Loading...

Santa’s secret weapon? Experian Audiences

Published: September 26, 2025 by Lucy Simmonds, Content Marketing Specialist

At A Glance

Santa may have a sleigh, but marketers have something better: Experian Audiences, delivering accuracy, scale, and 25 new holiday-ready segments to help brands connect with the right shoppers at the right time.

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.

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.
Work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation such as Affinity Answers, Circana, MMGY, Precisely Place IQ, and Resonate

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:

  1. The merry makers
  2. The list-checkers
  3. The holiday hoppers
  4. The entertainers

Let’s unwrap the segments within each category.

The merry makers

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:

  1. NEW! Bakeries High Spend
  2. NEW! Caterers High Spend
  3. NEW! Chocolate Candy Box Bag Bar Shoppers 3.5oz Plus
  4. NEW! Chocolate Shoppers
  5. NEW! Cocktail Mix Shoppers
  6. NEW! Frosting and Frosting Mix Shoppers
  7. NEW! Marshmallow Shoppers
  8. NEW! Ready-to-Use Pie Crust Shoppers
  9. NEW! Sugar Shoppers
  10. 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.

The list checkers

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:

  1. NEW! Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High Spend
  2. Big Box/Club Stores Holiday Shoppers
  3. Black Friday Holiday Shoppers
  4. Cyber Monday Holiday Shoppers
  5. Heavy Buyer/Spenders Holiday Shoppers: In-Store or Online
  6. High Spend Gift Shoppers
  7. Holiday Shoppers: Apparel (Clothing)
  8. Luxury Gift Shoppers
  9. Online Coupon Users
  10. 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.

The holiday hoppers

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:

  1. NEW! Bridge and Road Fees Tolls High Spend
  2. NEW! Hotel High Spend
  3. NEW! Lodging Hotels Motels Resorts High Spend
  4. NEW! Passenger Railways High Spend
  5. NEW! Timeshares High Spend
  6. NEW! Tourist Attractions and Exhibits High Spend
  7. NEW! Travel Agencies and Tour Operators High Spend
  8. Holiday Budget Savvy Airline Travelers
  9. Holiday Travel – Airline
  10. 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.

The entertainers

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:

  1. Cable and Streaming TV Service Subscribers
  2. Cable Satellite or Streaming Network Subscribers
  3. Co-Watchers
  4. Cord Cutters
  5. Holiday TV
  6. NFL Enthusiasts
  7. Paid TV High Spenders
  8. Screen Size – Large
  9. Sports Enthusiasts
  10. Streaming Video: High Spenders

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:

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.

work with Experian’s network of data providers to build audiences and send to an Audigent PMP for activation such as Affinity Answers, Circana, MMGY, Precisely Place IQ, and Resonate

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.

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

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.


