The digital advertising landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the gradual deprecation of third-party cookies. This shift necessitates the adoption of new strategies for audience targeting and data management. In our next Ask the Expert segment, we explore this evolution, discussing new strategies for audience targeting and data management in a world without cookies.
We’re joined by industry leaders, Gabe Richman, Senior Director of Data Partnerships at The Trade Desk, and Chris Feo, Experian’s SVP of Sales & Partnership who spotlight The Trade Desk’s innovative approach to navigating a cookieless future. Tune in to our Q&A below to learn more about these topics and learn how the collaborative efforts of Experian and The Trade Desk offer a glimpse into the future of advertising.
Cookieless IDs are the new face of identity in advertising
Traditional tracking and targeting techniques are being replaced by more advanced and privacy-conscious methods. Unified I.D. 2.0 (UID2), led by The Trade Desk, exemplifies this shift, offering a new identifier based on encrypted email addresses or phone numbers. This approach not only caters to the evolving privacy regulations but also places greater control in the hands of consumers. UID2’s design fundamentally differs from cookies since it is rooted in transparency and consumer consent.
UID2: A catalyst for industry-wide adoption
UID2’s journey reflects a rising industry-wide recognition of its value across the industry. The adoption of UID2 by major publishers, demand-side platforms, and advertisers indicates a shift toward more sustainable and consumer-friendly approaches to identity in advertising. This is particularly evident in areas like connected TV (CTV), where UID2 is rapidly becoming a currency and standard.
“The purpose of UID2 is not only to create a better ID for advertisers and publishers to achieve their objectives, but also to benefit the consumers. Unlike cookies, UID2 provides transparency and control to the consumers for the first time.”
gabe richman, sr. director, data partnerships, the trade desk
How Experian and The Trade Desk work together
The partnership between The Trade Desk and Experian goes beyond adapting to the absence of cookies. Our joint efforts highlight a commitment to developing solutions that cater to advertiser’s needs while respecting consumer privacy, a balancing act becoming increasingly crucial in today’s digital ecosystem. The Trade Desk’s emphasis on UID2 as a foundational element in the open web, campaign design, and activation is a testament to the potential of new identifiers in enhancing advertising efficacy. Similarly, our ability to utilize these identifiers to deliver detailed audience insights offers advertisers a powerful tool to remain effective in a post-cookie world.
Experian’s role in the adoption of UID2
Experian’s integration strategies have played a critical role in diversifying the applications of UID2. By partnering with The Trade Desk, we help broaden the reach and effectiveness of UID2 across various advertising channels. In terms of reach – by incorporating a prominent cookieless ID, we further amplify the reach of UID2. The increased adoption of this new ID allows the digital ecosystem the ability to interact using an alternative identifier, thereby broadening the potential audience. In terms of effectiveness – we help advertisers serve relevant ads to the right audiences, ensuring the relevance of the ads and control over their frequency.
Targeting with Geo-Indexed audiences
The Trade Desk works with Experian to ingest and host our syndicated audiences. This partnership gives The Trade Desk’s clients access to over 2,400 syndicated audiences that span across eight verticals. This includes access to our new Geo-Indexed audiences that allow brands to reach consumers and households based on geographic regions that over-index for a common set of attributes, ultimately offering brands a targeting solution that prioritizes both consumer privacy and accuracy.
What a future beyond cookies looks like
Looking ahead, the focus in advertising is not solely on replacing cookies but on a broader evolution of the industry. This includes continuing to apply machine learning technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance ad personalization and effectiveness. The interplay between creative content, audience insights, and privacy-compliant targeting will become increasingly important as the industry evolves. As cookies become a thing of the past, the initiatives spearheaded by The Trade Desk and Experian will likely set the tone for the next era of digital advertising, and emerging solutions like UID2 are leading the way.
Watch the full Q&A
Visit our Ask the Expert content hub to watch Gabe and Chris’ full conversation about cookieless advertising. In their conversation, Gabe and Chris share more about UID2, consumer transparency, and the importance of consumer data for targeted advertising.
About our experts
Gabe Richman, Sr. Director, Data Partnerships, The Trade Desk
Gabe Richman is the Senior Director of Data Partnerships at The Trade Desk where he focuses on global identity strategy and platform partnerships as well as driving UID2 and EUID adoption across the broader ecosystem. Prior to joining The Trade Desk in 2021, Gabe held various roles in AdTech at HealthVerity, Wunderkind and LiveRamp. For the last decade Gabe has taken pride in helping advertisers and platforms alike demystify the complex identity landscape and embrace the change needed to preserve the open internet. Gabe is a graduate of the University of Maryland and resides in Los Angeles.
