Advertisers leverage contextual targeting, first-party data to combat signal loss

Key stat: Contextual targeting and first-party data are the top strategies US advertisers will use to maintain targeting effectiveness amidst growing privacy laws and loss of persistent identifiers, according to November 2024 data from Proximic.

Beyond the chart:

• As of February 2025, 19 US states have passed comprehensive privacy laws, according to the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
• Even with Google putting the choice to opt-out of third-party cookies into consumers’ hands, almost 90% of US browsers could become cookieless in the future, according to EMARKETER analysis of StatCounter data.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to illustrate the need for diversifying targeting approaches by investing in contextual strategies and first-party data collection.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• US Privacy Trends 2024 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• The First-Party Data Opportunity(EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the January 2025 Proximic report titled "2025 State of Programmatic." Over 150 US advertising decision-makers were surveyed during November 5-22, 2024. Respondents included brands, agencies, and publishers.