Google (finally) launches cross-device retargeting

Soon advertisers will be able to reach users across devices with Google remarketing campaigns. This is a significant development, as Google has not previously supported cross-device retargeting. For example, currently, if a user comes to an advertiser’s site on a mobile phone, the advertiser is not able to retarget that user later on a desktop, unless they also visit the site on desktop. If that happens, the user is effectively listed twice, and the frequency capping and negative list exclusion is set at the browser or mobile ID level on each device. That has been true even for users signed into a Google account on multiple devices because Google has relied on cookies and mobile IDs to identify users for remarketing lists. Brad Bender, VP of display and video advertising at Google, announced the shift in a blog post and is set to discuss it during Advertising Week in New York City on Monday. “We’re introducing cross-device remarketing for Google Display Network and DoubleClick Bid Manager to help you reach the same user across devices, apps, and sites. You can now tell a single story to your audience and decide how frequently they see your ad across devices,” wrote Bender.