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

Loading…
Your guide to targeting New Year’s resolution audiences in 2025

It's almost the start of a new year, so it's time to plan your 2025 marketing strategy. One-third of U.S. adults planned to make a New Year's resolution in 2024, with adults under 30 being the most likely to do so. From living healthier lifestyles to traveling more often, there is an opportunity to capture customers with well-targeted messaging. But how do you know which audiences are most interested in these goals?  In this blog post, we’ll reveal audience segments designed for you to reach the most relevant shoppers for your New Year’s resolutions campaigns according to shoppers' goals and resolution categories. You can find the complete audience segment name in the appendix. Start the year strong with Experian's audience insights With the New Year almost upon us, it’s the perfect time for a fresh start. Utilize Experian’s syndicated audiences to ensure your marketing messages resonate with your ideal customers.  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. Five New Year's resolution audience categories to embrace this new year There are many different types of New Year's Resolutions that people set come January 1st. Here are five common New Year's Resolutions: Healthy habits Get organized Explore new experiences Live life to the fullest New Year’s budgeteers Let's break down each resolution category and which audiences you can use to target consumers based on their New Year’s resolutions. Healthy habits A significant portion of consumers set their sights on adopting healthier lifestyles and maintaining newfound habits. Target audiences could include those who have recently purchased gym memberships and are shopping at health stores, demonstrating a commitment to their resolutions.  Here are five audience segments that you can activate to target consumers focused on healthy habits in the new year: NEW! New Year's Health/Fitness/Gym Membership Shoppers NEW! Frequent Gym Goers Vitamins/Supplements Shoppers New Year's Food/Healthy Food Shoppers New Year's Vitamins/Diet Supplement Shoppers By strategically targeting these segments, your marketing efforts are more likely to resonate with those determined to make a year of lasting, healthy change.  Get organized Many consumers pledge to declutter and get organized. One key target audience could consist of those who have recently purchased organizational tools or storage solutions. Additionally, consider reaching out to homeowners or individuals in the midst of a major life change, such as moving or expanding their families, as they often seek ways to simplify and organize their spaces.  Here are seven audience segments that you can activate to target consumers focused on getting organized in the new year: NEW! Furniture and Home Decor: Deals Discounts Affordable High Spend Spenders Shoppers  NEW! Post Holiday Shoppers Household Goods: Frequent Spenders Home Improvement/DIY: Frequent Spenders Furniture & Home Decor In Store: Frequent Spenders Garden & Landscaping Stores: Frequent Spenders Hardware & Home Improvement Stores: In Store Frequent Spenders To expand or reach new audiences, you can layer in purchase predictors to reach those who are likely to spend on home maintenance and improvement products or are expanding their families. Home Maintenance and Improvement Explore new experiences Many consumers want to embark on a journey of self-improvement by exploring new experiences, whether it's picking up a new hobby or visiting a place they've never been. One primary target audience could be vacation and leisure travelers, as they often seek new destinations and opportunities to make the most of their seasonal getaways. Additionally, sports enthusiasts are always looking to boost their outdoor adventures through fresh experiences and specialized equipment.  Here are six audience segments that you can activate to target consumers focused on exploring new experiences in the new year: Play Golf Pickleball Enthusiast Wilderness Sports and Camping Enthusiasts Activities: Camping  Summer Airline Travel  Summer Travel: Vacation/Leisure  Live life to the fullest A considerable number of individuals make resolutions aimed at embracing life to the fullest. One prime target audience includes those who have recently booked travel experiences or adventures, showcasing their commitment to exploring new horizons. Additionally, consider reaching out to individuals who are likely to visit sports stadiums and arenas. Here are seven audience segments that you can activate to target consumers focused on living life to the fullest in the new year: NEW! Budget Savvy Air Travelers  Air Travel: Frequent Spenders Cruises: Frequent Spend NFL Stadium Visitors Ski Resort Visitors Vacation/Leisure Travelers: Weekend Getaways Culinary Experience To expand or reach new audiences, you can layer in purchase predictors to reach consumers who are likely to spend on travel and travel-related products. Travel New Year's budgeteers As the new year begins, many consumers are rethinking their finances and seeking smarter ways to spend and save. These audiences are focused on achieving their financial goals by utilizing budgeting tools, finding flexible payment options, and taking control of their debt. With financial wellness top of mind, they are ready to explore solutions that align with their resolution to be more financially savvy. Here are seven key audience segments that reflect the mindset of consumers eager to make 2024 a year of financial empowerment: In market for Buy Now Pay Later In market for Mortgage Refinance In market for Auto Loan Refinance Credit Card High Utilization Likely to Transfer Credit Card Balance Loyal Rewards Enthusiast, Low Credit Card Balance Secure, Savvy Credit User, High Home Equity Balance We can help you reach consumers in the new year Connect with consumers pursuing their New Year's resolutions to kick off 2025. Whether your audience seeks to embrace healthy habits, get organized, explore new experiences, budget their personal finances, or live life to the fullest, Experian Marketing Data provides a solid foundation for targeting, enrichment, and activation As we get ready for 2025, let the power of Experian’s data-driven insights guide your marketing strategies, helping consumers turn their resolutions into reality. Connect with our audience team 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. 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 Contact us Appendix Here are the complete audience segment names (taxonomy path) for all audience segments discussed in this blog post. Healthy habits NEW! Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > New Year's Health/Fitness/Gym Membership Shoppers  NEW! Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Health and Fitness > Frequent Gym Goers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Health and Fitness > Vitamins/Supplements: Vitamins/Supplements Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > New Year's Food/Healthy Food Shoppers Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > New Year's Vitamins/Diet Supplement Shoppers Get organized NEW! Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Home Furnishings > Furniture and Home Decor: Deals Discounts Affordable High Spend Spenders Shoppers NEW! Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Post Holiday Shoppers Purchase Transactions > Household Goods > Frequent Spenders Purchase Transactions > Home Improvement/DIY > Frequent Spenders Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Home Improvement & DIY > Furniture & Home Decor In Store: Frequent Spenders Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Home Improvement & DIY > Garden & Landscaping Stores: Frequent Spenders Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Home Improvement & DIY > Hardware & Home Improvement Stores: In Store Frequent Spenders Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Home Maintenance and Improvement Explore new experiences Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Activities and Entertainment > Play Golf Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Sporting Goods, Apparel > Pickleball Enthusiast Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Outdoor Activities > Wilderness Sports and Camping Enthusiasts  Travel Intent > Activities > Camping Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Summer Airline Travel  Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Summer Travel: Vacation/Leisure  Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Travel > Vacation/Leisure Travelers: Summer Trips Live life to the fullest NEW! Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Budget Savvy Air Travelers  Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Travel > Air Travel: Frequent Spenders Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Travel > Cruises: Frequent Spend Mobile Location Models > NFL Stadium Visitors Mobile Location Models > Ski Resort Visitors Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Travel > Vacation/Leisure Travelers: Weekend Getaways Travel Intent > Activities > Culinary Experience Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Travel New Year’s budgeteers Financial > In Market > Buy Now Pay Later Financial FLA Friendly > In Marketing Mortgage Refinance   Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Auto Loan Refinance  Financial FLA Friendly > Credit Card High Utilization Financial FLA Friendly > Likely to Transfer Credit Card Balance Financial Personalities > Credit Card Financial Personality > Loyal Rewards Enthusiast, Low Credit Card Balance Financial Personalities > Home Equity Financial Personality > Secure, Savvy Credit User, High Home Equity Balance Latest posts

