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Partners LoginAs the digital advertising landscape shifts away from third-party cookies, publishers and advertisers are facing a critical challenge: signal loss. Without the traditional methods of tracking users across the web, addressability has plummeted, particularly on browsers like Safari and Firefox. Enter ID Bridging—a sophisticated technique that is reshaping how identity is resolved in a privacy-first world.
Leading solutions, such as Intent IQ, have pioneered advanced forms of ID bridging (often referred to as identity resolution or clustering) to restore addressability, ensuring that publishers can monetize their inventory and advertisers can reach their target audiences without compromising user privacy.
What is ID Bridging?
ID Bridging is the process of connecting disparate data signals—such as IP addresses, device types, and first-party data—to “bridge” the gap between an anonymous user and a known identity or profile.
In the context of programmatic advertising, ID bridging allows a demand-side platform (DSP) to recognize a user on a website where cookies are blocked (like Safari) by linking them to a known identifier from a different environment. This enables the delivery of relevant ads and accurate attribution, even in cookieless environments.
How Intent IQ Revolutionizes Identity Resolution
While basic ID bridging often relies on simple probabilistic modeling, Intent IQ leverages a more robust approach known as First-Party ID Clustering. This technology acts as a next-generation bridge, offering higher accuracy and scale.
1. The "ID Switchboard" Concept
Intent IQ functions as an “ID Switchboard.” When a user visits a publisher’s site, Intent IQ’s technology analyzes billions of signals to identify the user in real-time. It then translates this identity into universal IDs (such as The Trade Desk’s UID2 or ID5) that DSPs and SSPs can understand. This effectively “bridges” the publisher’s first-party data to the buyer’s demand sources.
2. First-Party ID Clustering
At the core of this solution is the IIQ ID. Unlike fragile third-party cookies, the IIQ ID is built on a distributed identity graph. It clusters data across:
- Households: Linking devices that share a common location.
- Individuals: identifying specific users within a household.
- Devices: Mapping smartphones, desktops, and CTVs.
This clustering allows for cross-channel ID resolution, meaning an advertiser can retarget a user on their mobile phone based on an action they took on their desktop, even if third-party cookies are blocked.
3. Privacy-Compliant Identity
A major concern with ID bridging is privacy. Solutions like Intent IQ are designed with privacy by design. They operate without Personal Identifiable Information (PII) leaking into the bid stream and are fully compliant with CMP (Consent Management Platform) standards. This ensures that while identities are bridged for monetization, consumer privacy remains protected.
The Benefits of ID Bridging for Publishers
For publishers struggling with the “Safari Gap” (low revenue from non-Chrome browsers), implementing an ID bridging or identity clustering solution offers immediate benefits:
- Restored Revenue: By enriching bid requests with accurate IDs, publishers can see a revenue lift of 30% to 150% on cookieless inventory.
- Unified Cookies & IDs: It solves the fragmentation problem by unifying various IDs into a single, actionable signal for buyers.
- Higher CPMs: Advertisers pay a premium for addressable audiences. Bridging the identity gap turns anonymous traffic into high-value impressions.
Watch: Intent IQ's Dror Ben Yishai on Addressability in the Open Web
Conclusion
ID Bridging is no longer just a “workaround”; it is a fundamental component of the modern ad tech stack. By leveraging advanced identity resolution technologies like those offered by Intent IQ, the industry can move beyond the limitations of the cookie, creating a sustainable, privacy-compliant ecosystem that benefits publishers, advertisers, and consumers alike.
FAQ: ID Bridging and Identity Resolution
Fingerprinting is often an opaque, non-consented method of tracking users based on device characteristics. ID Bridging, particularly when done by reputable providers like Intent IQ, relies on cooperative, consented data signals and first-party clustering to resolve identity in a way that respects privacy standards and regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Browsers like Safari and Firefox block third-party cookies by default, making users “invisible” to many advertisers. ID Bridging uses alternative signals (like first-party cookies and IP clustering) to re-identify these users, allowing publishers to sell this inventory at its true value.
Yes, when using a solution like Intent IQ, ID bridging is privacy-compliant. These platforms utilize “privacy by design” principles, ensuring that data is hashed and that user consent (via CMPs) is respected before any ID is generated or shared.
Absolutely. Advanced ID bridging technologies use cross-device graphs to link a user’s activity across different channels (e.g., Mobile, Desktop, CTV). This allows for “omnichannel” marketing strategies, where a campaign can follow a user seamlessly from one device to another.
The IIQ ID is Intent IQ’s proprietary identifier. It is a cookieless, biddable ID that aggregates various signals into a single profile. It allows DSPs to bid on users in cookieless environments with the same precision they formerly had with third-party cookies.