Audience Targeting
Audience targeting directs ads to defined groups of people based on shared attributes "” demographics, interests, behaviors, or first-party segments "” rather than on the content they're viewing.
Key takeaways
- Audience targeting reaches people by shared attributes, not by content.
- Segments draw on demographics, interests, behaviors, and purchase data.
- Sources shifted from third-party segments toward first-party and modeled audiences.
- It's activated in the DSP and, increasingly, via clean-room matches.
Building and activating segments
An audience is a defined group "” 'in-market for a new car,' 'existing customers,' 'sports enthusiasts.' These segments are built from first-party data, modeled behaviors, or purchased third-party data, then activated in a DSP so bids concentrate on impressions from those users.
The post-cookie shift
Classic audience targeting leaned on third-party, cookie-based segments assembled in DMPs. As those signals decayed, value moved to first-party audiences, lookalike models built from them, and clean-room-matched segments that respect privacy constraints.
| Basis | Who the person is |
|---|---|
| Segment sources | First-party, modeled, third-party |
| Activation | DSP, clean rooms |
| Trend | First-party + modeled over third-party |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between audience and contextual targeting?
Audience targeting reaches people based on who they are; contextual targeting reaches people based on the content they're viewing. Audience needs data about the user; contextual does not.
How has cookie deprecation changed audience targeting?
It weakened third-party cookie-based segments, pushing buyers toward first-party audiences, lookalike modeling, and clean-room matching.