Oct 31,2024 by Lucy Simmonds, Content Marketing Specialist

Five considerations for the future of addressability and personalization

Brands are increasingly focused on offering personalized experiences while respecting consumer privacy. Addressability enables them to reach specific audiences with relevant messages, and personalization crafts unique content that aligns with each audience's interests and needs. By combining these strategies, brands can create more relevant and effective marketing campaigns. With new regulations and signal loss reshaping the landscape, alternative identifiers like the ID5 ID and The Trade Desk's Unified I.D. 2.0 (UID2) are gaining importance. These tools give advertisers a more holistic view of consumers across channels, enhancing personalization and addressability even as traditional third-party cookies lose relevance. To shed light on this topic, we interviewed experts from Audigent, Basis Technologies, CvE, ID5, MiQ and others. They shared insights on navigating privacy, utilizing new identifiers, and enhancing personalization with consent. Drawing from their perspectives, we've identified five considerations to help brands adapt and succeed in this evolving landscape. 1. Embrace a privacy-centric approach With the increasing focus on consumer data protection, prioritizing privacy in your addressability efforts is essential. Implement strict data guidelines to protect personally identifiable information (PII) and maintain compliance with state-specific regulations. To achieve this, empower consumers by providing clear and transparent choices about data sharing and honoring their preferences. Avoid targeting based on protected categories or sensitive information. By adopting a privacy-first mindset, you can build consumer trust while still delivering relevant advertising experiences. “It's important to champion consumer privacy and the free internet. We need to strike a balance between the two. This balance is essential for our jobs, the economy, news, politics, and all the valuable content and information we rely on.”Drew Stein, Audigent 2. Personalize with consent Consumers are more willing to share their information when they see clear benefits. In fact, over half of shoppers—and two-thirds of Gen X and Millennials—express a desire to receive holiday shopping deals directly from their preferred brands1. By offering value through loyalty programs, special offers, or interactive platforms, you can personalize experiences without compromising privacy. To implement this strategy, encourage consumers to share their preferences and needs by being transparent and giving them control over their data. This approach builds trust, empowers your audience, and enhances personalization. “Building personalization based on the data consumers have consented to share should lead to a positive experience that drives better engagement because it's relevant to them.” April Weeks, Basis Technologies 3. Personalize with contextual targeting Contextual targeting involves delivering ads based on the content users are currently engaging with rather than user identifiers. By focusing on personalization through contextual targeting and dynamic content, you can align your strategies with your audience's real needs and interests. This approach allows advertisers to reach consumers on websites with more visitors matching the demographics, behaviors, or interests they want to target. “Personalization absolutely can thrive. We have various solutions, all utilizing IDs for targeting and personalization. Beyond that, we can also personalize using context, geo-contextual data, and creative strategies.” Georgiana Haig, MiQ 4. Use alternative identifiers As advertisers move beyond third-party cookies, exploring alternative identifiers offers reliable means to connect with consumers. Options like email addresses or device IDs provide direct connections, improving targeting accuracy. Utilize identity graphs to link different signals and identifiers to establish strong ties to individual users or households. This approach maintains, and can even enhance, your ability to reach the right audience and measure campaign performance. “It's not just about maintaining addressability. It's about massively improving addressability. When we run tests with some of our clients, they're seeing 30, 40, 50, 60% incremental reach by using ID5 versus cookies.” Mathieu Roche, ID5 5. Build partnerships Navigating the complexities of addressability doesn't have to be a solo effort. Partnerships between brands, publishers, and tech providers can lead to innovative solutions that benefit everyone. Consider engaging in data partnerships to access new audience segments without maintaining extensive data. Collaborations focused on your tech stack can enhance your ability to deliver personalized content effectively and at scale. “The rise of second-party data partnerships is going to be an interesting trend over the next couple of years. And if you need mass scale across the world, I think that's a much more cost effective and scalable way to do it.”  Paul Frampton, CvE Steering toward success The future of addressability and personalization hinges on your ability to adapt to the changing privacy landscape while delivering meaningful, personalized experiences. By focusing on these five key considerations, you can navigate the complexities of modern advertising, build stronger relationships with consumers, and drive sustainable growth. Connect with our addressability experts Footnote Online survey conducted in June, 2024 among n=1,000 U.S. adults 18+. Sample balanced to look like the general population on key demographics (age, gender, household income, ethnicity, and region). Latest posts

