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Digital marketers face an ongoing challenge in the form of “walled gardens,” closed online ecosystems where it is difficult to access user data. As we get ready for 2024, it’s more important than ever for marketers to evaluate the current challenges and opportunities surrounding walled gardens and to take stock of the impact of walled gardens in marketing as an industry.
What is a walled garden?
A walled garden is a closed online ecosystem controlled entirely by one tech company. Advertising on these ecosystems is fairly locked down, as major tech companies with walled gardens tend to tightly control access to the user data, content, and advertising that appears within the ecosystems.
Some examples of walled garden ecosystems include Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. These walled gardens have particular advantages, like access to massive user bases and precise targeting within the individual ecosystems. It can also be difficult to reach said audiences outside of the ecosystems, reducing the amount of control you have over your advertising strategies.
Learn more about walled gardens.
Learn the differences between walled gardens and hedged gardens.
Integrated marketing is more important than ever
Today, it’s become more crucial to connect with consumers over multiple touchpoints, which can be done from tech like connected TV (CTV) to websites, mobile devices, and even shopping in a physical store. However, as integrated marketing gains utility, many platforms with walled garden ecosystems have increased, making a truly integrated and personalized marketing strategy more difficult in many situations. As a result, many marketers have realized the value of a more streamlined marketing approach, emphasizing the importance of fully integrated advertising strategies.
Though there are surely marketing advantages to gain from walled garden ecosystems, especially in audience size, the challenges they pose will require you to innovate and find more creative ways to engage with your audience from platform to platform.
Perspectives on walled gardens from Cannes Lions 2023
Offering a poignant view of industry trends and ideas, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity of 2023 had much to say about the significance of walled gardens in the marketing world. Let’s look at two key takeaways from this year’s festival.
Retail media
In recent years, many retail companies have started selling ad space within their own walled garden shopping platforms, dubbed “retail media.” Platforms like Amazon and Walmart have developed their own particular advertising ecosystems where they sell ads to marketers within the shopping environment itself.
Navigating the sell-side of retail media’s walled gardens
While retail media offers marketers unique opportunities, it’s not without its challenges. For one, ad space in these environments is limited, so the competition can be difficult on the sell-side, leading to higher ad costs. Additionally, this shift in dynamic also forces marketers to change how they prioritize their marketing channels, looking closer at the results of their efforts rather than focusing on particular channels within the platforms themselves.
Opportunities in the buy-side of retail media’s walled gardens
Brands on the buy-side see various benefits from advertising within retail media channels and walled gardens. By browsing in an online shopping environment, the users in these ecosystems are likely high-intent shoppers, people who are further down the sales funnel and who are ready to make a purchase soon. Shoppers can also be precisely targeted within these environments, as marketers are given the ability to access very specific audience segments based on details like shopping behavior, preferences, and even purchase history.
Omnichannel marketing
To more effectively engage audiences even among an abundance of walled garden ecosystems, speakers at the 2023 Cannes Lions Festival discussed the importance of omnichannel marketing. By emphasizing strategies that reach the consumer through multiple touchpoints, marketers can deliver a unified brand experience across channels. This allows marketers to focus more on results than specific advertising channels, including walled garden platforms.
Walled gardens aren’t going away in the near future
Though various challenges are associated with walled gardens in advertising, they aren’t going anywhere. So, what’s the current state of these environments throughout the industry?
Efforts are being made to break down walled gardens in tech
In a handful of countries, regulatory actions have been put forward to address how dominant many major tech companies are in their respective markets. One major example of this is Meta and Google’s entanglements in Canada. Currently, neither company can display news on their websites in the Canadian market. This decision was reached to give Canadian news agencies more control over their advertising revenue since, previously, the tech giants received more views and, therefore, gained the ad revenue. Though relatively small, this does indicate a certain shift in dynamic.
Why companies are resisting
Despite their challenges, walled gardens in 2023 persisted, mainly because they are particularly adept at generating revenue for the tech companies that control them. In 2022, 78 percent of global digital advertising revenue came from these closed ecosystems, and projections expect that figure to rise to 83 percent by 2027. From the viewpoint of a company that operates in a walled garden, the idea of releasing their control over their environment represents losing out on a stream of vast revenue, making letting go of a walled garden ecosystem an unattractive prospect.
