Adstra has introduced ID Connection Strength (ICS), a new identity quality scoring framework designed to help advertisers, agencies, publishers, and advertising technology platforms evaluate the reliability of digital identity signals before activating programmatic campaigns. Supported by joint research with InterMedia Advertising, the launch highlights persistent weaknesses in IP-based Connected TV (CTV) targeting and suggests that verified person-linked identifiers can deliver more stable audience targeting, measurement, and attribution across digital advertising campaigns.

Adstra Launches ID Connection Strength to Address Identity Quality Challenges in Programmatic CTV

As Connected TV (CTV) advertising attracts increasing investment, advertisers are placing greater emphasis on the quality of the identity signals used to power audience targeting. Adstra’s latest product announcement reflects this shift, introducing ID Connection Strength (ICS), a scoring framework that measures the reliability of identity links before campaigns enter the market.

Rather than relying solely on traditional identity match rates—which indicate whether an identifier exists—ICS evaluates how confidently a digital identifier is connected to a verified individual or household. The framework measures identity quality across five dimensions: recency, frequency, signal integrity, congruency, and cardinality. Scores range from one, representing the strongest verified identity connection, to six, indicating weaker confidence.

The framework supports major advertising identifiers including hashed email addresses (HEMs), Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), mobile advertising IDs (MAIDs), Connected TV IDs, IP addresses, and cookies used across major demand-side platforms (DSPs). According to Adstra, every score is generated using user-consented identity signals collected through its Match Partner Network and validated by an independent fraud prevention provider.

The announcement arrives as identity resolution becomes a central challenge for the programmatic advertising ecosystem. With third-party cookies continuing to decline and privacy regulations reshaping digital advertising, advertisers are increasingly turning to deterministic and consented identity solutions to improve campaign efficiency.

To demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness, Adstra partnered with InterMedia Advertising to analyze identity quality across multiple programmatic CTV campaigns. The study focused on whether commonly used identifiers maintained stable links to real consumers throughout campaign delivery.

The findings suggest that identity quality can significantly influence campaign performance before media impressions are even purchased.

Among the study’s results, only 23% of residential IP addresses successfully reached their intended geographic audience when used without ICS guidance, highlighting limitations associated with traditional IP-based targeting models. By comparison, 71% of high-scoring CTV identifiers maintained consistent links to the same individual across multiple measurement windows.

Researchers also reported that verified CTV-to-person identifiers delivered a 24% improvement in person-link stability compared with legacy IP mapping approaches (71% versus 57%). More stable identity signals can improve audience reach, frequency management, attribution accuracy, and overall media efficiency throughout campaign execution.

The research reflects a broader industry trend in which advertisers are shifting focus from simply expanding audience reach to ensuring that identity infrastructure remains accurate throughout the advertising lifecycle.

This issue carries increasing financial significance. According to eMarketer, U.S. Connected TV advertising spending is expected to reach $37.95 billion in 2026, making CTV one of the fastest-growing segments of digital media. At the same time, Truthset’s 2026 State of Data Accuracy report estimates that nearly 40% of open-auction CTV advertising spend is lost because of inaccurate identity data, underscoring the economic impact of poor identity quality.

Identity verification is also becoming increasingly important as marketers demand more reliable campaign measurement across multiple devices. Cross-device attribution, audience deduplication, household targeting, and retail media activation all depend on accurate identity graphs capable of connecting consumers across fragmented digital environments.

The competitive landscape reflects this growing importance. Companies including Google, Amazon, The Trade Desk, Adobe, Microsoft, and Criteo continue investing in privacy-conscious identity frameworks, first-party data activation, clean rooms, and interoperable identity solutions as advertisers prepare for a post-cookie ecosystem. Rather than replacing existing identity frameworks, Adstra’s ICS positions itself as an independent quality measurement layer that helps buyers evaluate confidence levels before campaign activation.

For demand-side platforms, agencies, and publishers, this type of scoring could improve media planning by identifying weaker identifiers before budget is allocated. Better identity confidence may reduce wasted impressions, improve frequency optimization, strengthen attribution models, and enhance return on advertising spend.

Market Landscape

Identity resolution has emerged as one of the defining challenges in modern advertising technology. Growth in programmatic advertising, Connected TV, retail media networks, and AI-powered audience targeting has increased dependence on reliable first-party identity infrastructure.

Industry analysts, including Gartner and Forrester, have identified identity management, privacy-preserving data collaboration, and consent-driven targeting as strategic priorities for enterprise marketers navigating evolving privacy regulations. As third-party cookies disappear, advertisers are increasingly evaluating identity quality—not simply identity availability—as a competitive advantage.

Strategic Outlook

Adstra’s launch of ID Connection Strength signals a broader evolution within AdTech toward measurable identity transparency. Rather than treating all identifiers as equally reliable, advertisers are beginning to assess the confidence level behind each identity connection before media buying decisions are made.

If adopted broadly, identity quality scoring could become an additional optimization layer across DSPs, SSPs, retail media platforms, and measurement providers, helping improve campaign efficiency while supporting privacy-first advertising strategies.

Top Insights

Adstra introduced ID Connection Strength to measure identity quality before campaign activation, helping advertisers evaluate verified digital identifiers instead of relying solely on traditional match rates.
Joint research found verified person-linked CTV identifiers delivered a 24% stability advantage over legacy IP mapping, improving audience consistency throughout programmatic advertising campaigns.
The framework evaluates identity reliability across five measurable dimensions, supporting marketers, agencies, publishers, and AdTech platforms using multiple identifier types.
As CTV advertising spending continues to rise, stronger identity verification could improve targeting accuracy, attribution, frequency management, and overall media investment efficiency.
The announcement reflects the advertising industry’s transition toward privacy-first identity infrastructure powered by consented first-party data and transparent measurement methodologies.

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