5 outcomes-based advertising strategies to succeed in a post-identity world

In the near future, advertisers will operate in a landscape without third-party cookies. Persistent identifiers are also changing, and with them, the role of identity in advertising strategies. But campaign goals remain the same: to reach consumers with the right message, at the right time, to achieve a response or drive an outcome.

As the post-identity world approaches, preparation is critical. Advertisers must explore how to best use this shift to their advantage and uncover which alternative advertising solutions will secure their future success. From data strategies, to quality creative, here are five ways to maximize the impact of outcomes-based advertising campaigns.

1.) Adopt contextual relevance

With the effectiveness of many targeting methods being questioned, the importance of contextual relevance has risen significantly. Ads that align closely with their surroundings generate a 23% uplift in memorability, aiding the recall of brand messaging and calls to action. What’s more, contextual relevance builds meaningful connections with consumers, as ads that create an emotional response are 40% more memorable when placed beside content with a matching theme.

As a result, contextual targeting benefits not only advertisers’ objectives, but also the consumer experience. Advertisers can leverage valuable insights without depending on cookies or identifiers, amplify their brand messaging, and boost measurable impact. Consumers, meanwhile, are served quality creative that is highly relevant to their interests. When utilizing contextual relevance, it’s important to quickly understand how ads resonate with consumers so advertisers can be agile and make adjustments.

2.) Prioritize in-flight optimization

Applying historical learnings to new campaigns is beneficial, but typically advertisers must wait between four to six weeks to gain this insight and use it. To harness the full potential of their media investment, advertisers need the means to enhance the performance of live campaigns as well.

The ability to make adjustments based on trends as they happen is essential for driving impact in real time. In-flight optimization is a powerful tool for achieving business outcomes, alongside future-proofing both current and upcoming campaigns. These solutions enable advertisers to be agile, adapting to change as it occurs to ensure the best results.

3.) Utilize predictive analytics with artificial intelligence (AI)

Advertisers can take in-flight learnings a step further with predictive capabilities. AI technologies accurately forecast outcomes and allow advertisers to maximize impact.

Running multiple predictive models in parallel also generates stronger incremental lift to performance. By helping advertisers understand which consumers are most likely to take an action on seeing an ad, predictive analytics can drive the most effective return in a post-identity world. Additionally, AI technologies automate the decisioning process, as manual optimisations steal valuable time and delay results.

While online campaigns excel at delivering lower funnel activity, it is important for advertisers to onboard solutions which build insight and predictive capability across the marketing funnel. Whether looking to increase footfall or heighten brand awareness, AI-powered tools can optimize digital media investments against advertising goals.

4.) Leverage first-party data

With the pending removal of third-party cookies and the changes to persistent identifiers, the incredible value of first-party data has once again entered the spotlight. Brands that already have access to first-party data will undoubtedly enter the post-identity landscape on the right foot. Major retailers, for instance Boots and Tesco, have recently announced the launch of their own media platforms as they look to utilize their rich data insights to personalize the consumer experience.

Looking ahead, the ability to use multiple data sets in a privacy-safe way will also be a defining factor for success. By adopting platforms that prioritize transparency and collate first-party data, opted-in data, and anonymized third-party data, advertisers can make the most of all available information to plan and enhance their campaigns.

5.) Provide full transparency

When discussing the post-identity world, advertising operations are understandably the industry’s key focus. Advertisers have an opportunity to innovate their data strategies and work more closely with publishers — such as major retailers with an online presence — to both increase data quality and safeguard user privacy. But the upcoming changes are creating a focus on accountability as well.

Advertisers must be responsible for the way they handle user insights. Full transparency is now vital for establishing and maintaining consumer trust; the advertisers that clarify their approach to data, alongside the differences between personal and anonymized data, will enhance brand reputation and gain a competitive advantage. In fact, more than three-fifths (62%) of global consumers believe data privacy is a key influence on whether or not they engage with a brand or product. By building stronger consumer relationships, advertisers will be able to hit their business objectives more effectively.

With intelligent solutions and future-proofed data strategies, advertisers can deliver highly relevant, quality creative, deploy informed in-flight optimisations, and ensure campaign performance in a post-identity landscape. By combining the best available data sets with AI technologies, advertisers can implement agile decision making that results in measurable outcomes.