Oct 24,2024 by Experian Marketing Services

The essential role of authenticated audiences in CTV advertising

Originally appeared on VideoNuze Connected TV (CTV) is a leading platform in digital advertising, combining the precise targeting of digital ads with the broad reach and storytelling power of traditional TV. This creates an immersive experience that offers full-funnel marketing results. As consumer time spent watching CTV has doubled over the past five years and linear TV viewing patterns have shifted, advertisers now see CTV as essential for reaching and engaging audiences. Of those CTV users, viewers increasingly choose to watch content with ads. By 2025, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) viewers will increase to 49% of CTV users, further highlighting the opportunity for marketers to captivate audiences in ways standard digital display ads can't match. With the explosion of consumer time spent and advertising dollars following, making CTV more addressable and targeted requires a combination of identity and audience.   Historically, the IP address has been the most popular way to target a household with a CTV (e.g., LG, Samsung, Vizio device) or streaming platform (e.g., Disney+, Paramount+, Roku, Amazon Prime, etc.). As IP addresses continue to fluctuate in terms of durability, consistency, and type, including the increased adoption of IPv6, we have seen a new incumbent enter the CTV ecosystem: Unified ID 2.0 (UID2). UID2 stands out as a particularly valuable tool for CTV advertisers. It provides a standardized way to identify and target users across CTV and traditional channels like display and mobile while respecting consumer privacy. Given that purchases might not occur on CTV, UID2's ability to link ad exposure on CTV to conversions on other devices is crucial for demonstrating a CTV campaign's true impact. Authenticated audiences are key to CTV's appeal A significant advantage of CTV is its high rate of logged-in, authenticated users. This provides marketers with reliable first-party data for targeting and measurement purposes. UID2 benefits from this since it's a universal identifier based primarily on first-party data, such as people’s email addresses and phone numbers. Authenticated viewers can also be connected across different devices, enabling marketers to understand the full customer journey, which helps attribute conversions more accurately to CTV ads. Key advantages of CTV for digital marketers Superior viewing experience: Larger screens and a captive audience watching high-quality on-demand content Authenticated users: Enables precise audience targeting, more personalized ad experiences, and enhanced cross-device attribution Value exchange: Viewers get cost-effective content with personalized ads, leading to higher engagement "Authenticated viewers and universal IDs like UID2 are revolutionizing CTV advertising, enabling the effective delivery of personalized content and ensuring strong engagement for marketers; Paramount is committed to optimizing across platforms and will continue to utilize tools and advancements that maximize reach for our partners and improve the user experience for our viewers."Travis Scoles, Executive Vice President, Paramount Advertising The role of universal IDs in CTV advertising Universal IDs, like UID2, play a critical role in CTV by ensuring consistent user identification across platforms while respecting privacy. Adoption of UID2 is gaining traction in the TV industry, with brands such as AMC Networks, Disney, Dish Media, FreeWheel, NBCUniversal, Roku, and Paramount integrating it into their digital advertising ecosystem. As authentication increases across traditional digital and mobile apps, especially CTV, universal IDs like UID2 enable cross-device and cross-channel identity strategies without cookies. This is especially important as traditional identifiers like third-party cookies and IP addresses face an uncertain future.  Better understand and reach your audience with identity graphs For CTV ad spending to catch up to time spent with CTV, the industry must use these authenticated signals and universal IDs. Identity graphs, like Experian’s, integrate various identifiers (e.g., universal IDs, CTV IDs, IP addresses), allowing CTV platforms to understand relationships between households, individuals, and devices. This understanding enables: Publishers using universal IDs can make advertising on their platform more addressable, which will lead to higher demand.  Marketers can achieve greater precision with cross-device targeting, cross-channel frequency management, and more holistic measurement since conversions often happen on non-CTV devices.  Viewers receive a more personalized ad experience (without seeing the same ad repeatedly), which will increase engagement with a marketer's campaign.  Watch our Ask the Expert video with The Trade Desk to deepen your knowledge on CTV advertising and UID2. Watch the video here Contact us Latest posts

