Five Things To Know About Addressability

As digital advertising faces new challenges with the decline of third-party cookies, discussions about data, privacy, and alternative identity solutions are more relevant than ever. We revisited the addressability panel we recently hosted at the Cannes Lions to recap some key takeaways shared by ad tech experts Sarah Vincent, UK MD of Utiq, Alban Villani, CEO of Epsilon for Europe and Asia, and Nicolás Bouchet, Global Head of Data and Digital Transformation at Havas.

The insights they shared throughout an engaging discussion paint a clear picture of the current landscape and the direction the industry is heading in when it comes to the future of addressability.

1. Publishers Face Major Challenges

Publishers are dealing with massive challenges including the lack of first-party data and the complexity of managing multiple identity solutions. “30-40% of the open web is unaddressable due to the decline of third-party cookies across the number of browsers,” Sarah Vincent said in her opening remarks.

Another key challenge publishers face is the lack of cross-device insights, meaning they may struggle to fully understand and monetize their audience. “Users are on one single device, accessing content from the same publisher across maybe three or four different points like app/web and different browsers,” said Vincent highlighting the inability to track users across different devices and platforms.

2. The Importance of First-Party Data Needs to Be Realized

According to Alban Villani, three-fourths of retailers don’t really know the value they can get from their first-party data. This highlights a significant gap in the industry where brands and retailers are not fully utilizing their data to enhance addressability and personalization. Effective addressability depends on blending offline data (name, address, CRM data, etc.) with online data like cookie IDs and mobile IDs to create unified identifiers.

“Additionally, in order to gather first-party data, publishers need to establish a clear value exchange with users, such as implementing login strategies that encourage users to share their data in return for valuable content or services,” Vincent emphasized.

3. Alternative Solutions Bring Efficiency Gains

Nicolás Bouchet, Global Head of Data and Digital Transformation at Havas, mentioned the progress he’s seeing as the industry works together and cited positive results from early testing of alternative IDs across different markets.

“We are seeing that solutions are working. Cost per leads are decreasing and we are seeing 33% additional reach with Safari and Firefox,” he said. This shows the potential efficiency gains and expanded reach possible with new identity solutions.

4. Privacy and Transparency Remain Key Priorities

“We are in one of the strictest, highest-regulated places in the world, which is good for the end user,” said Villani as he stressed the importance of being prepared for privacy regulations in identity resolution.

“We need to redefine the tech stack on how we work and operate the campaigns, and be very clear on the business KPIs, sharing data and results across the whole supply chain,” said Bouchet in response to the current challenges with measurement.

5. Frequency Capping Helps Improve KPIs

In closing, Vincent illustrated the improved efficiency and accuracy that alternative ID solutions can provide by sharing some promising results citing Utiq’s solution, which we offer in our EBC platform, stating, “If you set a frequency cap of five for Utig, you will deliver five impressions. If you set a frequency cap of five with cookies, you’re more likely to deliver 9 to 10 impressions.”

Check out the recording below for the full panel discussion:

Our Commitment to Addressability

At Equativ, we’ve already seen an alternative ID adoption rate of over 50%. Even as the ad tech landscape continues to evolve, we expect that alternative IDs will continue to be a solid addressability strategy and remain committed to alternative addressability solutions.

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