Global technology company, Criteo has introduced a new, first of its kind contextual advertising solution in Australia that connects first-party commerce data with real-time contextual signals, designed to help marketers drive measurable outcomes.

The launch of the contextual advertising solution, which coincides with Criteo’s 10th anniversary in Australia, is part of the company’s vision as a commerce media platform that enables media monetisation and powers global brands, agencies and retailers to optimise sales and digital advertising returns.

Following Google’s announcement to delay its plans to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome browser until 2023, Criteo surveyed a select group of Australian marketers with two in five respondents (41%) saying more than half of their digital advertising still relies on third-party cookies.

Despite this, four in five marketers (82%) either have tests in place aimed at complementing or replacing channels that rely on third-party cookies or are planning to start testing soon.

According to Criteo Australia and New Zealand managing director, Colin Barnard (pictured), Google’s decision does not mean marketers can slow down their preparations – they must start testing now. 

“At Criteo, we’re investing in multiple solutions like contextual targeting to help thousands of marketers and media owners manage their data responsibly and reach and engage customers in new media environments without relying on third-party identifiers,” he said.

“Our contextual solution significantly raises the bar – and unlike traditional contextual targeting, it is the only solution that doesn’t just rely on contextual signals but also uses commerce signals pulled from first-party data to reach people who are ready to buy.

“It’s all thanks to our world’s largest commerce data set on the open internet, which sees over $900 billion of ecommerce sales annually, three times that of Amazon.”

Using Criteo’s contextual solution, marketers will be able to drive commerce outcomes in real-time by engaging audiences in content that is proven effective in influencing shopping mindsets across Criteo’s extensive first-party media network of 20,000 marketers and thousands of media owners.

The solution offers consumers personalised experiences through product recommendations based on contextual signals on a publisher’s site.The result is better audience reach among those who have high potential to purchase in the future, and the opportunity to adapt in real-time to varying purchasing cycles and seasonal buying trends.

“Marketers that focus on building their own first-party data pool and on finding effective ways to build and activate addressable audiences will be in a much better place come 2023. Finding the right partner with a large footprint outside walled gardens is vital in providing the technology and service needed to not only operate but grow in this next era of advertising,” Barnard said.