ID5, a leading identity provider for digital advertising, has released its 2025 State of Digital Identity Report, revealing how advertisers, publishers, and tech vendors are navigating the post-cookie landscape with diverse addressability solutions.
The report, based on insights from 250 global respondents, highlights a clear shift: rather than relying on a single identity method, industry players are blending alternative IDs, private marketplaces, clean rooms, and publisher user IDs to maximize reach and precision.
Key Trends in Addressability
- Alternative IDs remain dominant, used by 67% of respondents to engage non-addressable traffic.
- Private marketplaces (57%), clean rooms (51%), and publisher user IDs (50%) are increasingly integrated.
- Identity graphs gain traction, with 84% testing cross-device clustering of disparate identifiers.
- Cookie migration efforts remain strong: 91% are using or planning alternative solutions, and 55% are actively increasing investment in these strategies.
Mathieu Roche, CEO and Co-Founder of ID5, notes, “Cookies were only ever one piece of the advertising picture. Buyers, sellers, and vendors alike want solutions that fit their goals and needs.”
CTV Addressability: Challenges and Solutions
Connected TV (CTV) remains a top pressure point, with 33% of respondents citing measurement and 34% cross-channel reconciliation as key challenges. Consent management is also a concern: 56% feel current CTV IDs lack user transparency or control.
To improve performance, publisher first-party data solutions, including audience deal IDs, were ranked most effective (40%). Identity graphs also play a growing role, helping marketers reconcile multiple IDs across devices.
ID Bridging Gains Momentum
Once controversial, ID bridging—linking cookie-based and cookieless environments—is now widely adopted. More than half (51%) of publishers already work with ID bridging partners, while 21% are considering adoption. Positive sentiment outweighs skepticism, with 55% believing ID bridging benefits the industry.
Valbona Gjini, ID5’s SVP Marketing & Communications, emphasizes, “Those who focus on constant adaptation and experiment with emerging solutions stand the strongest chance of maintaining reach, revenue, and measurability in the evolving ID space.”
