CES 2025 will be an exciting opportunity to explore how we can work together to shape the year ahead. Here are four themes we expect to take center stage at the event.
“There is no better way to kick off the calendar year than with clients and industry peers that are excited to collaborate on new business opportunities. People come straight off the holidays energized by CES and with a pipeline of deals to work on for the coming month. In-person meetings always trump virtual calls and everyone in the industry comes together to make it a fruitful week.”
Crystal Jacques, Head of Enterprise Partnerships
1. Addressability in a signal-loss world
Addressability has become a cornerstone in AdTech as brands aim to deliver personalized experiences while navigating evolving privacy regulations and signal loss. This shift has prompted advertisers to rethink how they reach and engage audiences. In this environment, alternative identifiers such as UID2 and ID5 have gained traction, offering brands new avenues to target consumers across platforms while respecting privacy. Addressability has shifted from a straightforward tracking mechanism to a multifaceted strategy that combines identity solutions, contextual insights, and collaboration across the ecosystem.
ID Bridging and the new OpenRTB 2.6 specs
As the industry loses identity signals, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify audiences on the supply-side and make them reachable for the demand-side.
The supply-side has used the practice of ID bridging to do just that. ID bridging is the supply-side practice of connecting the dots between available signals to infer a user’s identity and communicate it to prospective buyers. This practicesparked debate, as buyers want full transparency into the use of a deterministic identifier versus an inferred one.
“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
The industry needs widely accepted standards, and that’s what we believe the industry has with the IAB Tech Lab’s OpenRTB 2.6. The specifications dictate the data the supply-side needs to include in the Primary ID and Enhanced Identifier (EID) fields. In doing so, the demand-side receives more transparent information on when bids have inferred IDs and where they came from.
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 very supportive of IAB’s efforts to bring transparency to the industry around the usage of identity signals.
2. Commerce media consolidation
As the world of commerce media expands beyond traditional retail media, we’re seeing a surge of networks across various verticals—financial, travel, and beyond—all competing to capture shoppers’ attention. With each company independently building its own media network, the need for strategic partnerships has never been more evident. Key players face challenges in scaling these networks and meeting growth targets due to infrastructure and funding limitations. In response, the industry is shifting toward partnerships – and potentially consolidation – to create networks that allow advertisers to reach customers across the entire shopping journey – from digital to in-store.
To succeed, commerce media networks must form strategic partnerships to enhance their data and identity capabilities and provide advertisers with a complete view of their customer.
“With annual growth in billions of dollars, the revenue potential for RMNs is massive. Organizing customer data, segmenting customers, generating insights, creating addressable audiences, and activating campaigns are all critical steps for a RMN to realize that revenue potential. RMNs should select a partner that provides the data, identity and analytical resources to create the winning formula for marketers, customers and retailers.”
Steve Zimmerman, Director of Analytics
With Experian’s expertise in data and identity solutions, commerce media networks can overcome data fragmentation, create high-quality audiences, and maximize addressability across their entire customer base. This collaborative, partner-led approach empowers retailers to utilize their first-party customer data but not be limited by in-house resources. As the commerce media space matures, those who embrace these partnerships and data-driven solutions will be well-positioned to capture the full potential of this expanding market.
3. Navigating complex privacy regulations
With privacy concerns intensifying, consumers are more conscious about data usage, and a series of state-level privacy laws are poised to take effect across the U.S. Multiple state-level laws makes compliance more challenging for marketers since no two laws are the same. While a federal privacy law remains unlikely for 2025, discussions around data ethics, compliance, and transparency will be prominent at CES, especially as a new administration assumes office.
Our privacy-forward audience solutions
Our Geo-Indexed and Contextually-Indexed Audiences help marketers reach the right consumers while prioritizing data privacy. Created without sensitive personal information, these audiences utilize geographic and contextual signals – not personal identifiers — to offer relevant targeting. These new tools provide both privacy and accuracy, giving advertisers and publishers a competitive edge.
