Antoni is in the process of planning his summer vacation, exploring various dates, hotel prices, and flight availability for his chosen destinations.

Although he has not yet finalized his plans or created an account on any website, certain companies are already aware of his interests due to Utiq, a deterministic user identifier that requires explicit consent.

This technology allows advertisers to tailor their proposals based on users' search intents in the coming weeks.

Utiq is backed by Europe's four major telecommunications operators: Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, and Deutsche Telekom.

The initiative aims to address the decline of third-party cookies, a method that many browsers have been blocking for some time and which Google plans to eliminate by 2025. Currently, 27% of web traffic in Spain occurs without cookies, presenting significant communication challenges for brands looking to engage a digital audience of approximately 12 million users, according to available statistics.

The innovative marketing personalization proposed by Utiq enables each user to receive relevant advertising offers, while eliminating ambiguities surrounding consent and data processing.

This digital marketing solution empowers users to revoke their permissions promptly and comprehensively, regardless of the browser or environment they are using.

Historically, third-party cookies have allowed for extensive audience segmentation, albeit with limited precision.

First-party cookies, on the other hand, require user consent when entering a website, facilitating a more tailored browsing experience upon return.

However, many internet users have expressed a lack of trust surrounding personalized advertising, leading to increased reluctance in granting consent, which results in less effective communication from advertisers.

In a cookieless landscape, new tools are necessary to center user experience.

Utiq, derived from a play on words combining ‘you’ and ‘tick’ (as in giving permission), creates an identity system that allows brands and publishers to enhance user understanding through clear and explicit consent.

By obtaining this consent, a unified profile is created, enabling personalization in advertising.

For instance, if Antoni is searching for summer travel, the travel website will determine his interest in hotels with pools and budget-friendly airlines.

This unified profile acts as an anonymous digital representation that aids brands and advertising departments in displaying potentially interesting content to users.

If another user frequently visits music websites and regularly purchases concert tickets, they may be shown advertisements for pop music festivals rather than unrelated content.

Despite a deep understanding of individual browsing behavior, advertisers do not have access to personal identifiable information about users, such as their name or address.

Instead, they possess an advertising profile represented by a unique user token associated with specific interests.

For over six years, users have encountered cookie consent banners regularly, with limited visibility on how their permissions are utilized.

Users often find it challenging to recall which websites they have consented to store cookies.

While it is possible to clear browsing history, this process can be tedious.

Utiq’s system operates under a cooperative agreement among telecommunications companies and users, prioritizing user respect.

It provides a centralized consent portal known as Consenthub, where users can authoritatively manage their permissions at any given time.

This portal offers detailed and transparent information about the service, for example, that identifiers are valid for only 90 days, after which users receive a notice to renew their consent.

During this period, users can access a list of all their consents and revoke any they choose.

Advertising serves as the engine that financially supports many of the websites users visit daily, allowing companies to reach potential customers.

A significant challenge in digital marketing is accurately identifying unique users, ensuring that repetitive messages do not bombard the same person, thereby considering each access as a distinct individual.

Efforts towards establishing a reliable digital identity framework not only address regulatory compliance but also present opportunities for efficiency and profitability.

Many businesses currently waste up to 20% of their digital marketing budgets due to fragmentation and inaccuracy in user identification.

Embracing a stable digital identity approach aids in optimizing audience segmentation, reducing duplicities, and enhancing advertising return on investment.

Furthermore, adopting privacy measures aligned with European standards, endorsed by reliable sectors such as telecommunications, strengthens data security and fosters a more transparent and sustainable ecosystem where user privacy and efficiency coalesce.