The future of walled gardens
As time progresses, what can digital marketers like you expect from walled garden ecosystems in the near future?
A cookieless future
A huge element to consider is the transition to a cookieless future. Many major browsers have begun phasing out the use of third-party cookies. In the wake of this decision, many are looking for reasonable alternatives that allow for behavior tracking and more personalized advertising experiences. Solutions like Experian’s identity resolution can provide a strong alternative option, allowing marketing strategies to adapt to the current landscape.
An influx of mini gardens
You should also anticipate the proliferation of various smaller, specialized walled garden ecosystems in the future. These so-called “mini gardens” specialize in more niche audiences and industries, and they can present their own challenges and opportunities.
Alternative IDs
As you search for new identification methods outside cookies, various alternatives have presented themselves, requiring further exploration and experimentation. Among these are privacy-compliant solutions like Unified ID 2.0, which allow you to serve more personalized ads without compromising the consumer’s privacy.
Navigating the evolving landscape of walled gardens in 2024
As we begin 2024, you will continue facing opportunities and challenges regarding walled gardens. The 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity re-emphasized how important it is for marketers to stress omnichannel marketing within walled garden environments and become well acquainted with identity resolution solutions as we move into a cookie-less future. All of this requires you to become comfortable with walled gardens being here to stay and innovate to navigate an evolving and developing landscape.
We’re here to help you navigate the evolving landscape of walled gardens in 2024. Contact us today.
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As marketers face growing signal fragmentation, Experian has launched a data marketplace that brings addressability, interoperability, and identity resolution into one activation-ready platform. Download the overview to see how our data marketplace connects high-quality identity to scalable activation across all screens. Download the overview Why does cross-channel audience consistency matter? Marketers plan campaigns to reach people wherever they watch, browse, and engage. Consistent identity allows those plans to carry across screens without fragmentation. Experian’s data marketplace starts with identity. Our data marketplace is built on our best-in-class identity graph which includes 126 million U.S. households, 250 million individuals, and more than four billion active digital IDs. This foundation supports reliable audience connections across channels and devices. What distinguishes Experian's data marketplace? Experian connects the entire ecosystem — TV operators, programmers, supply-side platforms (SSPs), demand-side platforms (DSPs), and brands — with activation-ready audiences that drive measurable performance. Buyers can access data from retail, CPG, healthcare, B2B, location intelligence, and more. Our audiences are built on verified offline data, which means they're grounded in real-world accuracy, not just digital assumptions. When you activate through our marketplace, you: Reach relevant audiences across screens Maintain accuracy at scale Support addressability as media environments evolve Whether you're running a campaign on connected TV (CTV), mobile, or display, we help you show up in the right place, to the right person, at the right time. Related reading Four CTV advertising misconceptions marketers need to drop "Experian has been a longstanding partner of DISH Media, and we’re excited to be an early adopter of their marketplace which leverages the foundation of their identity solutions to ensure maximum cross-channel reach as we look to expand the breadth and depth of data we use for addressable TV."Kemal Bokhari, Head of Data, Measurement & Analytics Want a quick overview of Experian's data marketplace? Watch our video for a quick overview of how Experian's data marketplace works. How does Experian's data marketplace support buyers, sellers, and platforms? Our data marketplace streamlines how teams plan, distribute, and activate data. Buyers and sellers align workflows while maintaining scale and accountability. Here’s how it delivers: Enhances addressability and match rates All audiences delivered from our marketplace benefit from our best-in-class offline and digital identity graphs, which ensure addressability across all channels like display, mobile, and CTV. Unlike other data marketplaces, Experian ensures all identifiers associated with an audience have been active and are targetable, improving the accuracy of audience planning. Simplifies audience planning and distribution for TV Operators TV operators can build custom audiences matched directly to their subscriber footprint and distribute them across all advanced TV channels (data-driven linear, addressable, digital, and CTV) for maximum impact. Reintroduces choice within the data marketplace