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How data marketplaces are evolving to meet buyers’ expectations
Sponsored by Experian • March 18, 2025 •
Doug McLennan, senior director of product management, Experian
For a long time, data buyers enjoyed a small set of large-scale data marketplaces that offered a wide array of audiences, making it easy to load up on whatever they needed in one place.
But as data strategies have matured, so have buyer expectations. Privacy regulations, signal loss and the need for better targeting are shifting the focus from scale to precision and optionality. Today, data buyers are looking beyond broad audience availability and instead prioritizing data quality, durability and compliance.
This shift is reshaping data marketplaces. Instead of one-stop shops offering an exhaustive list of segments, modern marketplaces are evolving into specialty platforms that cater to the distinct and nuanced needs of buyers. Data buyers are no longer simply looking for access — they want confidence that the data they purchase will remain addressable, privacy-compliant and effective.
Because of this, data buyers are beginning to shop around. Some still rely on large-scale marketplaces for familiar staples, but now they have reasons to explore other options. Some are turning to providers known for offering top-tier, transparently sourced segments. Others are focusing on specialty providers that excel in one area.
Data buyers are becoming more selective to maintain addressability
In this environment, data buyers are becoming more deliberate and selective when choosing where to shop for data.
Savvy data buyers are placing higher value on data marketplaces that maintain audience addressability over time despite signal loss. Sometimes, this means accepting a smaller assortment in exchange for tighter vetting and more reliable targeting. In privacy-sensitive industries like financial services, prioritizing deterministic, privacy-compliant data over volume is essential. A wealth management firm, for example, may choose a marketplace with secure, consent-based data collection, ensuring both personalization and compliance.
The winners in this space will be marketplaces that offer data buyers the tools to make informed, strategic decisions while maintaining addressability in a privacy-first world.
How data marketplaces are adapting to changing needs
The evolution of data marketplaces reflects the shifting priorities of the industry as a whole and the increasingly selective nature of data buyers. The most effective data strategy isn’t about grabbing everything in one place: It’s about carefully selecting the right segments to reach relevant audiences.
That could mean mixing and matching — utilizing premium segments from one marketplace and cost-friendly, wide-reaching data sets from another. For instance, a national retail chain may supplement its high-intent shopper segments with broader, location-based data from another provider to optimize regional targeting. Either way, data buyers benefit from having more choices and flexibility in how they build and execute their strategies.
This dual shift — where both marketplaces and buyers are adjusting to new demands — underscores the importance of flexibility and precision. Marketplaces like Experian’s enable buyers to strike the perfect balance between reach and quality by offering enhanced match rates, precise audience planning for TV and seamless distribution. For example, a national retailer can turn to Experian’s marketplace to improve its advertising performance across display, mobile and CTV.
The future of data marketplaces
Data marketplaces will continue to refine their offerings to align with buyer expectations. Marketplaces that provide transparency, flexibility and strong identity solutions will set the standard for success in the privacy-first era.
Data buyers who recognize the power of a diversified approach — one that mixes vetted, high-quality data with scalable audience reach — will be best positioned to drive performance. The key is no longer just buying data — it’s buying the right data from the right partners.
Sponsored by Experian
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