The digital advertising landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent years. Privacy-conscious consumers, transformative regulations, and emerging technologies are converging to redefine how addressability — the ability to accurately reach a specific audience — functions in this new era. Addressability is a cornerstone of digital advertising, and its evolution presents both challenges and opportunities for publishers and advertisers alike.
The need for enhancing addressability is driven by a complex set of factors. More consumers are opting out of data sharing or disabling cookie-tracking, leading to a drastic reduction in the reach of traditional programmatic advertising. Nearly 70 percent of consumers are now unreachable through these conventional methods, creating an ‘addressability gap’ that publishers and advertisers are eager to bridge. The landscape is further complicated by privacy regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which mandate solutions that balance user privacy with advertisers’ needs.
Contributing to this intricate mix is the growing shift toward video and connected TV (CTV). These platforms have long operated in a cookie-less environment and are witnessing rising demand due to their engaging nature and broad reach. However, the attractiveness of these mediums to advertisers hinges on effective addressability, highlighting the urgent need for innovative audience identification and targeting methods.
The emergence of data enablers and collaborative initiatives
Data enablers like Experian are stepping up to meet this need. These companies are providing robust, privacy-compliant data resources to improve addressability. Experian’s unique approach to identification, the Living Unit ID (LUID), is a key tool in bridging the current gap in reach.
How Experian and Microsoft Advertising are redefining addressability
We recently expanded our collaboration with Microsoft, to make our extensive data resources available through Microsoft Advertising’s data marketplace. This collaborative initiative represents a significant move, offering a compelling model of how data enablers and buy-side and sell-side platforms can work together to redefine addressability.
The benefits of this arrangement extend to all stakeholders in the ecosystem. Advertisers using Microsoft Invest can now access Experian’s audience data. This not only enhances the granularity of their audience targeting but also broadens the reach of their campaigns. Experian’s identity spine also serves as a robust framework to extend the value and reach of advertisers’ first-party data.
For publishers, the accessibility of Experian data on Microsoft Advertising’s data marketplace opens the door to greater addressability in their inventory, enabling them to offer advertisers more addressable impressions. This then amplifies the value of their inventory, potentially increasing their overall yield. For advertisers, this integration facilitates access to highly relevant audiences while simplifying campaign setup and respecting user privacy.
We can help you carve a new path toward addressability
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital advertising, such collaborative efforts are becoming critical to ensure that advertising remains effective for brands, profitable for publishers, and respectful of consumer privacy. This model of cooperation and innovation is essential to navigate the challenges of a privacy-centric, cookie-less world and unlock the true potential of every media channel.
With collaborative initiatives and innovative solutions, the industry is set to transform these challenges into opportunities, carving a new path toward addressability that respects privacy and delivers value for all stakeholders. Connect with us to learn more about how you can access our data in Microsoft Advertising’s data marketplace.
To learn more about our partner Microsoft Advertising, visit their website.
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Whether it’s a result of the sky rocketing costs of razor blades, the increasing popularity of Movember or a general trend among Hollywood’s leading men to sport some scruff, it seems that facial hair hasn’t been this en vogue since the mid-70s. Whether you love it or hate it, shaving is big business and any rise in beardedness can shave significant revenue from the bottom lines of companies catering to men’s grooming products. As proof, CPG giant Proctor & Gamble recently announced that its second-quarter earnings were negatively impacted due to the growing preference among men for mustaches and beards. For years, Experian Marketing Services has been measuring the grooming habits of men for marketers via our trusted Simmons National Consumer Study and a recent analysis of the data shows a slight, yet clear, decline in the use of shaving products and an increase in the percent of men sporting facial hair in recent years, especially among the younger demographic. According to our estimates, 17 percent of all men and 35 percent of young men ages 18 to 24 have facial hair today, up from 14 percent and 31 percent, respectively, since 2009. That said, most men with facial hair at least occasionally use shaving products, like shaving cream, disposable razors, razor blades or electric shavers. In fact, the vast majority of all guys (94 percent) still use at least some shaving products, and that number has remained virtually unchanged in recent years. There is, however, a sizable and growing share of young men who are going all wooly mammoth and steering clear of shaving products all together. Specifically, 15 percent of men ages 18 to 24 today say they don’t use any shaving products up from 13 percent in 2009. As younger men’s beards fill in and they move into more professional occupations, most are likely to throw in the (hot) towel and pick up a razor, as evidenced by the fact that only 5 percent of men in the next-oldest age bracket (25 to 34) don’t shave. But the growing bearded trend among young men is hair raising nonetheless. Another trend worth monitoring is the declining frequency of use of shaving products overall, which clearly reflects the increasing popularity of the two-, three- or five-day beard. Among the 67 percent of all men who use shaving cream, for instance, less than a third (29 percent) say they use it seven times a week or more often (the equivalent of a daily shave). On average, men today use shaving cream only 4.3 times per week down from 4.5 times per week in 2009. Young men use shaving cream only 3.3 times a week on average, down from 3.6 times in 2009. Frequency of use is also down among the 36 percent of men who use an electric razor, a popular grooming tool for bearded men who wish to keep things a bit more tame. In fact, just 27 percent of men in the electric razor set say they use it seven or more times a week. On average men use an electric razor 3.7 times per week, down from 4.0 times per week in 2009. On the bright side, Proctor & Gamble, in their latest earnings report, said that despite bad news for their facial hair business, they see potential to offset losses with the increasing popularity of body-shaving by men. And they may have a point. Based on 52-week trend data from our Hitwise online search intelligence tool, searches for “manscaping,” a modern term used to refer to the shaving or trimming of excess body hair, are up a relative 14 percent in the past year.

