Keeping cookies won’t derail the ID-less future
This week’s big cookie news might be a bombshell for some, but it doesn’t actually change much. Yes, Google isn’t eliminating third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. But cookies’ usefulness for advertising is undeniably fading away as consumer preference for privacy is on the rise. Ad tech’s path forward is clear: keep prioritizing technologies that don’t rely on identifiers or cookies — and continue expanding capabilities across non-web channels.
Back to Basics: DMPs vs. CDPs vs. Data Clean Rooms
As privacy regulations and consumer expectations evolve, some data signals are fading away. This means advertisers need to use their first-party data more efficiently to target audiences effectively. Three technologies that help transform raw data into actionable campaign fuel are data management platforms (DMPs), customer data platforms (CDPs), and data clean rooms (DCRs).
In conversation with: Modern approaches to in-app measurement with Maor Sadra, CEO of INCRMNTAL
Beyond the basics: evaluating ID attribution, SKAdNetwork (SKAN), media mix modeling (MMM), and Incrementality in modern ad tech
The case for mobile gaming apps and video advertising
Gamers are no longer a niche audience. It’s time for brands to include mobile gaming apps in their video advertising strategy.
What Apple’s SKAN 5.0 means for marketers
Apple began enforcing privacy manifests in May 2024, and SKAN 5.0 is likely around the corner. What does this mean for iOS app marketers?
Introducing HyBid SDK 3.0: Your fast lane to performance in a privacy-first world
We are thrilled to unveil the new HyBid SDK 3.0. This release marks a significant landmark in our efforts to enhance app monetization while prioritizing user privacy and data security. The new HyBid SDK significantly enhances full-screen ad experiences and addresses monetization hurdles for ID-less users. What’s new in HyBid SDK 3.0? Let’s unpack some of the major features and that makes this version the most important upgrade for our publisher partners. Introducing industry-first, ID-less user monetization for mobile HyBid SDK 3.0 comes bundled with ATOM 3.0 — no integration hassles. Publishers can now ensure 100% addressability using ATOM cohorts that are generated on the device, securely, using advanced machine learning models. ATOM 3.0 enriches every ad request with these predictive cohorts, allowing buyers to target their users with better relevance and precision, thereby increasing the value of your users and your eCPMs. ATOM is now exclusively available on the iOS SDK and will soon be extended to Android. Want to learn more about ATOM 3.0? Check out AdExchanger’s feature story about the launch, our press announcement, or this deep dive blog about how it works. Better video ad rendering, lower churn, higher eCPMs HyBid SDK 3.0 offers newly-refreshed ad templates to support features that balance performance of the campaigns and the ad experience within the app. The rendering experience is powered by: SKOverlay StoreKit Auto Open Custom End Cards Custom CTA (call to action) Stay in control with an open-source SDK The HyBid SDK 3.0 is also one of the few premium SDKs in the market that provides open and modular technology to simplify monetization for publishers. HyBid SDK 3.0 is available as an open-source solution on GitHub. By opening up our code, we grant developers transparent insights into the SDK data and security practices, unlocking access to agile feedback loops with our development team. Verve also collaborates actively on open-source Prebid projects to make new tech accessible to the larger publisher community, along with our peers in the industry. Stay ahead of fast-changing privacy regulations As with previous versions, HyBid SDK 3.0 supports and complies with all regional and OEM-enforced privacy regulations. HyBid SDK 3.0 supports the latest iOS updates on SKAN, as well as privacy manifests. On Android, we are currently testing Privacy Sandbox as beta partners with Google. Get started with HyBid SDK 3.0 HyBid SDK 3.0 is now available for iOS and Android users. We strongly recommend that all publishers stay updated to the latest version of our SDK. Reach out to your dedicated account manager should you have any questions.
Verve capitalizes on the PET trend with on-device cohort-based targeting
In the news: App developers and their ad tech partners have been attempting to mitigate the impact of ATT on iOS addressability and measurement. Verve was early out of the gate with its release of an alternative targeting solution, now called ATOM 3.0 (or Anonymized Targeting on Mobile). ATOM 3.0 uses on-device and contextual signals to aggregate audience cohorts without relying on user-level identifiers, such as the IDFA.
