Sky’s current buying from its demand-side platform relies on third-party cookies. Rather than waiting for industry adoption of unsustainable IDs or other cookieless proposals, Sky adopted Permutive’s edge technology, providing a future-proofed programmatic targeting solution.

An ambitious geo-lift incrementality study was planned that pitted cookie-based lookalike audiences against modelled publisher first-party data across Broadband, Mobile, and TV.

Objectives:

1. Mitigate performance loss in a cookieless future.

2. Maintain the effectiveness of leveraging publisher first-party data consistent with third-party cookie approaches.

3. To evaluate whether cookieless targeting provides a cost-effective prospecting alternative compared to the cookie-based approach.

The study's insights would indicate whether Sky would adopt a Permutive future-proof cookieless approach across all Sky products.

Sky took destiny into its own hands in partnership with Permutive. Applying the technology for data-driven targeting allows Sky to access its target audiences via a modelled cohort approach - not limited by scale - across the open web. This removes bias within the buying models present today, which are skewing toward cookied browsers.

Sky uses its first-party data to power Modelled Cohorts, which are built with matching publisher audiences. While Sky currently uses cookie data, this will not be possible as third-party cookies deprecate.

Hashed email addresses (encrypted email addresses that ensure privacy and security) were crucial in allowing them to reach a rich target audience fuelled by their first-party data. Hashed email addresses are uploaded into Permutive’s Clean Room functionality (Vaults), allowing cohorts to be created. Using existing trading assets across Broadband, TV and Mobile, the cohorts are activated in an identical setup to the existing BAU Display.

The geo-lift incrementality study divided audiences into two test cells to test the cookieless approach to targeting. In each cell, Sky and Permutive compared the performance of cookie-based lookalike audiences with modelled cohorts based on publisher first-party data.

In terms of measurement, Sky and Permutive focused on several key performance indicators (KPIs). Primary KPIs included total sales across all routes to market, reachability, and delivery, assessed through linear media metrics. The study used a geo-lift incrementality test to keep it fair and consistent and ensure reliable results.

Various considerations were taken into account during the planning phase. These included utilising existing trading assets across Broadband, TV, and Mobile products. Additionally, publisher cohorts were activated in an identical setup to the existing business as usual (BAU) display via the DSP. Both test cells were tasked with delivering against an approved selection of publishers, ensuring consistency and comparability across the board.

Sky's groundbreaking journey with Permutive proves that the cookieless approach isn't just a vision of the future – it's a tangible reality, delivering unparalleled results.

The study surpassed its goals, setting new benchmarks for technology use in a cookieless future. Permutive's results for Sky Mobile remained consistent from October to February despite varying seasonal factors and spending levels.

Cookieless prospecting significantly outperformed standard practices, achieving an 84% reachability* rate, surpassing baseline scores by 179%. Sky experienced a 55% decrease in CPA and a 121% increase in attributed sales. Results for TV and Broadband indicate cookieless prospecting's viability as an alternative to traditional methods.

Leveraging publisher first-party data and modelled cohorts proved effective for Sky, leading to plans for wider implementation.

*Reachability (%) measures the number of users reached as a proportion of the available users to reach, with or without an identifier or cookie, across the advertisers’ selection of publishers.