Real-Time Consumer Intent Data Explained
The Ad Tech Explained Team
January 15, 2025
Advertisers have lost access to many consumer signals in recent years. However, some of the most powerful types of advertising data are only becoming more powerful.
Intent data has been an important piece of the advertising puzzle for a long time. But, like many other campaign elements, this tool is evolving to include critical new descriptors like “real-time” and “consumer.” Those extra little words are opening significant new opportunities for brands and agencies.
The AdTech Explained Team developed this explainer in partnership with Statara to help you better understand the role of real-time consumer intent data in the digital advertising ecosystem, including how it can be activated to engage audiences and drive revenue.
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What is real-time intent data?
Intent data is exactly what it sounds like: data that signals intent—specifically, intent to buy. This data is derived from signals like search queries, website visits, content consumption, clicks, or in-app activities, often combined with contextual information like time of day or location.
The “real-time” part is important here. As you might imagine, “real-time” intent data is distinguished by its dynamic nature. It’s constantly being refreshed to reflect the ever-changing nature of buyer desires and behaviors. This is in stark contrast to static or historical intent data. Relying on non-real-time intent data can create challenges for marketers because they might end up targeting campaigns to people whose purchase needs or desires have already been met.
Intent data isn’t new. Why are we talking about this now?
That’s true. Intent data isn’t new. However, the ability to use AI to find real-time consumer intent signals across the web is new and significant. Perhaps even more important is the move of intent data into the consumer realm. Traditionally found within the domain of B2B marketing, intent data is increasingly breathing new life into B2C marketing approaches.
This development has come partly thanks to the declining relevance of third-party cookies, which have long been a mainstay of consumer data insights. Consumer intent data represents a way of bridging this growing gap.
What are the benefits of real-time consumer intent data?
Of course, knowing who wants to purchase your product at any given moment is valuable. In the case of real-time consumer intent data, the benefits are twofold:
Personalization: This data helps enhance messaging personalization and deliver tailored offers, which improves engagement and outcomes.
Efficiency: Real-time intent data also enables more efficient ad spend by targeting audiences who want what you’re selling. That means fewer wasted impressions and better ROI—all the stuff advertisers love.
How can real-time consumer intent data best be activated?
Real-time consumer intent data, in and of itself, does very little for an advertiser if it’s not activated properly. In that regard, the ad tech side of the equation is as important as the data itself. The best results are achieved when the intent data providing the signals sits as close as possible to the buy execution at the DSP.
What does successful deployment of real-time intent data look like?
Statara offers a strong case study in this regard. They worked with a leading dermatology clinic looking to expand its patient base and increase office visits from existing patients. The company tapped Statara's real-time consumer intent data alongside its DSP, the Statara Media Platform.
Here’s what that looked like:
Step 1: Intent data collection – The Statara team drew in consumer intent data signals from across the web, identifying potential customers who were, at that moment, showing buying signals relevant to the client's dermatology products. This process was used to create target segments.
Step 2: Precision targeting – The segments were then activated on the Statara Media Platform. The DSP's targeting capabilities ensured that ads were served to the most promising prospects, maximizing the potential for conversions.
One of the standout features of the Statara Media Platform is its detailed ad logs, which provide granular insights into campaign performance. The dermatology clinic used these logs for attribution, closely monitoring the customer journey from ad exposure to purchase. This enabled a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of each ad, segment, and campaign.
The results were impressive (to say the least):
Total visits generated: 26,769
New patients: 15,972 (a 60 percent conversion rate)
Existing patients who engaged: 10,797
Total revenue generated: $5.35 million
Total cost: $207,000
Cost per acquisition: $7.72
ROI: 25:1
This case study demonstrates the results that can be achieved when the source of real-time consumer intent data is integrated into the ad tech stack itself.
Ultimately, it’s not just about the data. It’s about how you use it.
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Statara Solutions is an innovative provider of data analytics, media buying, and customer intelligence solutions. Our specialized identity resolution strategies, including data hygiene and first-party data enrichment, and our award-winning media platform equip advocacy groups, corporate affairs campaigns, colleges and universities, and regulated consumer brand marketers with the critical insights and capabilities needed to execute their marketing campaigns. Combining our Digital Audiences with the Statara Media Platform, brands can access unparalleled programmatic targeting capabilities to ensure that rich campaigns are delivered to high-value prospects. Our experienced strategic consultants and data scientists ensure that our identity resolution, digital audience, and media buying solutions deliver optimized decision-making, personalized marketing, and superior customer experiences. Statara is a business unit of the holding company TARA Group. For more information, visit www.statara.com.
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