It’s been one week since the highly anticipated Cannes Lions 2023 – the event of the year for advertising and creativity. We’re thrilled to share our top four key takeaways from the event, showcasing what the industry will prioritize in the upcoming year.
Signal loss
At Cannes Lions 2023, experts underlined the detrimental effects of signal loss on advertising and emphasized the significance of having diverse channels. Discussions emphasized the importance of adapting paid media strategies to align with evolving consumer behaviors in order to remain relevant in the ever-changing landscape.
Urgency in planning and avoiding being caught without a solid strategy was a common theme throughout the event. Alternative identifiers, like first-party data, were highlighted, as they prioritize privacy-centric approaches. Contextual advertising emerged as a key part of the solution, providing relevant ads that fit seamlessly into the user’s experience.
Collaboration
Collaboration was a major theme at Cannes Lions 2023. Attendees explored topics such as maintaining privacy and identifying the right attributes for effective targeting. Clean rooms were discussed as a way to ensure privacy when sharing data, and highlighted partnerships as the key to unlocking interoperability within the advertising ecosystem. The discussions underscored the need for industry players to join forces and collaborate on solutions that benefit all stakeholders in the ecosystem.
“What makes Cannes unique is that you have a lot of decision makers in the room at the same time. This leads to more efficiency in terms of coming up with goals and objectives and really getting to the heart of the key aspects for us to build partnerships.”
alison omealia, vp, customer success, experian
Personalization
Personalization was a key topic of discussion at Cannes Lions 2023, with its growing significance in advertising taking center stage. The event emphasized the need to focus on serving up tailored content that resonates with individual consumers, cultivating brand affinity.
The intersection of science and art was highlighted, emphasizing the role of data-driven insights and creativity in supporting frequency capping and delivering engaging content.
Advertisers are adapting to cookie deprecation by shifting from cookie-based third-party targeting to first-party data solutions. This is due to the significant changes in the consumer privacy landscape, which have limited advertisers’ access to signals emitted by consumers through their devices and browsers. As a result, alternative IDs like UID2, Ramp ID, and ID5 are emerging as viable options for advertisers to continue personalized targeting.
Balancing AI and creativity at Cannes Lions 2023
Participants shared invaluable insights on how to strike the right balance between harnessing AI’s capabilities and nurturing creativity to keep the human touch alive. The event emphasized the importance of understanding the boundaries of AI while utilizing tools that drive innovation and imagination. Attendees explored the dynamic roles that AI provides and discussed how it can help push the boundaries of their creativity while still keeping the human element intact.
As technology continues to advance, so does the need for advertisers to adapt their approach and integrate AI in a way that enhances their creative output.
Experian events at Cannes Lions 2023
We hosted a series of events that included a kick-off event and four panels. The activities were designed to provide attendees with valuable insights on various topics related to advertising and data privacy. Here’s a recap of what we covered during the week.
Experian’s Cannes Lions kick-off event
We co-hosted a kick-off event on Sunday with Audigent. It was a successful event that brought people together to launch an important week in the AdTech industry and build connections with clients and prospects alike.
Data on the sell-side
Ongoing signal loss has marketers, agencies, and platforms tapping directly into the sell-side for high-quality audience and context. In this panel, industry experts from Truthset, Captify, Audigent, Newsweek, and PubMatic joined Experian to discuss the imminent disappearance of cookies and the need to adapt and future-proof data privacy strategies. The deprecation of third-party cookies presents an incredible opportunity to redefine data privacy practices and empower consumers.
Our panelists emphasized the need to adapt and invest in alternative identifiers in order to thrive in a cookie-less future. Publishers were urged to create valuable content, engage in first-party activities, and consider the next generation of consumers who are growing up without traditional identifiers. The fragmented landscape calls for a variety of tactics and partnerships, while AI can provide opportunities to explore beyond deterministic identifiers, fostering creativity and innovation in advertising practices.
Stacking the marketer’s toolbox for success
In partnership with Adweek Abroad in Cannes, industry leaders from FreeWheel, Tubi, and Instacart joined Experian to discuss opportunities for brands to unlock deeper, richer, and more scalable insights into current and potential customers.
The panelists highlighted several key considerations, including building a robust first-party data strategy, ensuring accuracy in data quality partnerships, and establishing better-connected communications and relationships with consumers.
Participants acknowledged the value of consumer data and urged advertisers to remain purpose-driven, always putting the viewer first. The freshness and recency of data were identified as critical factors for establishing quality connections with consumers and staying attuned to consumer trends.
What does the future of identity hold?
During this panel discussion, industry leaders from the IAB, MiQ, Cint, Direct Digital Holdings, and Tatari joined Experian to explore the future of identity.
The panelists discussed the challenges cookie deprecation poses in programmatic advertising and the need for new identifiers and solutions. They also acknowledged the expanding media landscape and the importance of frequency capping and attribution measurement in a post-cookie era. Trends to watch for include the potential consolidation of identifiers and the movement of first-party data in-house by larger media companies. Panelists shared different views on cookie deprecation readiness and the overhype of AI in the industry.
Streaming takes center stage
OMG, Roku, AMC Networks, Paramount, and Disney joined Experian to discuss streaming TV as a fragmented and evolving landscape. The panelists debated whether it has become a performance channel and emphasized the need for client education, attribution, and optimizing performance metrics. They also discussed reaching audiences across different mediums with data interoperability, audience targeting, and reliable identity solutions. The panelists explored the emerging trend of AI, optimizing ad placement, refining targeting, streamlining creative approval, and enhancing ad breaks.
“A lot of trends in AdTech are relevant to TV, but the most consistent trend has definitely been having a solid identity source throughout the whole lifecycle of a campaign within TV.”
ali mack, sr. director, platforms, experian
Let’s keep the conversation going
The innovation and possibilities for signal loss, collaboration, personalization, and balancing AI and creativity are limitless, but understanding exactly how to get there is what can make all the difference.
As we wrap up another successful week at Cannes Lions, let’s use these conversations as an opportunity to advance together toward a more connected future — what trends are you most looking forward to? If you’d like to discuss any of these topics further, get in touch with us!
Check out more Cannes content:
- Insights from a first-time attendee
- Four new marketing strategies for 2023
- Exploring the opportunities in streaming TV advertising
- The future of identity in cookieless advertising
- Maximize ad targeting with supply-side advertising
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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. 2,400+ syndicated audiences powered by marketing data ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset offers advertisers the ability to reach people based on demographic, geographic, and behavioral attributes. Our audiences span 15 data categories including auto, retail purchases, lifestyles and interests, financial, and travel. Audiences are available on-the-shelf on 30+ major ad platforms, including TV, social, and programmatic, or distribute them to 200+ media platforms. 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 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 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
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
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 Latest posts