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Identity in Ad Tech

Navigate the post-cookie world and understand how identity solutions affect your revenue.

The identity challenge​

Traditionally, digital advertising relied on third-party cookies to:

  • Track users across websites
  • Build audience profiles
  • Measure ad effectiveness
  • Enable frequency capping

The problem: Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) and browser changes (Safari ITP, Firefox ETP, and Google's shifting plans for Chrome) are steadily reducing the reliability of third-party cookies. Timelines have moved — Google has walked back full deprecation in Chrome — but the long-run direction toward less cookie-based identity is clear.

Why identity matters for revenue​

Without identity signals, advertisers:

  • Can't target specific audiences
  • Can't measure conversions
  • Can't cap frequency
  • Value inventory less
Identified user:     $3.00 CPM (advertisers bid confidently)
Anonymous user:      $1.50 CPM (advertisers bid conservatively)

Identity gap = 50% lower CPM for unknown users

The identity landscape​

First-party data (what you control)​

Data you collect directly from your users:

Data typeExampleValue
Login/registrationEmail, user IDHighest
Newsletter signupEmailHigh
SubscriptionPayment infoHighest
On-site behaviorPages viewed, time spentMedium
ContextualContent topic, keywordsMedium

Key insight: The more first-party data you have, the less you depend on third-party solutions.

Identity solutions (industry alternatives)​

Solutions designed to replace third-party cookies:

SolutionHow it worksAdoption
Unified ID 2.0Hashed email-based IDGrowing
ID5Probabilistic + deterministic IDEstablished
LiveRamp RampIDDeterministic people-based IDEnterprise
SharedIDPrebid's first-party cookie IDCommon
Google TopicsBrowser-based interest categoriesChrome only

Contextual targeting (privacy-safe)​

Instead of targeting users, target content:

Traditional: "Show this ad to sports fans"
Contextual:  "Show this ad on sports articles"

Pros: Privacy-compliant, no consent needed Cons: Less precise, can't frequency cap

Impact by traffic type​

Traffic sourceIdentity statusCPM impact
Logged-in usersHigh identityPremium CPM
Safari (ITP)Low identity30-50% lower
Firefox (ETP)Low identity30-50% lower
Chrome (current)Medium identityBaseline
Chrome (post-cookie)Low identityTBD

Today: ~40% of your traffic may already have limited identity (Safari + Firefox users).

What you can do​

1. Grow first-party data​

StrategyImplementation
Newsletter signupProminent signup forms
Registration wallsRequire login for premium content
Progressive profilingCollect data gradually
Preference centersLet users share interests

The goal: Know more about your users directly.

2. Enable identity modules​

In Anima, identity modules are surfaced under Integrations in the main sidebar (not under Setup):

  1. Go to Integrations → identity modules
  2. Enable the modules you want — Unified ID 2.0, ID5, SharedID, and others as available
  3. Configure any required consent integration
Integrations docs aren't written yet

Detailed per-module setup is on the docs backlog. Check with your onboarding specialist for module-specific configuration while these pages are being authored.

  1. Deploy changes

3. Strengthen contextual​

Ensure your content is properly categorized:

  1. Use clear, consistent content taxonomies
  2. Implement proper meta tags
  3. Consider contextual targeting partners
  4. Enable content-based segments

Proper consent management unlocks identity:

Consent statusIdentity available
Full consentAll identity solutions
Limited consentFirst-party only
No consentContextual only

Higher consent rates = more identity = higher CPM.

Measuring identity impact​

In the dashboard​

Go to Dashboard → Monetization and break down by the dimensions that proxy for identity coverage:

  • Compare CPM by browser (Safari vs. Chrome) — a classic proxy for cookie availability
  • Compare CPM by device (iOS Safari tends to surface the cookieless tail)
  • If you've wired custom dimensions for logged-in vs. anonymous users, break down by that

Key metrics​

MetricWhat it tells you
Match rate% of impressions with identity signal
CPM by matchRevenue difference with/without identity
Identity coverageWhich solutions are firing

The future: Preparing for cookieless​

Short-term (now)​

  • Enable available identity solutions
  • Improve consent rates
  • Grow first-party data collection

Medium-term (1-2 years)​

  • Test contextual targeting performance
  • Build authenticated audience segments
  • Evaluate seller-defined audiences

Long-term (2+ years)​

  • Reduce dependence on third-party solutions
  • Invest in first-party data infrastructure
  • Explore data clean rooms for measurement

Common questions​

Do I need to do anything right now?

Yes:

  1. Enable identity solutions in your setup (low effort, high impact)
  2. Review your consent management (affects identity availability)
  3. Start growing first-party data (newsletter, registration)

The publishers who prepare now will be better positioned when cookies fully disappear.

Which identity solution is best?

There's no single winner. The best approach is:

  • Enable multiple solutions (they complement each other)
  • Prioritize based on your geography and audience
  • Monitor which solutions drive the most revenue lift
Will contextual targeting be enough?

For some inventory, yes. Contextual works well for:

  • Content-aligned advertising (sports ads on sports content)
  • Brand awareness campaigns
  • Privacy-conscious advertisers

But it can't replace identity for:

  • Performance marketing (conversions)
  • Retargeting
  • Frequency capping

A hybrid approach (identity where available, contextual elsewhere) is realistic.

How does consent affect identity?

Without consent, most identity solutions can't operate. This is why consent rates matter:

Consent rateIdentity coverageRevenue impact
80%+GoodMinimal loss
50-80%PartialModerate loss
< 50%PoorSignificant loss

Invest in consent UX to maximize opt-in rates.