ecosystem With the departure of Oracle’s advertising business, the optionality for buyers and sellers to connect with third-party data has become increasingly limited. With Experian's data marketplace, we’re excited to offer a new solution to the market that ensures data-driven targeting can continue to take place at scale. Reduces activation costs Experian’s data marketplace offers transparent, pass-through pricing with no additional access fees, enabling partners to maximize their earnings while reducing costs. Expands audience diversity and scale Platforms can access a broad range of audiences across top verticals from our partner audiences, which can be combined with 3,500+ Experian Audiences. This offers the flexibility, reach, and scale necessary to effectively execute advertising campaigns. Which data partners participate in Experian's data marketplace? Our data marketplace includes premium data from partners such as Alliant, Attain, Circana, Dun & Bradstreet, and more. Buyers activate these audiences alongside Experian Audiences within one workflow. “Circana and Experian have enjoyed a deep partnership for over a decade. We are exceedingly excited to extend our partnership and be an early adopter and launch partner of the Experian data marketplace. This additional capability will enable the ecosystem to more easily access Circana’s purchase-based CPG and General Merchandise (for example Consumer Electronics, Toys, Beauty, Apparel etc.) audience segments to drive performance outcomes across all media channels.”Patty Altman, President, Global Solutions “Capturing the attention of target audiences across channels is critical for marketers navigating an increasingly connected digital world. We are excited to be an exclusive provider of B2B solutions within Experian’s marketplace, helping brands and media agencies to accelerate their reach, addressability and targeting capabilities across TV, mobile and connected TV channels.” Georgina Bankier, VP of Platform Partnerships Q&A with Attain Q&A with Circana Q&A with Webbula How Yieldmo drove in-store traffic for an athletic retailer with Experian's data marketplace Yieldmo, a leading SSP known for its AI-powered creative formats and privacy-forward inventory, partnered with Experian to support an athletic retailer focused on in-store traffic during key sales periods. The team identified high-intent shoppers and activated them across channels. Using our data marketplace, Yieldmo combined Experian Audiences with partner segments from Alliant, Circana, Webbula, and Sports Innovation Lab. This approach allowed the team to: Identify in-store and conquest segments quickly Combine first- and third-party audiences in one place Improve match rates and cross-channel addressability Deliver measurable foot traffic lift “Experian’s data marketplace fills a critical gap, letting us quickly search by brand, build smarter conquest segments, and activate audiences fast. The platform is flexible and the support is hands-on and reliable.”Abby Littlejohn, Director of Sales Planning The campaign delivered faster setup, tailored audiences, and strong in-store performance with less manual effort. Download the full case study Learn more about our solutions for SSPs Get started with Experian's data marketplace Experian’s data marketplace, easily accessible from our Audience Engine platform, brings unparalleled addressability, enabling our clients to reach more relevant consumers and increase revenue. Talk to our team if you’re interested in learning more about our new data marketplace or becoming an active buyer or seller, or download our overview to learn more. FAQs What is Experian’s data marketplace? Experian’s data marketplace is a centralized, activation-ready platform that allows TV operators, programmers, supply partners, and demand platforms to access and activate high-quality, privacy-compliant audiences across CTV, mobile, and display. It supports both first-party onboarding and third-party audience activation. Who is the Experian data marketplace designed for? The Experian data marketplace is built for TV operators, programmers, supply partners, and demand platforms looking to improve audience targeting, match rates, and addressability across fragmented digital environments. What types of audiences are available in the Experian data marketplace? The Experian data marketplace offers a mix of Experian proprietary audiences and third-party data partner segments across verticals like retail, CPG, B2B, healthcare, financial services, and location intelligence. Users can activate over 3,500 Experian Audiences and premium partner segments from providers like Alliant, Attain, Circana, Dun & Bradstreet, Webbula, and more. How does Experian ensure addressability and match rate performance? Experian’s data marketplace is powered by our identity graphs which are rooted in verified offline data, spanning 126 million U.S. households, 250 million individuals, and over four billion active digital identifiers. This foundation ensures that audiences are accurate, actively targetable, and optimized for high match rates across CTV, mobile, and display platforms. Is Experian’s