Innovid introduces interoperable infrastructure for identity resolution

Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 
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Innovid Launches Innovid Key To Address Growing Data Privacy and Identity Concerns

  • Leading CTV advertising platform expands Household Graph to 95MM, introduces interoperable infrastructure for identity resolution

NEW YORK — Innovid, a leading independent CTV advertising and analytics platform, today announced the launch of Innovid Key, an infrastructure approach to identity management. Developed to enable an accurate and persistent method by which advertisers can better understand and target audiences, the approach unlocks numerous identity solutions in concert with Innovid’s proprietary Household Graph, in a secure, privacy-compliant manner.

Innovid’s Household Graph offers the most comprehensive view of U.S. CTV households, enabled by the independent platform’s unparalleled ad serving footprint across over 95MM CTV homes – a near census view of the 108MM CTV homes. Using privacy-compliant mechanisms, Innovid collects available data through the platform’s ad server and proprietary SDK, which is installed in over 25 connected device types. Those signals are then matched to Innovid Key’s Household Graph. Subsequently, depending on the desired outcome, external “keys” are then plugged into the solution. These include first-party publisher IDs, clean rooms, and external ID partners. The result is identity resolution at a scale that allows marketers to reach the right people with the right message while ensuring data transparency and ownership.

“Many solutions being proposed are workarounds versus long-term solutions that address both customer and advertiser concerns,” said Tal Chalozin, Co-founder and CTO, Innovid. “By unlocking numerous identity solutions, in concert with Innovid’s proprietary Household Graph, Innovid Key is providing an identity-for-all approach that doesn’t alienate consumers and is built for the ever-evolving media ecosystem.”

Using Innovid Key, brands and agencies are able to tell personalized stories on any device, understand reach & frequency, optimize campaigns to avoid creative saturation, and securely access and activate data across screens.

This announcement corresponds with the release of the findings of a commissioned study called Reconciling Views on Identity Resolution. Conducted in July 2021, Innovid surveyed over 1,000 consumers and 500 senior marketers to better understand marketer and consumer sentiment toward the changing identity landscape, as the industry undergoes a seismic shift, amid third-party cookies phasing out and other privacy-related trends. The research highlighted the growing need for identity solutions that are CTV-focused while providing coverage across all channels and devices, with 87% of marketers indicating they are still concerned about identity resolution on CTV despite it being a naturally cookieless environment.

The new study unveiled additional insights which show there is a middle ground where consumers and marketers can meet to still enable positive advertising experiences with privacy confidence.

Transparency is the Key to Consumer Trust

Marketers almost unanimously agree (96%) that first-party data collection is paramount moving forward. And, the majority (84%) of consumers expressed they would be more comfortable sharing their data if proper measures were put in place, such as having the ability to opt-out or to see exactly what brands are collecting.

Prepare for the Cookie to (Finally) Crumble

Though it’s common knowledge that third-party cookies won’t be around for long, the majority of marketers (82%) are still dependent on them. On the other side of the equation, consumers are contributing to the cookie’s demise; over a third (35%) of consumer respondents are currently blocking cookies when prompted to accept them.

There’s No Silver Bullet to Identity Resolution

Marketers are exploring a variety of signals and replacement strategies for the future. The top core strategy is first-party data – almost three-quarters (73%) of marketer respondents noted they’ll be leaning on it moving forward. Additional top solutions that marketers selected include a combination of cohorts (65%), contextual targeting (58%), and publisher first-party data (55%). However, 55% of marketers think privacy legislation will limit their ability to collect and store first-party data.

“As our industry continues to evolve, the ecosystem will never adapt to a one-solution-rules-it-all approach,” continued Chalozin. “There is no silver bullet to solving for identity – in order for marketers to meet benchmarks, reach their audiences, and continue to engage their consumers, they must ensure their data ecosystems can interoperate with all of the best solutions. While it seems everyone in the ad tech industry is out there searching for oil, we’re focused on building an electric car. In short: a framework built for the future of advertising.”

The research findings highlight the growing need for a forward-thinking identity resolution approach that puts transparency and privacy first, particularly as consumers become increasingly protective of their digital identities.

Links: Innovid