Yahoo Identity Solutions Prepare Advertisers for Cookie Independence

Another DSP has stepped forward with solutions to help navigate cookie independence. Yahoo recently announced an expansion of its Identity Solutions product suite to include identity testing capabilities directly integrated with Yahoo DSP. These capabilities allow advertisers to simulate and test ad campaigns, helping them to plan, optimize, and measure success as we enter a cookieless era. 

The new technology works by enabling advertisers to simulate ad environments and facilitate A/B testing to refine campaign strategies using Yahoo DSP. One scenario includes all available third-party cookies and identifiers, and the other scenario is created in a simulated environment devoid of cookies and mobile IDs, relying only on Yahoo Identity Solutions – Yahoo ConnectID and Next-Gen, covering both addressable and non-addressable inventory – to support the campaign. Through the new capability, advertisers can test the solutions across the common programmatic use cases such as frequency capping, targeting, conversion tracking and attribution, and reach. By deriving insights from the A/B test, advertisers can then optimize their campaigns, improve overall outcomes and prepare for the eventual deprecation of third-party cookies and signal loss. 

Klick Health is one of the first companies to test this new feature’s capabilities, driving greater understanding and accountability for its campaigns’ performance in a cookieless world.  

“As we continue to help life sciences clients prepare for the changing digital landscape, we’re committed to partnering with companies like Yahoo that have cutting-edge identity solutions and capacity to execute campaigns emulating the cookieless future,” said Kristy Quagliariello, VP, Programmatic, Klick Health. “We work in a very data-driven sector and the learnings from this testing enable our team to improve and optimize buying strategies, and give us a competitive edge.” 

As momentum builds towards the removal of third-party cookies in 2024, with Google already disabling third-party cookies for 1% of all Chrome users, identity testing capabilities like Yahoo’s new offering are critical. In addition to the solution, Yahoo is also supporting advertisers by sharing strategic guidance with advertisers to help them conduct more meaningful identity tests: 

  • Future vs. Now: Compare the future to today’s world through an actual A/B test, incorporating all digital environments and preparing for the elimination of cookies and broader challenges of signal loss. 
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Include all inventory and audiences in testing to address the identity challenges beyond third-party cookies and ensure comprehensive insights. 
  • Lifecycle Approach: Test across the campaign lifecycle for full insights, ensuring testing covers buying and measurement, not just targeting. 
  • Incremental Testing: Start testing gradually with basic KPIs, then expand to more complex ones, adapting to the changes in the industry while considering different measurement solutions. 
  • Customized Testing: Tailor the testing process to your needs, ensuring full control and accessibility of tools for meaningful insights into programmatic buying. 

Recognizing that there is no single solution to issues stemming from the eventual removal of third-party cookies and data signal loss, the Yahoo DSP also allows advertisers to test Google Privacy Sandbox. In close collaboration with Chrome and Yahoo, additional signals are available to advertisers to reach customers on Chrome. 

For further insights, read Yahoo’s article here.