data marketplace privacy-compliant? Yes. All data in the Experian data marketplace is subject to Experian’s rigorous partner review process to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local consumer privacy regulations. Privacy and data stewardship are foundational to our data marketplace’s design. What makes Experian’s data marketplace different from other data marketplaces? Experian’s data marketplace stands out for its focus on audience accuracy, partner integration, privacy compliance, and deep identity expertise. Here’s how we’re different: – Accurate audience planning: Unlike many other marketplaces, Experian ensures that all identifiers tied to an audience are verified as active and targetable — improving match rates and reducing waste. – Seamless partner audience integration: In one platform, you can activate Experian Audiences alongside premium segments from our growing partner network — including Alliant, Attain, Circana, and more. – Privacy and compliance built in: Every partner and audience goes through Experian’s rigorous review process to meet federal, state, and local consumer privacy laws — so you can activate with confidence. – Trusted identity foundation: Experian’s identity graph is grounded in decades of offline data expertise, powering more reliable targeting and activation than marketplaces built solely on digital signals. Where can I learn more or get started? You can download the overview to explore the capabilities, or contact our team to become an active buyer or seller. The Experian data marketplace is available through Experian’s Audience Engine platform. Latest posts
2024 marked a significant year. AI became integral to our workflows, commerce and retail media networks soared, and Google did not deprecate cookies. Amidst these changes, ID bridging emerged as a hot topic, raising questions around identity reliability and transparency, which necessitated industry-wide standards. We believe the latest IAB OpenRTB specifications, produced in conjunction with supply and demand-side partners, set up the advertising industry for more transparent and effective practices. So, what exactly is ID bridging? As signals, like third-party cookies, fade, ID bridging emerged as a way for the supply-side to offer addressability to the demand-side. ID bridging is the supply-side practice of connecting the dots between available signals, that were generated in a way that is not the expected default behavior, to understand a user’s identity and communicate it to prospective buyers. It enables the supply-side to extend user identification beyond the scope of one browser or device. Imagine you visit a popular sports website on your laptop using Chrome. Later, you use the same device to visit the same sports website, but this time, on Safari. By using identity resolution tools, a supply-side partner can infer that both visits are likely from the same user and communicate with them as such. ID bridging is not inherently a bad thing. However, the practice has sparked debate, as buyers want full transparency into the use of a deterministic identifier versus an inferred one. This complicates measurement and frequency capping for the demand-side. Before OpenRTB 2.6, ID bridging led to misattribution as the demand-side could not attribute ad exposures, which had been served to a bridged ID, to a conversion, which had an ID different from the ad exposure. OpenRTB 2.6 sets us up for a more transparent future In 2010, the IAB, along with supply and demand-side partners, formed a consortium known as the Real-Time Bidding Project for companies interested in an open protocol for the automated trading of digital media. The OpenRTB specifications they produced became that protocol, adapting with the evolution of the industry. The latest evolution, OpenRTB 2.6, sets out standards that strive to ensure transparency in real-time bidding, mandating how the supply-side should use certain fields to more transparently provide data when inferring users’ identities. What's new in OpenRTB 2.6? Here are the technical specifications for the industry to be more transparent when inferring users’ identities: Primary ID field: This existing field now can only contain the “buyeruid,” an identifier mutually recognized and agreed upon by both buyer and seller for a given environment. For web environments, the default is a cookie ID, while for app activity, it is a mobile advertising ID (MAID), passed directly from an application downloaded on a device. This approach ensures demand-side partners understand the ID’s source. Enhanced identifier (EID) field: The EID field, designated for alternative IDs, now accommodates all other IDs. The EID field now has additional parameters that provide buyers transparency into how the ID was created and sourced, which you can see in the visual below: Using the above framework, a publisher who wants to send a cross-environment identifier that likely belongs to the same user would declare the ID as “mm=5,” while listing the potential third-party identity resolution partner under the “matcher” field, which the visual below depicts. This additional metadata gives the demand-side