The Independent Boosts Revenue With New Identity Tool
The publisher reports significant revenue gains by adopting Intent IQ technology for ID-less digital ad inventory.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Financial Planning
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Should digital publishers use identity resolution tools to increase revenue from their advertising inventory?
The Independent achieved a nearly 30% revenue increase on browsers like Safari, Edge, and Firefox by integrating Intent IQ's identity resolution solution. This technology makes previously unrecognizable audiences addressable for advertisers, significantly improving ad performance.
Why it matters
As traditional tracking identifiers become less available, publishers are increasingly seeking new methods to unlock revenue from existing traffic. This solution helps bridge the gap by increasing bidder competition for audiences that were previously difficult to monetize.
The Independent saw CPMs climb 16% and fill rates rise 12% on non-Chrome inventory using the tool. Following an expansion to Chrome, the publisher recorded a 9% revenue lift alongside a 3% increase in CPMs and a 7% gain in fill rates.
The players
The Independent
This is a digital news publisher that operates globally and is currently focused on optimizing addressability for its advertising inventory.
Intent IQ
This is a technology firm that provides identity resolution solutions designed to help publishers and advertisers navigate a digital landscape with limited tracking identifiers.
The details
The integration involves a single-tag addition to the publisher's existing Prebid setup. This process enhances addressability for advertisers by identifying previously anonymous users, thereby driving higher competitive demand for ad slots.
Timeline
The Independent measured its revenue gains on Safari, Edge, and Firefox over a recent six-month period.
Intent IQ announced the performance results on October 29, 2026.
Market Dynamics
This integration follows a pattern set by the broader Prebid ecosystem, which standardizes header bidding to improve publisher control over ad revenue. As digital advertising faces a transition away from legacy cookies, these tools define the new competitive standard for ad tech efficiency.
For investors watching the media and ad-tech sectors, these results demonstrate a viable path to maintaining profitability in a cookie-less web environment. The ability to increase CPMs and fill rates remains a critical metric for long-term valuation in digital publishing stocks.
The takeaway
Publishers are successfully leveraging identity resolution to sustain revenue growth despite the decline of traditional tracking methods. This shift emphasizes that audience addressability, rather than just raw traffic volume, is now the primary driver of digital ad performance.
Further reading
Learn more about strategies for digital Financial Planning.
Live Poll
Should digital publishers use identity resolution tools to increase revenue from their advertising inventory?
