OpenAP Launches Open Identity for Interoperable Streaming Ads

OpenAP Launches Open Identity for Interoperable Streaming Ads

Ad tech company OpenAP's new cross-platform identity solution, Open Identity, will launch in May. This solution aims to enable advertisers to identify single audiences across publishers, streamers, and data providers.

Acxiom, DeepSync, Experian, LiveRamp, and TransUnion have partnered with OpenAP and agreed to standardize their data for use with Open Identity.

Owned by Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery, OpenAP describes Open Identity as an evolution of its OpenID common TV identifier. This new iteration goes further by enabling direct matching of identity data for more seamless usage for advertisers.

The Need for Interoperable Streaming Ad Solutions

In today's fragmented media landscape, the search for effective cross-platform audience targeting continues. Following similar efforts from agencies and data companies, Open Identity represents a move by major TV networks to offer their own solution. This comes as the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) prepares to beta test its Aquila measurement solution, further highlighting the industry's focus on this challenge.

OpenAP stakeholders emphasize that Open Identity differentiates itself because it was developed by TV broadcasters who understand advertisers' desire for enhanced premium video options.

“The workflow of the future for streaming video must be interoperable and data must connect seamlessly across all data providers, publishers, platforms and currencies,” said OpenAP CEO David Levy.

Once live, publishers and data providers will connect their datasets to OpenAP's data clean room. This will allow advertisers to compose audiences with identity information across the industry without additional "crosswalks." Advertisers and publishers will then use Open Identity to define the identity providers they want to use for a campaign, as well as the business logic governing targeting and measurement.

This announcement underscores the marketing and advertising industry's increasing focus on data. Recent acquisitions, like WPP's purchase of InfoSum and Publicis Groupe's acquisition of Lotame, further demonstrate this trend, as companies seek to bolster their data-driven marketing capabilities.