the insights they need to evaluate the reliability of each ID. "These updates to OpenRTB add essential clarity about where user and device IDs come from, helping buyers see exactly how an ID was created and who put it into the bidstream. It’s a big step toward greater transparency and trust in the ecosystem. We’re excited to see companies already adopting these updates and can’t wait to see the industry fully embrace them by 2025."Hillary Slattery, Sr. Director, Programmatic, Product Management, IAB Tech Lab Experian will continue supporting transparency As authenticated signals decrease due to cookie deprecation and other consumer privacy measures, we will continue to see a rise in inferred identifiers. Experian’s industry-leading Digital Graph has long supported both authenticated and inferred identifiers, providing the ecosystem with connections that are accurate, scalable, and addressable. Experian will continue to support the industry with its identity resolution products and is supportive of the IAB’s efforts to bring transparency to the industry around the usage of identity signals. Supply and demand-side benefits of adopting the new parameters in OpenRTB 2.6 Partner collaboration: Clarity between what can be in the Primary ID field versus the EID field provides clear standards and transparency between buyers and sellers. Identity resolution: The supply side has an industry-approved way to bring in inferred IDs while the demand side can evaluate these IDs, expanding addressability. Reducing risk: With accurate metadata available in the EID field, demand-side partners can evaluate who is doing the match and make informed decisions on whether they want to act on that ID. Next steps for the supply and demand-sides to consider For supply-side and demand-side partners looking to utilize OpenRTB 2.6 to its full potential, here are some recommended steps: For the supply-side: Follow IAB Specs and provide feedback: Ensure you understand and are following transparent practices. Ask questions on how to correctly implement the specifications. Vet identity partners: Choose partners who deliver the most trusted and accurate identifiers in the market. Be proactive: Have conversations with your partners to discuss how you plan to follow the latest specs, which identity partners you work with, and explain how you plan to provide additional signals to help buyers make better decisions. We are beginning to see SSPs adopt this new protocol, including Sonobi and Yieldmo. “The OpenRTB 2.6 specifications are a critical step forward in ensuring transparency and trust in programmatic advertising. By aligning with these standards, we empower our partners with the tools needed to navigate a cookieless future and drive measurable results.” Michael Connolly, CEO, Sonobi These additions to the OpenRTB protocol further imbue bidding transactions with transparency which will foster greater trust between partners. Moreover, the data now available is not only actionable, but auditable should a problem arise. Buyers can choose, or not, to trust an identifier based on the inserter, the provider and the method used to derive the ID. While debates within the IAB Tech Lab were spirited at times, they ultimately drove a collaborative process that shaped a solution designed to work effectively across the ecosystem.”Mark McEachran, SVP of Product Management, Yieldmo For the demand side: Evaluation: Use the EID metadata to assess all the IDs in the EID field, looking closely at the identity vendors’ reliability. Select partners who meet high standards of data clarity and accuracy. Collaboration: Establish open communication with supply-side partners and tech partners to ensure they follow the best practices in line with OpenRTB 2.6 guidelines and that there’s a shared understanding of the mutually agreed upon identifiers. Provide feedback: As OpenRTB 2.6 adoption grows, consistent feedback from demand-side partners will help the IAB refine these standards. Moving forward with reliable data and data transparency As the AdTech industry moves toward a cookieless reality, OpenRTB 2.6 signifies a substantial step toward a sustainable, transparent programmatic ecosystem. With proactive adoption by supply- and demand-side partners, the future of programmatic advertising will be driven by trust and transparency. Experian, our partners, and our clients know the benefits of our Digital Graph and its support of both authenticated and inferred signals. We believe that if the supply-side abides by the OpenRTB 2.6 specifications and the demand-side uses and analyzes this data, the programmatic exchange will operate more fairly and deliver more reach. Contact us Latest posts