Slam dunk: Lessons for advertisers from 2024’s college basketball tournaments
This year’s college basketball tournaments captivated audiences like never before — a testament to sports’ power to unite and inspire fans. But beyond the thrilling dunks and impressive assists, there’s a bigger story about audience engagement and innovative advertising strategies. Let’s explore how “March Madness” sheds light on winning ways for brands, advertisers, and agencies to reach fans during sports’ most memorable moments. With strategies like contextual targeting, brands can tap into the magic of March basketball fever all year long. Meeting fans on multiple screens Effective programmatic advertising for sports works best when brands make a splash on multiple channels. That’s because 83% of internet users in the US engage with the internet on a separate device while simultaneously watching TV. Even if they’re chilling at home watching the game on TV at home on the couch, sports fans still often engage on their phones. There’s so much interesting content to supplement their watching experience: refreshing in-app news, stats, and scores; posting reactions on social media; or killing time with a mobile game during a lull in the action. Sports teams get in on the action on social media to encourage fan engagement, too. For instance, social media accounts of the Sweet 16 women’s tournament teams posted about 130 times each during just the first two rounds. This added up to more than 2,000 social posts in a few short days, garnering 140M+ impressions (overwhelmingly on mobile devices), as well as 3.4M engagements. By some estimates, the “social value” of this activity topped $3M. Another indicator that brands need to hit multiple screens? The NCAA offers dedicated March Madness apps for iOS, Android, Apple laptops and desktops, multiple CTV platforms, and even Xbox. Image source: NCAA This multi-channel behavior presents a unique opportunity for brands to reach diverse audiences across devices and at different touchpoints in the customer journey. By the numbers: 2024 college basketball tournaments Just how big were the 2024 college basketball tournaments? Sources: NCAA, Statista Expanding interest, growing audiences But who exactly are brands reaching across all these screens? Gone are the days of assuming a monolithic, stereotypical college sports fanbase. In 2024, the NCAA women’s tournament continued shattering records, beating even 2023’s unprecedented viewership. Final game between Iowa vs. South Carolina was the most-watched women’s college basketball of all time — and the most-watched college basketball game since 2019, averaging 18.7M viewers. For the Final Four games, the women’s tournament saw a year-over-year growth of 142% in viewership, according to ESPN. Brands score big with contextual advertising How can advertisers make the most of engaged audiences during riveting sports events like these college basketball tournaments? Especially now, as shifting privacy regulations are making targeting and measurement harder? Contextual advertising is a privacy-safe win for sports marketing. With contextual, brands target content, not consumers. For example, an athletic gear ad makes perfect sense in the middle of an article about college sports. The brand doesn’t need any user data to get their product in front of an interested, engaged audience. Why contextual is a slam dunk for brands and advertisers: Verve’s contextual solution, Moments.AI, is a top choice for effective sports marketing. In fact, Moments.AI recently earned the prestigious Digiday Awards Europe for Best Contextual Targeting. Our platform also powers Visual Intent, an industry-first partnership between Getty Images and Verve that places brands’ messages alongside Getty’s premium visual content. This empowers brands to connect with audiences during pivotal sports and cultural events, enhancing brand recall and driving intent to purchase. Whether it’s college basketball, glamorous galas, or anything in between, contextual advertising during high-visibility events is a winning game plan for brands. Teaming up for purposeful advertising Each spring at Verve, we run a college basketball bracket challenge with an ad-tech twist: “March ‘Ad’ness.” This bracket challenge lets our clients and partners across ad tech get in on the tournament fun with prizes. In the spirit of celebration, Verve matched the winning amount by donating to Eden Reforestation Projects, an organization dedicated to tackling climate change by planting trees and restoring forests. This year’s March ‘Ad’ness led to planting 1,344 trees. That’s a wrap on the 2024 college basketball tournaments! March 2025 may be far away, but there’s plenty of meaningful sports moments for advertisers year -round. Want to get in the game? Let us know anytime.
No ID, no problem: 5 ways advertisers can own targeting outcomes on mobile
Will mobile targeting without cookies ever work as well as the good old days? Marketers are facing formidable challenges when advertising to mobile users. On iOS, they’re contending with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) — this prevents tracking, drastically limiting ad attribution when consumers opt out of mobile identifiers (IDFA). Then they face third-party cookie deprecation on Chrome and Safari.
