Stuart Colman, Senior Director of European Identity at The Trade Desk, discusses the role of identity in digital advertising and its evolution from cookies to persistent advertising IDs. In conversation with Alessandro De Zanche, they explore the media owners' perspective, the challenges of authentication rates when comparing the open web to walled gardens, and the strategic approach media companies should take towards identity. Colman emphasizes that identity should be viewed as a foundation rather than a product, advocating for an open yet protected ecosystem where publishers can maximize their value while maintaining control. Subscribe to the Not Just ADZ newsletter for independent views and strategies on media monetization and digital advertising: https://www.notjustadz.com Alessandro De Zanche on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dezanche/ ADZ Strategies media consultant: https://adzstrategies.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:52 Definitions of identity in advertising 02:45 Is the identity debate at risk of becoming a distraction for media owners? 04:18 Identity’s value vs. the danger for media companies of losing control of their assets 09:12 Identity-based advertising vs. ID-less approaches 10:50 Can a single advertising ecosystem serve the needs of all its components? 12:44 The importance of authentication 15:28 Authentication: much more than just identity 17:27 Advice for media owners on approaching identity 20:34 What digital advertising would look like without identity