Note: This Ask the Expert was recorded prior to Experian’s acquisition of Audigent and discusses industry trends and how we’ve worked together in the past. Adopting new strategies based on trust due to evolving privacy regulations and the gradual loss of traditional signals, like third-party cookies, is essential to successfully navigating the future of digital advertising. Advertisers and marketers are at a crossroads, facing the challenge of maintaining personalization and precision while respecting consumer expectations around privacy. To stay competitive, brands must adopt future-ready strategies that focus on trust, privacy-forward technologies, and scalable solutions. In our latest Ask the Expert segment, recorded before Experian acquired Audigent, we explore how first-party data and advanced contextual audience targeting are two critical approaches for successfully navigating these changes. With insights from Greg Williams, President of Audigent, now part of Experian, and Crystal Jacques, VP of Sales at Experian, we discuss how these tools can empower your brand for long-term success. First-party data as a cornerstone strategy First-party data, a powerful tool for building meaningful connections with your audience, has emerged as a fundamental pillar of future-ready strategies. When collected and used effectively, it provides brands with a detailed understanding of consumer preferences and behaviors, enabling real-time campaign adjustments for maximum impact. “Data has become part of every step of the digital advertising supply chain, and should be part of everybody’s buys… the more you can include data in your digital marketing, the better off and the more power you have."Greg Williams, President, Audigent With the continual loss of signal, including third-party cookies, first-party data has proven to be key for brands to stay both competitive and privacy-compliant. Brands using first-party data are better positioned to overcome the challenges of signal loss. This data facilitates improved media targeting and personalized messaging, driving greater engagement and return on investment. Contextually-Indexed Audiences build relevance Experian’s Contextually-Indexed Audiences enable advertisers to target users based on their interests in real-time, without relying on cookies or mobile ad IDs. Machine learning analyzes and maps traffic from over two million websites, linking to Experian’s 2,400 audience segments. With added benefits like audience customization and flexible activation through Audigent’s private marketplaces (PMPs) or demand-side platforms, Experian is setting a new standard for scalable audience targeting. For automotive advertisers, this could mean reaching consumers actively researching luxury electric vehicles on relevant sites. Unlike outdated methods, contextual targeting aligns the message with consumer intent, balancing high precision with consumer privacy. Automotive success story Audigent’s innovative solutions have delivered tangible results. Williams mentions how they helped an automotive brand achieve double the scale and triple their goal of driving test drives. This stands as a testament to the real-world effectiveness of contextual audience strategies and Experian's role in executing them. How to stay ahead of change Here are five strategies to help your brand remain future-ready amid privacy challenges and signal loss: Prioritize first-party data: Build trust and improve targeting accuracy by relying on data that you own directly from your consumers. Test privacy-forward tools: Experiment with solutions like contextual targeting and Google’s Privacy Sandbox to future-proof your advertising. Strengthen identity framework: Create systems to securely manage and use data for cross-channel decision making. Use scalable tools: Partner with trusted providers to deploy solutions that adapt to changing industry standards. Stay proactive and flexible: Continuously evaluate trends and refine approaches to align with emerging consumer and regulatory expectations. A deeper conversation For additional insights, watch our full Q&A. Greg Williams and Crystal Jacques discuss the future of audience targeting, how first-party data reshapes marketing strategies, and how Experian and Audigent have collaborated in the past. Watch now Contact us About our experts Greg Williams, President, Audigent Greg Williams is Audigent's President, responsible for managing Audigent’s vast portfolio of ecosystem partners, enterprise sales, marketing, and client success. An innovator in programmatic ad buying, Williams co-founded MediaMath and was instrumental in building and scaling that company in the US and internationally. He led MediaMath's international expansion in 2011 and grew that business from zero to a top revenue driver for the company in three years. During his 14 years at the company, Williams held global roles and built teams across every function of the organization — most notably leading business and market development, product development, and partnerships. Prior to co-founding MediaMath, Williams held senior positions at [X+1] (which was later acquired by RocketFuel), Nielsen, and Accenture. Crystal Jacques, Head of Enterprise Sales, Experian Head of Enterprise Partnerships, leading Experian's go-to-market team across all verticals. With over ten years of experience in the Identity space, Crystal brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She joined Experian in 2020 through the Tapad acquisition, following her successful stint as the head of Global Channel Partnerships for Adbrain, which The Trade Desk later acquired. Latest posts