alternatives are worth considering? Here are six compelling alternatives to third-party cookies: 1. First-party data Acquiring consented first-party data directly from users is becoming increasingly vital as it can lay the groundwork for more precise targeting. 2. Universal IDs Alternative identifiers like The Trade Desk's UID2 and ID5’s Universal ID are becoming increasingly important, offering the ability to maintain a comprehensive consumer view across channels and platforms, leading to enhanced personalization and addressability across various channels, even in cookieless environments. 3. Identity graphs As browser-based IDs shift and digital signals decline, the need for an identity graph grows, with companies adopting a "graph-of-graph" strategy by combining their own robust first-party data with licensed identity graphs, as highlighted in recent announcements by industry giants such as Disney, VideoAmp, and Magnite. 4. Contextual targeting Contextual targeting aligns publisher content with relevant ads, ensuring ad delivery based on content rather than individual identifiers. This privacy-respecting approach is less dependent on third-party cookies, providing effective audience activation. 5. Data collaboration In a cookieless world, it becomes more difficult for companies to "communicate" with one another. We expect to see more pick up of data collaboration in the market, using addressable IDs and identity resolution to power connectivity between partners and their data sets. 6. Google Privacy Sandbox The primary goal of Google’s Privacy Sandbox is to continue to deliver valuable consumer information that yields relevant marketing and media strategies, while protecting a user’s privacy. How these alternatives to cookies fall short While it's promising to see numerous alternatives to cookies emerging, it's essential to recognize that each alternative has its limitations and is not a perfect one-to-one replacement for third-party cookies. Let’s review the shortcomings of these alternatives, and then we’ll walk through how Experian can help you navigate these alternatives to cookies. 1. First-party data First-party data, which is data directly collected from your users with their consent, is highly valuable. However, you will likely face limitations in terms of the number of consumers in your database, the identifiers linking them, and the insights into their demographics and behaviors. To overcome these limitations, it's essential to expand both the quantity and quality of your first-party data. 2. Universal IDs Universal identifiers are valuable for tracking users across different devices and websites. However, no single universal identifier has enough reach to fully replace third-party cookies. Universal IDs are most effective in terms of scaling, when they are combined with other universal identifiers or alternative addressable identifiers. 3. Identity graph Identity graphs excel at connecting digital audiences. However, establishing an identity graph from scratch is a significant accomplishment, demanding expertise, financial resources, and more. 4. Contextual targeting Contextual targeting and advertising aim to place your ads next to relevant content. However, there's a risk that your ads might appear alongside misaligned content, reaching audiences who are uninterested or unintended. 5. Data collaboration Data collaboration is beneficial for enhancing your consumer data and informing your strategies. However, it can introduce potential data security risks, if not done in the right framework, and may lead to subpar matching results due to issues like data hygiene or discrepancies in identifiers. 6. Google Privacy Sandbox Google’s Privacy Sandbox aims to balance effective advertising with consumer privacy and data security. However, it lacks transparency and has yet to prove its effectiveness, raising concerns about whether it meets industry standards. How Experian can help you navigate a cookieless world As an industry innovator and leader in data and identity, we've developed solutions to address the challenges posed by the shift away from third-party cookies. Our products are designed to adapt to these changes and ensure your success. We've anticipated industry shifts and proactively prepared our offerings to support you through this transition. Below we outline how our products are ready to support you through the transition away from third-party cookies. Graph The Experian Graph facilitates connectivity without relying on cookies. Our Graph helps ensure connectivity by supporting a variety of addressable identifiers, not limited to but including universal IDs, like Unified ID 2.0 (UID2) and ID5's universal ID. Whether you have first-party data or not, our Graph can be used to expand the reach of your first-party data or provide you with access to the full scope of our Graph's 126 million households and 250 million individuals. Activity Feed Supported by our Graph, Activity Feed can help you deliver digital connectivity and resolution in a cookieless environment. Activity Feed can resolve disparate activity to a single, consumer profile. It can expand the quantity of addressable identifiers associated with your first-party consumers. Additionally, Activity Feed, by joining disparate activity and identifiers, provides clearer insights, more addressable targets, and more holistic measurement. Our Marketing Attributes and Audiences In a cookieless environment, our Marketing Attributes and Audiences provide valuable information and insights about who your consumers are, like their demographics, shopping patterns, and more, to facilitate more informed decision-making. You can use our Marketing Attributes and Audiences to enrich your first-party data, giving you crucial insights into your customers so you can make informed, strategic decisions. They can be matched to universal identifiers, expanding their utility. Additionally, our Marketing Attributes and Audiences are sourced from non-cookie dependent offline and digital sources, ensuring they are unimpacted by third-party cookie deprecation. Collaboration While third-party cookies have primarily served to connect data in the industry, many companies are turning to data collaboration in lieu of having third-party cookies. In doing so, they can connect data with key partners, which they can use to make better media decisions. Experian Collaboration helps make data collaborations better, powering higher match rates by using the various identifiers supported in our offline and digital graphs. Through our current support of collaboration in three environments, within Experian, through crosswalks, and in clean rooms, such as AWS, InfoSum, and Snowflake, we ensure that you only share the data you intend to share, while the sensitive information remains secure. This way, your partner and you can focus on how to use the data to benefit you and not on anything else. Get started with alternatives to third-party cookies today While many view the deprecation of third-party cookies as disruptive, we see it as an opportunity for the industry to embrace a new era of advertising while prioritizing consumer privacy. Achieving this balance is crucial, and Experian's solutions are here to help you navigate it effectively. As the AdTech industry gravitates toward a few tactics to effectively advertise in the cookieless future, Experian is here to understand your core needs and recommend products that will help. In a rapidly evolving marketing landscape, Experian stands as your trusted partner, offering expertise in data-driven and identity solutions. Connect with our team to seamlessly transition into these alternatives to third-party cookies, ensuring your marketing strategies remain effective, privacy-compliant, and focused on meaningful connections. Get started today Latest posts