New year, new vibes: M.Ads revamps campaigns

Digital advertising is undergoing rapid changes, placing ever-increasing demands on advertisers. In today’s world, where people commonly use multiple devices, ads are expected to be not only relevant but also perfectly tailored to individual user needs—without compromising their privacy.

However, these expectations often clash with stringent data protection regulations, which can complicate campaign performance tracking and budget optimization. So, how can advertisers strike a balance between effective targeting and compliance with the rules?

Microsoft Advertising provides answers through updates that wrap up 2024 and set the stage for a successful start to the new year. New features, such as household attribution, help advertisers better understand user behavior across devices, while privacy compliance tools make it easier to meet legislative requirements. Moreover, enhanced campaign import tools from Google Ads enable seamless transitions and save time when transferring existing strategies.

With these innovations, advertisers can confidently step into 2025, assured that their campaigns will be both effective and compliant. Let’s dive deeper into these updates and their practical applications.

Household attribution brings a new dimension to customer behavior analysis. This feature allows advertisers to track interactions across devices within a single household, which is particularly useful for products that customers consider more thoroughly.

By identifying behaviors of household members through a shared IP address, advertisers can see how an ad displayed on one device influenced a decision on another.

Key benefits include more accurate conversion tracking and a deeper understanding of how audiences interact with ads across screens. This functionality provides valuable optimization signals, improving campaign efficiency and offering advertisers richer insights for better decision-making.

Source: Microsoft Advertising

Household attribution represents an essential tool for advertisers aiming to understand their audience’s behavior and maximize their return on ad spend (ROAS).

Microsoft Advertising has introduced UET Consent Mode as a solution for adhering to regional privacy regulations, which are critical for advertisers operating in the EU, UK, and Switzerland. This update allows data collection tools to adapt based on whether users have consented to data processing.

UET Consent Mode is fully compatible with the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) 2.0, enabling consent signals to be transmitted through consent management platforms such as Usercentrics or Google Tag Manager. This approach helps advertisers comply with regulations while effectively leveraging data to optimize campaigns and improve performance.

Updates to store traffic tracking reflect the need to address recent changes in the tools used.

In late December 2024, store traffic measurement via AdSquare was suspended, and the Store Visits feature, which relied on FourSquare data, was discontinued. These measures were taken due to issues with data accuracy, which could negatively impact campaign effectiveness.

Although these features are currently paused, advertisers still have alternative options for measuring store traffic. Solutions such as direct in-store sales measurement or enhanced offline conversions provide valuable insights into customer interactions with physical locations.

Additionally, historical data from previous measurements remains available for analysis, enabling advertisers to effectively plan and optimize their marketing strategies.

Transferring existing campaigns from Google Ads to a new platform is now easier, thanks to improved import tools. The Quick Import feature allows for a fast campaign transfer, designed to minimize setup time. For more detailed adjustments, the Smart Import feature offers greater control and customization.

Source: Search Engine Roundtable

These tools are ideal for advertisers looking to expand their campaigns efficiently, save time, and maintain a high level of flexibility. Campaign transfers become a seamless and effective way to maximize the reach and performance of digital strategies.

Advertising campaigns face continuous challenges, but the new tools from Microsoft Advertising offer practical solutions to overcome them. Household attribution provides deeper insights into customers, UET Consent Mode simplifies compliance, and enhanced Google Ads imports save time while boosting efficiency.

Leverage these innovations to their fullest and take your campaigns to the next level. Get ready for a successful 2025 with tools that help you achieve new goals and effectively engage your audience.