How to set up targeting and privacy

What ways of identification exist now

The first way - the most important and already on the verge of extinction - 3rd-party cookies in browsers. This is the user ID on the network, installed on the site by a third-party platform (or technology provider). Cookies are stored on the user's device, they can be deleted. Digital advertising is optimized for 3rd-party cookies. Firefox and Safari have already stopped supporting 3rd-party cookies, and Google Chrome, which accounts for 64% of the global browser market and 69% in Ukraine, will get rid of 3rd-party cookies in 2023.

Another way to identify a user is 1 st-party cookies. This is data on user registration and behavior on sites collected by publishers. They are not easy to delete in the browser, in addition, they comply with the updated principles of confidentiality of advertising from IAB. They are permanent and not blocked, obtained through the open consent of users. First-party cookies allow you to associate login information with a person's profile and behavior on the site. They can be combined with 1st-party data from other sources, allowing you to identify users on different channels and on different devices. Universal IDs are required to transfer such data between sites.

There are two identifiers for smartphones - IFDA for iOS and Andriod Ad ID for Android. Both identify the device, not the user. They are stored for a long time in applications, are suitable for end-to-end tracking, which can also be abandoned. One of the disadvantages of such identifiers is that from 2021 Apple will ask users for permission to track. This reduces the possibility of targeted impressions. Also, these IDs do not transfer user data between channels.

Connected TV (CTV) and OTT use their own User IDs to identify users. Many of them are synthetic and do not have a permanent connection with the user or the device.

In DOOH (outdoor digital advertising) it is difficult to accurately identify users. You can only focus on the area, time, day of the week, and so on. Some companies already have solutions for identifying users in DOOH. For example, myTarget has developed a DOOH tracker that installs in Android apps via the SDK and transmits data that a user viewed an ad if his device was next to a billboard.

ID-sharing associations transfer data between technology providers without synchronization, thanks to a single identifier. But they work on the basis of a third-party ID, as well as 3rd-party.

There are also login associations. Sites where the same user logs in can exchange data and store it in 1st-party cookies. Synchronization with advertiser ID is required to track conversions and attribution.

Fingerprinting helps to identify the user in the absence of other identifiers. But it violates the principles of privacy because users are unable to opt out of tracking. In addition, browsers block fingerprinting capabilities, so this is a temporary solution.

IP address allows you to identify users in the browser, mobile and CTV devices. You can use IP to identify a family or company, but not a specific person. This tracking is interrupted if the user changes the connection point. Tracking is hard to refuse, and the full IP address is not always in the ad request.

Identity Graph compares and aggregates user IDs from different platforms, online and offline channels. It creates a user profile that is more durable than 3rd-party cookies. You can customize cross-platform targeting for users, better segment audiences based on their behavior across channels. Identity Graph combines confidential and open data, increases the effectiveness of campaigns through audience and frequency targeting. But it is difficult to set up, so it requires the help of a reliable technology partner. Also, Identity Graph is not always accurate and allows you to identify no more than 60% of users.