The ability to deliver personalized advertisements to a single user across multiple devices smartphones, tablets, laptops, and connected TVs is a powerful tool for marketers. For example, a consumer browsing running shoes on their phone during a commute could later see ads for related products, like athletic apparel or fitness trackers, on their tablet at home. This cohesive approach utilizes sophisticated identification and data analysis techniques to connect individual user behavior across different platforms.
Connecting with consumers across devices offers substantial advantages. It enhances campaign effectiveness by providing a unified and consistent brand experience, reducing wasted ad spend by avoiding duplicate impressions, and improving attribution accuracy by tracking the complete customer journey. This approach evolved from the limitations of cookie-based tracking, which struggled to connect user activities beyond individual browsers, into a more robust and user-centric method. This evolution is driven by the increasing prevalence of multi-device ownership and the need for more precise targeting strategies.