YP Bows Cross-Device Retargeting

Advertisers trying to chase consumers across multiple devices got a little help Thursday with the launch of a new cross-device ad retargeting service by YP, formerly known as YellowPages.com. Called Cross Device Retargeting, the service is powered by Tapad and allows national advertisers to continue reaching consumers even after they switch devices in the middle of a search.

The lack of cookies on mobile devices has made it harder to re-target consumers from desktop to mobile, but YP’s Cross Device Retargeting Service surmounts this obstacle by combining first-party local search data with Tapad’s cross-screen identity tracking capability. 

It analyzes a variety of usage data from multiple devices to identify behavioral patterns and determines which devices are likely being used by a single individual.

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To employ YP’s Cross Device Retargeting, the advertiser chooses a search category, for example, automotive or fast food, and sets additional campaign parameters, including desired locations and demographics. The advertiser can then deliver messages targeted by those criteria in a variety of ad formats, including paid search results and mobile display ads. T

The ads will follow consumer across multiple devices, both within apps and on mobile Web sites.

YP claims the new service will reach a total unique audience of 80 million users, the size of its monthly user base, across its various consumer search sites. The company noted that a majority of consumers who search on YP (73%) switch devices at some point during their searches for local businesses. It also cited research showing that they are more likely to make a purchase following their search on YP properties.

After dominating the local directory business in the print era, YP has been working steadily to reinvent itself as a digital search and advertising platform. The latest cross-device retargeting offering follows YP’s earlier introduction of re-targeting online display ads back in July.

Last month, it began hiring hundreds of new digital sales staff in order to support new digital ad products and services.

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