The Trade Desk Adds Nielsen to Unified ID 2.0 Initiative as Advertisers Seek Upgrade to Cookies

LOS ANGELES — The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) today announced that Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) is supporting the industry-wide initiative to develop and deploy Unified ID 2.0. With initial development led by The Trade Desk, Unified ID 2.0 is a new industry-wide approach to internet identity that preserves the value of relevant advertising, while putting user control and privacy at the forefront. The ID is an upgrade and an alternative to third-party cookies.

“Nielsen represents the gold standard in media data and measurement. Their support of Unified ID 2.0 is a significant step in advancing the value of the open internet”

Powered by a secured technology that encrypts and hashes a consumer’s email address for their protection, the solution will be open source, interoperable and non-commercial. Unified ID 2.0 will be governed by an independent group to preserve neutrality. Key elements of Unified ID 2.0 include:

  • A simplified consent framework for publishers – explaining the value exchange of relevant advertising for consumers, and providing greater control for publishers
  • Encrypted identification – a major upgrade over current cookie technology that will include a hashed and encrypted ID with improved accountability measures, as well as third-party audit controls
  • Simple and transparent consumer controls, with the ability to manage participation
  • Single sign on capabilities across the open internet – so consumers don’t have to consent repeatedly

“Nielsen represents the gold standard in media data and measurement. Their support of Unified ID 2.0 is a significant step in advancing the value of the open internet,” said Jeff Green, CEO of The Trade Desk. “As consumers embrace connected devices more than ever and TV becomes fully digitized, advertisers are looking for a new approach to identity that helps them measure across platforms in a way that puts the consumer in control. With industry-wide collaboration, Unified ID 2.0 accomplishes these objectives while preserving the value exchange of relevant advertising.”

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Unlike cookies, Unified ID 2.0 will operate across advertising channels. Advertisers will now be able to understand campaign performance across streaming TV, browsers, mobile, audio, TV apps and devices with a single ID, creating a stronger environment for precision and measurement. This is critical as marketers and publishers look to understand their audience across platforms in a simple way.

“The TV and digital worlds are colliding – to provide the market with cross-media measurement that actually drives transactions, the industry needs to align on a common way to share and protect data,” said David Kenny, CEO at Nielsen. “At Nielsen, our approach to cross-media measurement requires an approach that puts consumer privacy at the core. We believe an open source model promotes inclusivity and transparency, which are critical factors in gaining industry adoption. We support The Trade Desk in developing the industry-leading Unified ID 2.0 approach to help drive industry alignment and market efficiency with consumer transparency.”

For more information on the current state of the Unified ID 2.0, please visit the Unified ID solution site.

About The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on FacebookTwitterLinkedIn and YouTube.

About Nielsen

Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. Nielsen is divided into two business units. Nielsen Global Media provides media and advertising industries with unbiased and reliable metrics that create a shared understanding of the industry required for markets to function. Nielsen Global Connect provides consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers with accurate, actionable information and insights and a complete picture of the complex and changing marketplace that companies need to innovate and grow. Our approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to help clients around the world understand what’s happening now, what’s happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge. An S&P 500 company, Nielsen has operations in over 90 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.