iHeartMedia has adopted Unified ID 2.0 — or UID2.0 — open-source identity framework pioneered by The Trade Desk. It leverages encrypted email and phone number data to create a privacy-conscious identity standard without the need for third-party cookies. With its adoption, iHeart says UID2 puts advanced tools into advertisers’ hands that allow for more effective targeting, precise measurement, and accurate attribution.
With a huge reach — iHeart reaches a quarter of a billion listeners in the U.S. each month — the integration of UID2 into iHeart’s streaming radio and podcast platforms will allow advertisers to connect more effectively with addressable, privacy-compliant audiences across a range of media channels. The company says it also will allow advertisers to take full advantage of the marketing opportunities from iHeartMedia by leveraging authenticated user data to enhance addressability across iHeartMedia’s platforms.
“iHeartMedia is setting a new standard in digital audio by combining our robust, first-party data with Unified ID 2.0’s scalable identity framework,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeart Digital Audio Group at iHeartMedia. “Our listeners are at the heart of everything we do, and with UID2, we’re taking another leap forward to ensure that brands can reach them in more relevant, personalized, and privacy-safe ways.”
Unified ID 2.0 – or UID2.0 – leverages encrypted email and phone number data to provide a privacy-conscious identity standard without the need for third-party cookies. The alphanumeric identifier is created by a UID2 operator and used for targeting. But because the token is a different value each time it enters the bid stream, it prevents the unauthorized building of profiles based on UID2 information. It has been adopted by advertisers including Procter & Gamble, NBCUniversal, Paramount, LG, and HP.
“As audio becomes a central part of digital advertising, iHeartMedia’s move to Unified ID 2.0 provides advertisers with the precision and scale they need to connect with key audiences,” said Verna De Jesus, VP of Inventory Development at The Trade Desk. “This collaboration reinforces the growing commitment to privacy-conscious identity solutions that still enable impactful targeting and measurement.”
By integrating UID2, iHeartMedia says it is reaffirming its commitment to an open, addressable audio ecosystem that respects consumer privacy while enabling advertisers to achieve their campaign objectives. Through UID2, iHeart says it isa also continuing to refine its analytics to provide advertisers with greater transparency and actionable insights to enhance campaign effectiveness in digital media. The adoption also facilitates cross-platform measurement, making it easier for advertisers to understand and optimize the impact of their investments across multiple platforms. That includes iHeart’s overall goal to make broadcast listening, which makes up nearly 70% of all ad-enabled audio consumption, fully programmatic and addressable.
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