“By embracing innovations in geo-based targeting and adhering to responsible data strategies, you can not only comply with these laws but continue to reach your intended audiences effectively.”
Jeremy Meade, VP, Marketing Data & Operations
As privacy regulations evolve, marketers need trusted allies who can provide transparent, compliant solutions. With deep roots in data protection and security, you can confidently partner with Experian as we proactively stay ahead of regulations and strictly follow all consumer privacy laws.
4. Rise of curation
As privacy regulations and signal loss reshape the AdTech ecosystem, curation can optimize programmatic campaigns by connecting advertisers with valuable audiences. This emerging trend utilizes audience, contextual, and supply chain signals to curate high-quality inventory packages for advertisers. By blending insights with inventory, curation ensures greater addressability, efficiency, and performance for both advertisers and publishers.
Supply-side platforms (SSPs) are taking a more active role in curating audiences and inventory. SSPs now collaborate with data providers to match buyer and publisher first-party data in real-time, creating curated private marketplaces (PMPs) that deliver transparency, efficiency, and improved match rates. SSPs can send deal IDs to multiple DSPs, which allows advertisers to deploy audience-based campaigns without restrictions on which DSPs or identifiers can be used.
However, curation isn’t without challenges. It can add complexity, lead to redundant buys, and even reduce publisher control over inventory. Transparency, quality benchmarks, and strategic partnerships will be critical for maximizing the benefits of curation in 2025.
Experian, in partnership with Audigent and others, is at the forefront of enabling privacy-forward curation strategies. Experian and Audigent’s combined capabilities bring together first-party publisher data, contextual signals, and advanced identity resolution to create curated PMPs that empower marketers to deliver precise, impactful campaigns.
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(The NRF has excellent resources to help you navigate this as required by state guidelines.)Also, let them know if there are any changes to shopping policies, such as wearing masks, contactless payment, the number of people allowed in the store at one time, return windows and more. The more transparent you can be in your messaging, the more comfortable customers will feel in keeping you in mind for their holiday shopping plans. And if your online business is booming, make sure you communicate any changes in fulfillment or shipping due to safety measures or delivery delays. This will be important messaging to those who may not be traveling to see family this year and are shopping online to have gifts shipped to their loved ones. 3. Offer positive new experiences and perksWhether you’re online or offline or both, customers will feel encouraged to shop when you offer them a little something extra to help make their shopping experience more enjoyable. Curbside pick-up has become an important aspect of this new normal in retail, so make sure you share with your customer whether that option is available to them. If “try before you buy” isn’t available like it may have been in the past, see what you can do to offer a similar experience—for example, many fashion retailers are offering virtual styling services that allow customers to connect with an expert for further insight on fits and cuts that may work for them (or the friends and family they’re shopping for). Some home furnishing retailers provide the ability to “visualize” an accessory or piece of furniture in your home.Free gift-wrapping services are always appreciated, as are in-store experiences for shoppers with kids (but they must be socially distant, of course). Be creative and use data to help inform your decisions so you can create perks and experiences that will really connect with your customer. Even with new challenges, retailers have the opportunity to offer a positive shopping experience through the holiday season and beyond, whether online or offline. And given the stressors of the season, it’s likely consumers will be shopping for themselves as much as they’re shopping for friends and family. As Business Insider put it, “…retailers will need to be more targeted and creative in their approach to Black Friday to get customers to spend,” and having the right data will be key. Download our new Holiday Marketing eBook for trends, tips and tricks to help you plan and execute powerful holiday marketing campaigns. 1https://theblog.adobe.com/online-shopping-during-covid-19-exceeds-2019-holiday-season-levels/ 2https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/covid-19-may-have-made-thanksgiving-day-holiday-shopping-extinct/ar-BB17fmtm 3https://www.zdnet.com/article/covid-19-has-permanently-changed-shopping-behavior/
