Audience Data Sessions: Q&A with Equifax

Tell us about yourself and your role at Equifax. 

My name is Ian Wright. As the Chief Strategy Officer for the IXI Network at Equifax, I engage with our clients to help them leverage our insights to drive growth and revenue while evolving our capabilities to meet new market challenges. 

Tell us about Equifax and what makes your data unique.

IXI wealth insights are based on deposit and investment position data sourced from more than 65 leading financial institutions. Through the IXI Network, Equifax collects more than $30 trillion in consumer investable assets, approximately 45% of all such assets, which we leverage to create actionable, accurate insights tracking consumer deposits and investments. We use this data to identify who has wealth, where deposit growth opportunities exist, and which markets are most attractive, such as the Young Affluent. Our audiences are unique and effective because we know where wealth resides. No one else has this rich data to drive performance.

Why did you choose to partner with Eyeota, and what does this partnership unlock for advertisers? 

Equifax and Eyeota share a long-standing partnership. When looking for the right collaborator, we chose Eyeota because of its robust global footprint, sophisticated audience technology, and shared commitment to data privacy and quality. We deeply value the unique platforms, channels, and distinct markets that Eyeota consistently unlocks, enabling the premium financial and consumer attributes from Equifax to be activated at scale.

For advertisers, this partnership unlocks the ability to combine Equifax’s powerful, direct-measured consumer wealth and intent insights with Eyeota’s extensive distribution network. It bridges the gap between high-fidelity economic data and seamless digital execution. Ultimately, it empowers advertisers to move beyond basic demographics and target audiences who not only show interest in a product or service, but actively possess the financial capacity, buying power, and lifestyle profile to purchase it.

In which markets or regions can advertisers currently activate your data? 

Equifax creates audiences from the IXI data for the U.S. market.

What trends are you seeing in the digital advertising space, and how is Equifax evolving to meet these changes?

Two important trends come to mind:

1. Moving beyond "intent" to "affordability" (the K-shaped economy)
In the current K-shaped economic environment, traditional "intent" metrics are no longer enough. A consumer might browse luxury vehicles or high-end travel options online (showing clear intent), but that does not mean they have the financial capacity to purchase them. Advertisers are experiencing high ad-spend waste by targeting audiences who are in-market but financially unqualified.

Equifax is working with advertisers to shift the focus from basic demographic or proxy data to direct-measured consumer wealth, asset propensities, and financial durability. By integrating proprietary datasets like our IXI Network financial insights and Economic Cohorts®, we empower brands to segment audiences based on actual spending power, liquid assets, and real ability to pay.

2. The absolute mandate for interoperable identity (the ‘clean room’ era)
With the continued erosion of traditional third-party cookies and privacy regulations tightening, the industry has migrated heavily toward first-party data collaboration. Advertisers need to securely match their own customer databases with premium data partners without exposing sensitive information.

Equifax has transformed our distribution model to meet advertisers exactly where they operate. Instead of requiring cumbersome, direct data transfers, we have built an agile partner ecosystem across dominant marketplaces like Eyeota, LiveRamp, AppsFlyer, and specialized programmatic platforms. This allows brands to seamlessly onboard first-party identifiers (like MAIDs, IPs, or hashed emails) and instantly layer on Equifax's data dictionaries within secure, privacy-compliant "clean room" environments to structure highly precise match tests.

What’s your advice to advertisers exploring data-driven advertising strategies?

Data quality matters. No data is perfect but always choose the highest quality insights to minimize the negative impacts inaccurate data can have on your campaign performance. A great strategy, message and execution can’t overcome targeting an audience that won’t drive the results you need. Also, while conversion metrics matter, the quality of your conversions are what really drives revenue.

For more information about Equifax audience segments available via Eyeota, reach out to our Data Desk.

About Equifax

Equifax powers smarter marketing decisions by blending data, analytics, and technology. Beyond credit reporting, we provide advertisers, agencies, and platforms with deep consumer financial insights and identity solutions. This high-level, data-driven intelligence optimizes audience targeting, enhances measurement accuracy, and maximizes ROI across the entire media ecosystem.