Out with Identity-Based Advertising, In with Intent-Based Advertising

For decades, programmatic advertising has been built on a flawed premise: tracking people, rather than their motivations. Cookies, device IDs, and invasive profiling tools promised precision but delivered privacy scandals, wasted spend, and increasingly obsolete tactics.

The alternative? Intent-based advertising, where AI deciphers why a user engages with content, without stalking their personal data.

Let’s break down why publishers need to ditch identity-based models (before they’re left behind).

Why Identity-Based Advertising is Failing

The old model relies on three flawed pillars:

1. Cookies & Device IDs – Tracking users across the web to build profiles.
2. Historical Data – “You browsed sneakers in March? Here’s more shoe ads in August.”
3. Assumptions Over Intent – Labels like “fitness enthusiast” or “pet owner” miss real-time motivation.

The problems?

• Cookies are dying – Blocked by Safari, Firefox, and now Chrome.
• Data decay – 40% of audience segments are inaccurate or outdated.
• Consumer backlash – 81% of users limit tracking due to privacy concerns.

Identity-based ads are like using a Swiss knife to crack a walnut: clumsy, wasteful, and prone to collateral damage.

🔍 The Rise of Intent-Based Advertising

Instead of tracking who someone is, intent-based models analyze:

• Page context – What is this article about?
• Real-time behavior – How is the user engaging?
• Broader signals – Time of day, device, scroll depth, etc.

For example: Selling Tylenol without stalking users.

A traditional ad platform might target:

• “Insomniacs” (based on past search history)
• “Frequent travelers” (from loyalty program data).

An intent-based system sees:

• A user reading an article about dealing with noisy pets at night → infers sleep disruption.
• Someone browsing at 3 AM in Norway → infers trouble sleeping at midnight.

No personal data needed, just context.

How Intent-Based Ads Work

Intent-Based Advertising operates on three levels:

1. Reactive – “User searched for ‘best running shoes’ → show Nike shoe ads.” (Basic but limited.)
2. Predictive – “User bought running shoes → assume they’ll want protein powder.” (Often wrong.)
3. Contextual + Behavioral – “User is reading a marathon training guide → serve hydration gear ads during the session.” (Precise, privacy-safe.)

This isn’t just “smarter targeting”, it’s replacing surveillance with relevance.

How Intent-Based Advertising Works in Apps

Instead of tracking who someone is across devices, intent-based models focus on:

1. In-App Context

• What screen/section is the user in?
• Are they browsing products, reading content, or comparing options?

Example: A user scrolling through a recipe app’s “meal prep” section sees ads for food storage containers, not generic grocery coupons.

2. Real-Time Behavior

• Session duration
• Scroll depth
• Interaction patterns

Example: A gaming app detects a player struggling on Level 10 → serves a relevant ad for a power-up.

3. Environmental Signals

• Time of day
• Location (country/city-level, not GPS)
• Device type

Example: A travel app shows luggage ads to users browsing flight deals at 9 AM (likely planning a trip, not just daydreaming).

Should Publishers embrace Intent-Based Advertising now?

For publishers, intent-based advertising means:

✅ Higher CPMs: Ads align with real-time intent, not stale profiles.

✅ Future-proofing: No reliance on cookies or IDs.

✅ Regulatory safety: No personal data = no GDPR/CCPA risk.

✅ Better UX: No creepy “how did they know?!” moments.

Implementing Intent-Based Ads: Best Practices

1. Leverage First-Party Data: Analyze in-app behavior patterns (e.g., “Users who read 3+ articles in the Sports section engage 2X more with fitness ads”).
2. Partner with Contextual Ad Platforms: Seek DSPs that prioritize real-time signals over user profiles.
3. Test Hybrid Models: Combine intent signals with limited consented data (where available) for incremental lift.

The Future: Advertising That Understands, Not Invades

Programmatic advertising stands at a turning point: cling to dying identity-based methods, such as cookies, or shift to intent-based strategies that prioritize real-time context and behavior. The winners will be those who target motivations, not just demographics.

Publishers who adopt intent-based models will:

• Monetize audiences that adtech often ignores (privacy-conscious users, cookie blockers).
• Unlock hidden demand (e.g., readers researching niche problems).
• Stay ahead of regulation (no more “consent mode” patches).

The bottom line: ID-Based Advertising is dying. The future belongs to advertising that understands why, not who.

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Want to explore intent-based advertising for your site? Learn more here!