Chris Feo, SVP, Sales & Partnerships, Experian
As SVP of Sales & Partnerships, Chris has over a decade of experience across identity, data, and programmatic. Chris joined Experian during the Tapad acquisition in November 2020. He joined Tapad with less than 10 employees and has been part of the executive team through both the Telenor and Experian acquisitions. He’s an active advisor, board member, and investor within the AdTech ecosystem. Outside of work, he’s a die-hard golfer, frequent traveler, and husband to his wife, two dogs, and two goats!
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The political winds in the United States shifted sharply to the right earlier this month with Republicans making gains across the board. While political party affiliation was a strong indication of a candidate's success in the election, we wondered: Can the political leaning of a TV show's audience determine the success of the program? The answer is yes. Experian Simmons examined the political party registrations of viewers of over 700 television programs measured in the Spring 2010 Simmons National Consumer study. We found that registered Republicans and Democrats, indeed, have different preferences in entertainment programs. But especially noticeable was the preponderance of highly rated Nielsen programs at the top of the Republican list. Not all shows that skew Republican are ratings darlings, of course, but programmers should take note of this fact if ratings are their foremost goal. Republicans: When looking at programs on broadcast TV, we see that Republicans tend to gravitate towards reality shows that center on some sort of competition. In fact, Republicans are 32% more likely to watch The Amazing Race on CBS than the average American adult. They're also 24% more likely to watch American Idol on Fox and 18% more likely to watch America's Got Talent on NBC. The Simmons data provides some evidence that it's the competitive angle of these shows that is attracting Republicans. Specifically, Republicans are fully 29% more likely than the average adult to watch the results show of Dancing with the Stars on ABC and just 17% more likely to watch the non-results episodes of the same show. Republicans tend to gravitate towards reality shows that center on some sort of competition. When it comes to cable entertainment programs, Republicans tend to prefer lifestyle programs on HGTV and TLC. Republicans are also found in high concentrations among many adventure/documentary show audiences, like Ice Road Truckers on History and Deadliest Catch on Discovery. And finally, big families are big draws for Republicans with 18 Kids and Counting and Jon & Kate Plus 8, both on TLC, attracting more than average concentrations of Republican viewers. Top indexing Republican NETWORK programs (non-news, non-music) Republican Index Top indexing Republican CABLE programs (non-news, non-music) Republican Index THE AMAZING RACE (CBS) 132 PROPERTY VIRGINS (HGTV) 125 DANCING WITH THE STARS RESULTS SHOW(ABC) 129 MODERN MARVELS (HISTORY) 121 MODERN FAMILY (ABC) 124 COLOR SPLASH (HGTV) 120 AMERICAN IDOL (FOX) 122 UNSELLABLES (HGTV) 120 V (ABC) 122 LEVERAGE (TNT) 118 THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS) 119 18 KIDS AND COUNTING (TLC) 116 THE GOOD WIFE (CBS) 119 DEAR GENEVIEVE (HGTV) 116 THE MENTALIST (CBS) 119 WHAT NOT TO WEAR (TLC) 116 AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (NBC) 118 DINERS, DRIVE-INS & DIVES (FOOD NETWORK) 115 SURVIVOR (CBS) 118 HOUSE HUNTERS (HGTV) 115 DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC) 117 INCOME PROPERTY (HGTV) 114 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) 116 OPERATION REPO (TRU TV) 114 NCIS (CBS) 115 WHITE COLLAR (USA) 114 HUMAN TARGET (FOX) 114 ICE ROAD TRUCKERS (HISTORY) 112 LIE TO ME (FOX) 114 PAWN STARS (HISTORY) 112 THE BACHELOR (ABC) 114 SAY YES TO THE DRESS (TLC) 111 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW (PBS) 113 DIRTY JOBS (DISCOVERY) 110 CASTLE (ABC) 113 MYTHBUSTERS (DISCOVERY) 109 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS) 113 JON & KATE PLUS 8 (TLC) 106 THE BACHELORETTE (ABC) 113 AMERICAN LOGGERS (DISCOVERY) 105 EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC) 112 IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA) 104 NCIS: LOS ANGELES (CBS) 112 THROWDOWN WITH BOBBY FLAY (FOOD NETWORK) 104 TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS) 112 DEADLIEST CATCH (DISCOVERY) 103 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC) 111 MAN VS. WILD (DISCOVERY) 103 CELEBRITY APPRENTICE (NBC) 109 THE SMOKING GUN PRESENTS:WORLD'S DUMBEST (TRU TV) 103 Democrats: On the left side of the broadcast dial, we