The sunsetting of third-party cookies in digital advertising has prompted a reevaluation of privacy-centric targeting methods. While some advocate for ‘privacy-first’ solutions, research suggests that ID-based alternatives may widen consumer surveillance. Data clean rooms (DCRs) are touted as privacy-preserving, but concerns arise about participants’ ability to access user-level data and the lack of clarity on privacy compliance. Hyper-targeting, the industry’s focus on one-to-one marketing, faces challenges, including low match rates and privacy issues. The article argues for a shift towards probabilistic targeting, emphasizing the privacy benefits of using non-personally identifying data like contextual or IP addresses. It suggests a return to mass reach, combining probabilistic data with approaches like contextual targeting and offline demographic data for effective and privacy-conscious advertising.
Read our Deep Dive on the future of targeting on ExchangeWire.