The Programmatic Glossary
A practical glossary designed to help marketers, advertisers and ad-tech professionals understand the terminology that powers programmatic advertising
Identity & Data
Retargeting
A form of advertising that shows ads specifically to people who have previously visited your website or engaged with your brand, reminding them of what they looked at and encouraging them to come back and complete an action such as making a purchase.
HOW IT WORKS
When a user visits a website, a tracking pixel or cookie records their visit. When that same user visits other websites, retargeting technology identifies them and serves ads from the brand they previously visited. Historically cookie-based, retargeting is evolving towards first-party data and universal IDs as cookies phase out.
EXAMPLE
You browse a pair of trainers on a UK sports retailer's website but do not buy. Over the next week, you see ads showing exactly those trainers on news sites, social media and apps you use. The retailer is retargeting you, using your browsing history to stay front of mind and encourage you to complete the purchase.
RELATED TERMS
Third-party Cookie | First-Party Data | Universal ID | Identity Solution | Contextual Targeting
