It's finally here: Adobe cross-device reporting

There were a number of big announcements that came out of this year’s Adobe Summit. As an analyst, one of my favorite topics and one of the biggest announcements was about cross-device reporting.

Adobe unveiled what they are referring to as the Adobe Marketing Cloud Device Co-op, “a network that will enable the world’s biggest brands to work together to better identify consumers across digital touch points, while ensuring the highest level of privacy and transparency.”

What does it mean for businesses reporting their website customer behavior data? Among the Adobe Marketing Cloud Device Co-op’s many benefits, it gives marketers the ability to look at an online customer as a single visitor, instead of seeing their multiple visits on many devices as different visitors. It’s important to note that Adobe is not the first platform to provide this type of service. But Adobe has a distinct advantage because of its suite of other tools offered, such as Adobe Analytics and Experience Manager, which allow marketers to manage data and customer experiences all in a centralized location.

Cross-device reporting has been somewhat of a hot topic in recent months, as C-level executives are becoming more aware of a problem they never knew they had. The number of visits reported is not necessarily a one-to-one relationship with the number of actual people visiting their site. As a visitor, I may visit your site on my laptop while at home, and on my mobile device while commuting to work. I am one person, with two devices…being tracked as two separate visits.

With a solid measurement strategy and a flexible platform that allows cross-device tracking, both the business and the customer win. For the business, it’s the power to more efficiently cater to customers. There’s a more intelligent understanding of who your customer really is and what they do on each device. This type of insight feeds into strong, cost-effective re-targeting efforts. For the customer, gone are the days of irrelevant ads. I may browse for a new rug online during my lunch break at work, but I am more likely to purchase it at home on my tablet later that night. A timely and well-placed ad can be the catalyst that leads to a purchase.

In summary, cross-device reporting is the next step in intelligent reporting. Whether those insights are garnered through a platform such as Adobe Marketing Cloud Device Co-op, or through a specific user experience such as a required login, the emphasis is finally on understanding your customer and their journey, regardless of device.

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This post was originally published during my time at Mirum Agency. You can view the original here: https://www.mirumagency.com/en/news/its-finally-here-adobe-cross-device-reporting