Marketers Prioritize Identity Approaches Over Mindset Ads
Despite high performance ratings, most marketers continue to favor identity-based tactics for their upcoming campaigns.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Advertising
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GumGum released its 2026 global survey of over 2,000 marketers, revealing that while most see value in mindset-aligned advertising, identity-based methods remain the primary strategy. Australian marketers report that reaching audiences through mindset signals like time of day remains a key priority for future campaign planning.
Why it matters
Marketers are weighing the potential performance benefits of mindset alignment against the established use of identity-based strategies. Companies must navigate internal barriers, including budget constraints and data limitations, to effectively implement these engagement signals.
A survey of over 2,000 marketers indicates 87% believe mindset-aligned ads outperform context-matched alternatives. While 67% report improved brand favorability, 64% of Australian marketers still prioritize identity-based approaches over mindset strategies for upcoming campaigns.
The players
GumGum
A digital advertising technology company that provides contextual and mindset-driven intelligence for marketers.
The details
Mindset advertising shifts focus toward signals such as time of day and device usage to engage consumers beyond predefined target audiences. According to the report, 96.3% of Australian marketers believe this approach expands reach, yet adoption is hindered by organizational challenges like inadequate audience understanding and data issues. Teams are currently evaluating whether to shift budget away from traditional identity-based targeting to capitalize on these perceived gains in brand recall.
Timeline
2026: GumGum published The Marketers' Take On Mindset report.
Market Landscape
This development follows the broader industry move away from third-party cookie reliance toward more privacy-conscious targeting. It underscores the ongoing tension as firms test whether contextual and mindset-based signals can replace the precision once offered by identity-based data.
Owners should assess whether their marketing teams have the data infrastructure required to leverage time-of-day and device-level signals effectively. Monitor if your agency partners are shifting campaign spend toward mindset models, as this could require re-evaluating existing KPIs for brand recall.
The takeaway
The data suggests that while mindset-aligned ads provide a path to reaching broader audiences, the operational shift is still limited by internal data and budget constraints. Leaders should track the performance of existing identity-based campaigns against experimental mindset pilots to determine if a reallocation of marketing spend is justified.
Further reading
For more on industry shifts in targeting, see our Advertising coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by B&T.
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