Open source unified auction solution Prebid has released a new publisher-controlled identifier, SharedID, which it says launches with support from companies including Insider Inc, News Corp, CafeMedia, Publishers Clearing House, Magnite, Adform, MediaMath, and Zeta. Prebid says the solution is designed to complement publisher’s single-sign on and login-based identity strategies, helping to identify non-logged in users across different publications.
The new solution works by linking the PubCommon ID, a first-party identifier for publishers created by data company Epsilon, with the sharedid.org third-party ID. SharedID writes a first-party value via the prebid wrapper, which can then be used to share first-party data with buyers, or to create audience segments which can be shared with other publishers. These identifies can be used for things like behavioural targeting or attribution.
Prebid says its identifier makes cookie synching, or a cookie-synching like processes for cookieless solutions, unnecessary since all publishers are working with same same identifier. The solution will also allow users to opt-out of data use across publishers, rather than having to opt out with each individual site they visit.
Stephanie Layser, VP of advertising technology at News Corp, said SharedID’s strength is in how it gives publishers complete control over the identifier. “In a post-third-party cookie world, publishers will be uniquely positioned to control the flow of data into the ad tech ecosystem,” she said. “Aligning on a trusted, transparent identity solution that includes a unified opt-out is essential. Prebid’s SharedID.org initiative is the first step the industry needs to take as it embarks on rearchitecting the advertising ecosystem as a fairer market for participants and a safer environment for consumers.”
Prebid says SharedID will launch with significant scale, since it leverages the existing global identifier footprint of Prebid members. And the organisation claims that publishers already using the PubCommon ID have seen strong results, averaging out at a 23 percent increase in revenue and 30 percent increase in filled impressions.