Cross-device matching and pixel-based foot traffic attribution reporting empower digital marketers with greater control of location-based campaigns.RALEIGH, N.C. (PRWEB) AUGUST 04, 2020 Tapad, part of Experian a global leader in digital identity resolution, and Reveal Mobile, a leader in location-based marketing, today announced a collaboration that combines Tapad's digital cross-device matching technology and pixel-based attribution features with Reveal Mobile’s VISIT Local, the software that hundreds of digital agencies and brands use for location-based analytics. The partnership is designed to drive improved performance by optimizing ad targeting and messaging for location-based campaigns. Powered by Tapad’s privacy-safe cross device matching, marketers using VISIT Local to power location-based campaigns can enhance how they reach shoppers. When one member of a household shops for groceries, clothes, household goods or any other consumer item, a conversation between multiple members of the household typically takes place beforehand. With cross device matching, marketers can reach everyone who has influence over what to buy and where to buy it. VISIT Local users can expand location-based services with a single click to include devices that share the same household, including targeting across multiple devices owned by the same user, allowing advertisers to maximize messaging and increase their share of wallet among consumers. “VISIT Local has always given our customers access to high-intent location-based audiences. With the addition of cross device matching from Tapad, advertisers can boost audience sizes up to 300 percent while maintaining full confidence in quality and relevance,” says Brian Handly, CEO of Reveal Mobile. “VISIT Local users can now apply multiple criteria and attributes to a single location-based audience, giving them the advanced control and transparency they need.” As reliable attribution becomes increasingly complex for marketers and ad buyers who need to prove value, the addition of Tapad’s pixel-based foot traffic attribution to VISIT Local enables the measurement of actual campaign effectiveness by tying ad views to in-store foot traffic. This new feature, which will be available in VISIT Local this fall, lets Reveal Mobile customers understand who visited a retail location as a result of being served an ad, providing a more accurate view into return on ad spend during and after advertising campaigns. “Tapad’s goal is to empower marketers with digital advertising efficiencies at scale across devices,” says Mark Connon, COO of Tapad. “With cross device matching and pixel-based foot traffic attribution, marketers using VISIT Local can better address the consumer’s preferences and habits, and deliver them consistently actionable information on user behavior. These capabilities advance location-based advertising in ways marketers need and want.” In addition to these new features, VISIT Local’s location-based audience builder now enables marketers to create custom audiences made up of people who have visited different places on different dates. This gives VISIT Local users the ability to segment and create the most highly targeted audiences possible. For example, a marketer who wants to advertise for a chain of restaurants can easily target visitors of different competitors in different cities. Or a marketer who wants to advertise vacation destinations can target people who have been to various resorts at different times of year. Or a marketer who wants to advertise the release of new music can target people who have been to concert venues in different cities on different dates. “Many of our customers need to create highly custom audiences so they can run experiments, test messaging, and run increasingly competitive campaigns,” says Handly. “Everyone who uses VISIT Local can now apply multiple criteria and attributes to a single location-based audience, giving them the advanced control and transparency they need.”To learn more about Tapad’s digital identity resolution products, visit our identity solution page. To learn more about Reveal Mobile’s location-based marketing offerings, visit http://www.revealmobile.com. About TapadTapad, Inc. is a global leader in digital identity resolution. The Tapad Graph, and its related solutions, provide a transparent, privacy-safe approach connecting brands to consumers through their devices globally. Our one-of-a-kind Graph Select offering enables marketers the flexibility and freedom of choice to correlate devices to varied objectives, driving campaign effectiveness and business results. Tapad is recognized across the industry for its product innovation, workplace culture and talent, and has earned numerous awards including One World Identity's 2019 Top 100 Influencers in Identity Award. Headquartered in New York, Tapad also has offices in Chicago, London, Oslo, Singapore and Tokyo. About Reveal MobileReveal Mobile is a leader in location-based marketing, analytics, audiences, and attribution. Creator of VISIT Local, VISIT Match and VISIT Data, the company’s products help digital agencies, brands and retailers of any size leverage location data to understand and reach the right audiences. Reveal Mobile is CCPA compliant and a member of the Network Advertising Initiative, which conducts an annual privacy certification. The company is based in Raleigh, NC. For more information, visit https://revealmobile.com. Contact us today