Media Briefing: Publishers' audience authentication strategies are put to the test

Incremental authentication is a strategy used by media publishers to recognize the value of authenticated audiences over random site visitors. Publishers aim to increase the number of site visitors who submit their emails, which can be linked to third-party cookie-replacing deterministic IDs like The Trade Desk’s Unified ID 2.0 and LiveRamp’s RampID. This process helps in identifying and understanding the audience better, which can lead to more targeted and effective advertising, and ultimately, higher revenue.

To increase authenticated user rates without alienating visitors, publishers should avoid aggressive login requirements and instead provide incentives for users to authenticate. For example, Unwind Media promotes benefits for registered users, such as saved scores and score comparisons. Gannett asks for users' emails through newsletter sign-ups or engaging on-site surveys, rather than demanding them. Additionally, offering easier sign-in options via platform accounts like Apple, Facebook, and Google can incrementally lift authentication rates.

The micro-surveying strategy offers several benefits for publishers, including:

• Driving logins and growing first-party data from authenticated users.
• Engaging users with interactive questions within display ad units, leading to higher interaction rates compared to traditional ads.
• Collecting valuable first-party data that can be used for targeted advertising and personalized content, which is especially important in a cookieless future.
• Providing users with a sense of engagement and value, as they are invited to participate rather than forced, which can improve user experience and loyalty.

Newsletters play a crucial role in publishers' audience engagement strategies by:

• Ensuring recurring traffic and keeping visitors coming back to the publisher's content.
• Engaging one-off visits from users coming from other platforms like Facebook or Google.
• Allowing publishers to directly reach their audience without relying on third-party platforms.
• Offering a platform for exclusive or tailored content that can make subscribers feel valued and reduce churn.
• Providing a channel for publishers to promote their products and services directly to a dedicated audience.