see that registered Democrats tend to be drawn to crime and legal dramas like Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, both on NBC. We also see higher concentrations of Democrats tuning into broadcast shows featuring female characters playing central or leading roles, such as Brothers & Sisters on ABC, Medium on CBS, 30 Rock on NBC and the Good Wife on CBS. The Good Wife, actually, has higher than average concentrations of both registered Democrats and registered Republicans. Given that the program is about the wife of a politician, it's not such a surprise that registered voters from both sides of the aisle tune in. We also see higher concentrations of Democrats tuning into broadcast shows featuring female characters playing central or leading roles. On cable, we see high concentrations of registered Democrats tuning into character-driven dramas, like Dexter and United States of Tara, both on Showtime. Democrats also flock in disproportionate numbers to cable reality shows. But unlike the competitive reality shows favored by Republicans, Democrats prefer observational reality shows where they get to peer into the lives of celebrities or unique and extraordinary people. Top indexing Democrat NETWORK programs (non-news, non-music) Democrat Index Top indexing Democrat CABLE programs (non-news, non-music) Democrat Index FLASHPOINT (CBS) 145 TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS (TBS) 189 HOMETIME (PBS) 143 HOUSE OF PAYNE (TBS) 181 90210 (CW) 140 REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER (HBO) 165 WIFE SWAP (ABC) 136 SNAPPED (OXYGEN) 162 AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (CW) 135 SHERRI (LIFETIME) 153 NOVA (PBS) 133 HAWTHORNE (TNT) 153 LAW & ORDER (NBC) 132 LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET (E!) 149 SMALLVILLE (CW) 131 DEXTER (SHOWTIME) 147 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (NBC) 130 UGLY AMERICANS (COMEDY CENTRAL) 147 BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC) 127 KOURTNEY & KHLOE TAKE MIAMI (E!) 146 PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC) 127 TODDLERS & TIARAS (TLC) 145 MEDIUM (CBS) 126 UNITED STATES OF TARA (SHOWTIME) 144 TRUE BEAUTY (ABC) 126 MEET THE NATIVES (TRAVEL CHANNEL) 144 AMERICA'S MOST WANTED (FOX) 126 BRIDEZILLAS (WE TV) 143 30 ROCK (NBC) 126 TOP CHEF MASTERS (BRAVO) 142 VICTORY GARDEN (PBS) 126 WOMEN BEHIND BARS (WE TV) 142 THE GOOD WIFE (CBS) 124 THE BOONDOCKS: ADULT SWIM(CARTOON NETWRK) 142 ONE TREE HILL (CW) 124 TABATHA'S SALON TAKEOVER (BRAVO) 140 NEW YANKEE WORKSHOP (PBS) 122 DOWN HOME WITH THE NEELYS (FOOD NETWORK) 140 LAW & ORDER: SVU (NBC) 122 BAD GIRLS CLUB (OXYGEN) 138 MASTERPIECE (PBS) 122 SCARE TACTICS (SYFY) 136 COMMUNITY (NBC) 122 MILLION DOLLAR LISTING (BRAVO) 135 BIG BROTHER (CBS) 121 MODELS OF THE RUNWAY (LIFETIME) 135 GOSSIP GIRL (CW) 120 TORI & DEAN: HOME SWEET HOLLYWOOD (OXYGEN) 133 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC) 119 DESTINATION TRUTH (SYFY) 132 For more information about the in-depth consumer behaviors, attitudes, lifestyles, brands and media measured in the Simmons National Consumer Study, visit our website.
Frugal living seems to have become a more common trademark of the American consumer in the last couple of years. Since the beginning of 2008, 20% less and 35% less US adults report to have purchased merchandise at the upscale stores Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s respectively. By contrast, 8% more and 62% more US adults report to have purchased merchandise at Marshall’s and Ross Stores, respectively. Discount stores appear to be weathering the recession better than some of their full-price counterparts, as they carry first-quality designer merchandise at competitive prices, often advertised at up to 70% below department store prices. However, many of these designer discount retailers would be in a difficult position without the existence of department stores, since the designer discount business model is primarily based on purchasing close-outs from the very department stores that they compete against. Discount stores appear to be weathering the recession better than some of their full-price counterparts Since the beginning of 2008, an average 54% of US adults shop around a lot to take advantage of specials and bargains. Also, from January 2008 to August 2009, 7% more US adults tend to hold out on buying things until the go on sale and 13% more head right for the clearance rack when they enter a store. In conclusion, the past 2.5 years have seen the American consumer become a more serious discount shopper – a trend that is likely to continue in this current, uncertain economic environment.