Next in Media: "What's So Challenging About Cross Platform Measurement?"

Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Fabrice Bier Gabel, SVP Strategy & Partnerships, Intent IQ
Date: April 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode takes a deep dive into the evolving world of cross-platform measurement in media, marketing, and advertising. Host Mike Shields speaks with Fabrice Bier Gabel of Intent IQ about the state of identity resolution amid fragmented data environments, the enduring "cookie apocalypse," the role of AI, regulatory complexities, and how brands can adapt to continuous disruption. Their discussion is marked by clear-eyed analysis, practical advice, and a focus on outcomes in a landscape where accuracy and scale are more challenging—and important—than ever.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of Identity: Fragmented & Id-less (01:19—03:22)

• Fragmentation is the Reality: Fabrice explains the current landscape is not about a single cookie-less world but "tons of signals" across various environments and geographies.
  • Quote: “There's not one world of identity...the ability to keep an identity continuum becomes increasingly challenging. We call that kind of new universe id-less.” — Fabrice (02:10)
• The Cookie Apocalypse That Wasn’t: Instead of an abrupt transition, the shift has been fragmented across channels (browser, mobile, CTV).
  • Quote: “What is happening is a very fragmented audience and identity universe.” — Fabrice (02:58)
• Scale + Accuracy = Holy Grail: It’s not simply about deterministic (sure things) vs probabilistic (likely things) solutions.
  • Quote: “There are tons of cases where deterministic technologies are less accurate than probabilistic ones...The rule of the game is striking the most optimized balance between scale and accuracy.” — Fabrice (04:23–05:04)

2. Technical and Regulatory Challenges (05:27—09:19)

• Third-Party vs First-Party IDs on Mobile and Web: Though environments differ, both browsers and apps have evolved their approaches to identifiers, with policy and privacy regulation compounding complexity.
• The Role of Regulation: Regulations differ not just globally (e.g., GDPR in Europe vs a patchwork in the US) but even within jurisdictions.
  • Quote: “There's no messing around with privacy regulation...even GDPR has different flavors...each country may be a regulatory body that has their own view.” — Fabrice (07:47–09:16)
• One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work: Applying the strictest standard everywhere isn’t practical and can create disadvantage.
  • Quote: “It doesn't make sense because it obfuscates traffics unnecessarily...and gives a disadvantage to companies that compete.” — Fabrice (08:49)

3. Applied Identity: Use Cases & Partnerships (09:19—12:32)

• For Sellers/Publishers: Identifying unidentified traffic is critical, especially for those without logged-in users.
  • Example Partners: Raptive (web), Bid Machine (mobile); solution called “bid enhancement.”
• For Buyers/Advertisers: Restoring identity and addressability in signal-constrained environments outside walled gardens.
  • Recent partnership: Horizon (ad agency) to reach more valuable segmented audiences (e.g., affluent Apple users).
• Bottom Line: Measurement accuracy directly affects monetization and campaign effectiveness.

4. The Rise of Walled Gardens and Factions (12:32—14:41)

• Arms Race in the Industry: Big platforms (Amazon, Google) boast immense logged-in userbases and deterministic data, while agencies and advertisers develop proprietary “spines” (data/ID frameworks) to stay competitive.
• “Biddable” IDs as Connectors: True market fluidity requires interoperable identifiers that facilitate buying and selling across silos.
  • Quote: “Biddable identifiers are specific beasts because they bridge between the supply side and the buy side.” — Fabrice (13:03)
  • Intent IQ’s IIQ ID is cited as a bridging solution.

5. AI’s Expanding Role—Promise & Perils (14:41—21:42)

• AI as an Accelerator: Critical in processing huge data volumes and enabling better identity resolution and ad targeting. Fundamental, but not a panacea.
  • Quote: “AI is essential...You cannot get scale and accuracy without using it.” — Fabrice (15:10)
• Changing Consumer Behaviors: Even as user interactions move to new environments (e.g., chatbots), identity remains crucial for ongoing engagement and measurement.
• Misconceptions About AI Fixing Everything: AI amplifies the quality of input data; if you feed it inaccuracies, you get scaled inaccuracies.
  • Quote: “AI is amplifying what it's being fed. If it's fed inaccuracy, it's going to create even more inaccuracies.” — Fabrice (20:36)
• Risk of “Inaccuracy at Scale”: Incorrect training data can propagate major failures across campaigns and measurement.
• Brand Concerns About Giving Up Control: Even as platforms claim deep consumer knowledge, marketers want direct relationships and data transparency.
  • Quote: “Advertisers need to retain their differentiation...I see more openness than there was before.” — Fabrice (16:47)

6. Agentic Models, Crawlers, and Security Worries (17:45—21:42)

• Agentic AI in Ad Tech: Much-hyped, but real-world adoption is slow and cautious. Main focus remains on safeguarding content and audience value.
  • Caution: Sites sometimes have “200 crawlers for every visitor”—a monetization and security challenge.
• Identity & Security Risks: Current industry accuracy is far from perfect, raising concerns about misplaced campaign targeting and fraud.
  • Quote: “Unfortunately, right now there are very significant issues in terms of identity accuracy...we should be opening up to a broader debate.” — Fabrice (19:43)
• Undoing AI-Scaled Errors is Hard: Erroneous signals in AI models can be hard to detect and correct.

7. Practical Advice for Brands & Marketers (21:42—23:48)

• Outcomes Matter: Proper identity can “double reach” or increase conversions 80%, while publishers can see a 30–60% revenue lift.
  • Quote: “Ultimately, the right identity resolution can double their reach...increase bottom funnel performance by 80%... lifts ad revenue by 30, 40, 50, 60%...” — Fabrice (21:54)
• Agility is Crucial: Don’t rely entirely on one solution or vendor. Experiment, diversify, avoid lock-in, and stay nimble in a fast-changing industry.
  • Quote: “We must be agile... not to get ourselves locked into one thing because that thing is likely to change.” — Fabrice (23:05)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Identity Fragmentation:
  “There's not one world of identity... We call that kind of new universe id-less.” — Fabrice (02:10)

• On Deterministic vs Probabilistic:
  “Probability can be 1%, but it can also be 99%. There’s tons of cases where deterministic technologies are less accurate than probabilistic ones.” — Fabrice (04:23)

• On Regulation:
  “There's no messing around with privacy regulation...you have to comply with every single one of them.” — Fabrice (07:47)

• On AI's Double-Edged Sword:
  “AI is amplifying what it's being fed. If it's fed inaccuracy, it's going to create even more inaccuracies.” — Fabrice (20:36)

• On Brand Strategy:
  “Experiment, remove your single points of dependency... Don’t get comfortable.” — Fabrice (23:05–23:48)

Notable Timestamps

• Identity fragmentation explained: (02:10)
• Deterministic vs probabilistic debate: (04:23)
• Privacy regulation complexity: (07:47)
• Publisher vs advertiser needs: (09:31–12:32)
• AI’s growing impact on measurement: (15:10)
• AI amplifying (in)accuracy: (20:36)
• Strategic advice for marketers: (23:05–23:48)

Conclusion

In a candid and technically nuanced conversation, Fabrice Bier Gabel lays bare the core challenges of modern cross-platform measurement: a multi-siloed identity landscape, regulatory and technical fragmentation, and the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. Brands and publishers must remain agile, focus on accuracy at scale, and actively manage their identity infrastructure—instead of leaving money and opportunity on the table. The stakes are outcomes, and the pace of change will only accelerate.