Match Rates Are The Real Addressability Crisis | AdExchanger

"Every conversation about addressability eventually lands on the same word: fragmentation. But the real symptom of that fragmentation isn't just operational complexity; it's also declining match rates. That single number explains why marketers are struggling to make their data work. Match rate is the percentage of users you can actually recognize and reach when data moves between systems, from onboarding to activation to measurement."

"The cost of too many partners Here's the uncomfortable truth: The more partners you involve, the lower your match rate will be. Every handoff between systems creates another sync point, another data loss event. The industry has increasingly focused on supply-chain optimization, reducing intermediaries, cutting inefficiencies and streamlining media flows. Yet, while media supply chains are being optimized, match rates have been largely neglected. The industry has simply accepted the status quo."

Match rate measures the percentage of users recognizable and reachable when data moves between systems, from onboarding to activation and measurement. Match rates are declining, with IP-to-email matches accurate only about 16% on average. Fragmentation from multiple partners and ID systems causes repeated handoffs that create sync points and data loss events, shrinking audience reach. Industry efforts have optimized media supply chains but largely neglected identity match rates. Improving outcomes requires fewer data hops, consistent high-quality identifiers, and identity optimization across offline onboarding, cross-device activation, measurement, and planning. Privacy regulations add complexity by defining personal data and consent differently.

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