IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising industry, has today (26th November, 2025) released the first Pan-European Report on the Adoption of Addressability & Measurement Solutions, revealing how advertisers, agencies, publishers, and technology providers across Europe are navigating the shift toward a privacy-first digital ecosystem.

The report reveals that although nearly 9 in 10 respondents are at least somewhat familiar with addressability, true expertise remains concentrated in ad tech companies and agencies, with advertisers displaying notable knowledge gaps.

Key findings from the report

• Advertisers show the least expertise, while ad tech companies and agencies are most likely to report advanced or expert knowledge in their business, advertisers are lacking people with this expertise beyond familiarity.
  
• Cross-platform data access is the top industry challenge (68%), followed by privacy regulations and signal loss from cookie deprecation .
  
• Standardisation is a clear and urgent need, with respondents citing inconsistent frameworks and fragmented practices across platforms and markets.
  
• More than 50% of organisations are adopting or testing Data Clean Rooms and Unified ID solutions, while contextual data, seller-defined audiences, and customer match (36%) also show strong uptake.
  
• Over 70% report high familiarity with privacy-first measurement, yet attribution without cookies and lack of standardisation each remain barriers for respondents.

Commenting on the report’s findings, IAB Europe’s digital advertising product manager, Lucio Gagliardi, said, "The findings show real progress, but they also highlight that many organisations, particularly brands, still need deeper support to assess and implement addressability and measurement solutions with confidence. Ensuring the industry moves forward together will require strong education, clearer guidance, and alignment on standards."

Wayne Tassie, group director, NL at DoubleVerify and chair of IAB Europe’s Advertising and Media Committee, also commented, "As Europe accelerates toward a privacy-first advertising ecosystem, addressability and measurement sit at the core of this transformation. This research shows momentum across the industry and highlights the uneven adoption and fragmentation that continue to slow progress.

Organisations require clarity to map their vision. Regardless of whether you are an advertiser, agency, publisher, or technology provider, there is a common need for consistent guidance, interoperable solutions, and stronger alignment across markets. The goal of the Advertising and Media Committee is to help bridge these gaps by supporting industry education, fostering collaboration, and championing practical standards that allow every part of the ecosystem to move forward with confidence."

As part of our ongoing mission to support a privacy-first digital ecosystem, we will continue to develop educational and best-practice resources, helping all stakeholders to understand and build the expertise needed to navigate identity, data, and measurement in Europe.

About the Study

Developed by IAB Europe’s Addressability & Measurement Working Group, the survey gathered responses from more than 79 advertisers, agencies, publishers, and technology providers across 27+ European markets.

The full report is now available on our website here. 

IAB Europe

IAB Europe is the European-level association for the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem. Through its membership of media, technology and marketing companies and national IABs, its mission is to lead political representation and promote indus...

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