Navigating the world of data and identity partners can feel like scrolling through a dating app: In a sea of options, only a few are worthy of swiping right. To find your perfect match, look for a partner who checks all the right boxes.
Here’s your guide to finding the one:
- Identity resolution starts with a strong foundation
The best identity partners rely on a combination of offline and digital data to create a consistent and accurate view of households, individuals and their devices. Offline data – such as names, addresses and emails – provides stability, while digital identifiers enhance targeting across channels. A partner who integrates both offers a complete and reliable understanding of your audience at every stage of a campaign, resulting in better targeting and measurement.
- Match rates are like dating profiles: Don’t be fooled by the numbers
Match rates can look impressive, but they’re often misleading. They can also vary widely depending on the methodology and the IDs being tested. Some providers inflate match rates by limiting the scope of comparison or tweaking their standards. Key indicators of quality are the depth of the data and the quality of matches.
How often the graph is refreshed is important as well. Ideally, your partner updates their graph weekly or monthly. The inclusion of inactive IDs may inflate the perceived scale without reflecting the true addressable audience. It’s like having a profile photo from 10 years ago – a major no-no.
- Authentic origins: Genuine data or just a catfish?
Evaluate your partner’s data sources and place a premium on those with public records or direct-to-consumer relationships. Ask if they have the experience and expertise when it comes to all aspects of data processing from accuracy to privacy and security. Look for some clear third-party indicators for accuracy, like ratings from Truthset. Either your partner is focused on privacy and accuracy, or they are just playing the scale game. Swipe left on those playing games.
Seek a partner with wide-ranging attributes that span key audience categories like demographics, interests and purchase behavior. They should offer the flexibility to deliver both granular data scores and broad audience segments, empowering you to reach the right consumers across channels effectively.
- The total package: Does your partner really have it all?
A true, lifelong partner connects the dots seamlessly, offering a blend of data and identity that link households to devices while layering in rich marketing insights. This approach helps advertisers better understand their customers, reach the right audiences across channels and measure the impact of their campaigns. The right partner is well-connected and ensures that all the pieces – identity, data and activation – work in harmony.
Connectivity across platforms is essential, too, so choose a partner with seamless integrations into the major platforms you rely on for advertising. This ensures your data quality and identity resolution remain intact throughout your campaigns, avoiding loss from multiple handoffs.
- Future-proof privacy savviness
With cookies on the wane and IP addresses under scrutiny, a partner’s ability to adapt is critical. Offline identifiers, for example, are more resistant to privacy changes. Look for partners who have made the necessary investments and are prepared to support the new wave of addressable IDs emerging as alternatives to traditional signals.
As privacy laws evolve, you need a partner with a strong history in privacy compliance and proactive leadership in navigating new regulations. Strong and transparent privacy policies and participation in privacy organizations are a good indicator of trustworthiness. Look for a partner who takes data privacy as seriously as you do and gives you peace of mind when handling sensitive information.
- Killer customer service: Are they in it for the long haul?
A great partner collaborates to solve challenges, not just to sell or upsell. Long-standing partnerships and testimonials about strong customer service are key indicators of reliability. Choose a provider that educates and guides you through technical and strategic challenges, fostering an environment where problem-solving and innovation thrive.
Keep your standards high
Only a handful of companies can meet these rigorous criteria. Don’t settle for a partner that is lacking in any of these key dimensions. Successfully navigating signal loss, privacy compliance and seamless omnichannel integration requires extensive resources, robust infrastructure and years of expertise.
Swipe right on a partner who can handle the complexities of modern marketing and deliver consistent, scalable successful marketing outcomes. Your perfect match is out there. Don’t settle for anything less.