Once upon a time, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) was primarily focused on their company’s branding efforts. They spent a lot of time thinking about things like look and feel, messaging, ad buys and what their competitors were up to. Of course, those are all still important components of a CMO’s job description, but the role has changed – expanded, really – over the last five or so years. The ongoing proliferation of devices in the hands of empowered consumers requires that CMOs understand things like consumer behavior, channel and device preference, triggered messaging and much more. They must have expertise in various technologies, real-time analytics and, oftentimes, be change agents who move their organizations toward a more customer-centric business model. Today’s CMO must know how their customers want to interact with their brand, then build messaging and execute campaigns that create engagement and ensure ongoing brand advocacy. In a newly published predictions piece: “#7for14: Seven ways digital marketing will change in 2014” several of Experian Marketing Services’ leaders weigh in on the changing role of today’s marketing heads. Check out prediction #1 – Challenges of the CMO and prediction #6 – The CMO as technologist to see more.

CASL will come into force in phases starting July 1, 2014 The information below should not be considered legal advice. Please consult with appropriate legal counsel before relying upon the compliance information provided below. As of December 2013 both regulators responsible for implementing Canada’s Anti-Spam Law have finalized their regulations. Industry Canada’s guidelines confirm all but one of the expected exemptions, provide needed clarifications to key requirements and delay implementation of the more controversial aspects of the law. Over the past two years we have been updating you on CASL’s developments and efforts by industry groups to address unclear or onerous aspects of its proposed regulations. With Industry Canada confirming all but one expected exemptions and providing detailed guidance in its Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement, marketers should now have an easier time preparing. Here is a summary of key points for Industry Canada’s final regulations: i. CASL will be implemented in three phases: a. The majority of CASL comes into force July 1, 2014; b. The rules that apply to computer programs will come into force January 15, 2015; and c. The private right of action takes effect on July 1, 2017. ii. Industry Canada has provided interpretive guidance on several issues under CASL, including: a. The definition of a "CEM"; b. The application of CASL to express consent obtained before CASL comes into force; c. The application of CASL to IP addresses and cookies; and d. The interaction between the unsubscribe requirement and implied consent. iii. New exceptions have been added for: a. Closed platforms, which would appear to apply to platforms such as BlackBerry Messenger and social medial networks; b. Limited-access accounts, where organizations communicate directly with recipients (e.g., online banking); c. Messages targeted at foreign persons; and d. Fundraising by charities and political parties. A surprising exclusion of the ‘Reasonable Knowledge’ exemption In its draft regulations, Industry Canada sought to exempt foreign senders in instances where the sender could not reasonably know that the message would be received in Canada, particularly when the recipient does not typically access email within Canada or through Canadian systems.[1] However, in its final rulemaking the Department chose to nix this exemption as “unnecessary,” choosing instead to exempt messages routed through Canada into a foreign state. [2] This omission may create challenges for marketers in situations where it’s not possible or practical to collect country of origin information.[3] We expect further clarification on this concern from Canadian regulators in the coming months. For detailed information please visit the Canadian Government’s informational website. For summary information please see the following links: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?nid=798829 http://blog.deliverability.com/2013/12/canadas-anti-spam-law-casl-is-now-a-done-deal.html http://www.cauce.org/2013/12/canadas-anti-spam-law-coming-into-force-june-2014.html If you would like to discuss CASL’s email-related issues, please email us at digitalprivacy@experian.com or reach out to us through your account teams. [1] Archived http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2013/2013-01-05/html/reg1-eng.html [2] See Limited Exclusions section of Industry Canada’s Regulatory Risk Impact Assessment, http://fightspam.gc.ca/eic/site/030.nsf/eng/00271.html [3] If a consumer uses a global inbox provider like Google a sender will be challenged to determine where the email is accessed. And since reverse IP geo-location records may be outdated or inaccurate, new technologies and customer self-identification processes may be needed.