Oct 21,2024 by Budi Tanzi, VP, Product


Appendix

Here are the complete audience segment names (taxonomy paths) for all audience segments discussed in this blog post.

The merry makers

  1. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Bakeries High Spend
  2. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Caterers High Spend
  3. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Chocolate Candy Box Bag Bar Shoppers
  4. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Chocolate Shoppers
  5. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Cocktail Mix Shoppers
  6. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Frosting and Frosting Mix Shoppers
  7. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: High Spenders
  8. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Marshmallow Shoppers
  9. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Ready To Use Pie Crust Shoppers
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > CPG Engagement > Sugar Shoppers

The list-checkers

  1. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Precious Stones Metals Watches Jewelry High
  2. Retail Shopper: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Big Box/Club Stores Shoppers
  3. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Black Friday
  4. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Cyber Monday
  5. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Heavy Buyer/Spenders: In Store
  6. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Heavy Buyer/Spenders: Online
  7. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Shopping Behavior > Gift Shoppers High Spend Spenders
  8. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Apparel (Clothing)
  9. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Luxury Gift Shoppers
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchased Based > Shopping Behavior > Online Coupon Users
  11. Retail Shoppers: Purchased Based > Seasonal > Holiday Shoppers: Post holiday

The holiday hoppers

  1. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Bridge and Road Fees Tolls High Spend
  2. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Hotels High Spend
  3. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Lodging Hotels Motels Resorts High Spend
  4. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Passenger Railways High Spend
  5. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Timeshares High Spend
  6. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Tourist Attractions and Exhibits High Spend
  7. Purchase Predictors > Shoppers All Channels > Travel Agencies and Tour Operators High Spend
  8. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Budget Savvy Airline Travelers
  9. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal > Holiday Travel – Airline
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Seasonal> Holiday Travel – Train

The entertainers

  1. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cable and Streaming Service Subscribers
  2. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cable Satellite or Streaming Network
  3. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Co-Watchers
  4. Television (TV) > Household/Family Viewing > Cord Cutters
  5. Publisher Derived > IAB Television > Holiday TV
  6. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Activities and Entertainment > NFL Enthusiasts
  7. Television (TV) > TV Enthusiasts > Paid TV High Spenders
  8. Television (TV) > Viewing Device Type > Screen Size – Large
  9. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Sports and Recreation > Sports Enthusiast
  10. Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Entertainment > Streaming/Video/Audio/CTV/Cable TV: Streaming Video: High Spenders

Subscribe to our newsletter

Enter your name and email for the latest updates

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

About Experian Marketing Services

At Experian Marketing Services, we use data and insights to help brands have more meaningful interactions with people. As leaders in the evolution of the advertising landscape, Experian Marketing Services can help you identify your customers and the right potential customers, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate, and measure the effectiveness of marketing activities and campaigns.

Visit our website

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay up to date on the latest industry news and receive expert tips from our marketing experts.
Subscribe now!