Media agency Hatched is stepping up its data game with the launch of Hatched iD, a new identity solution designed to help clients optimise their media planning and buying strategies. The tool aims to enhance audience engagement by leveraging first-party data, a move that comes in anticipation of proposed data privacy changes expected to be legislated as early as 2024.

Hatched iD operates by enriching client's first-party data through strategic data partnerships and managing it with LiveRamp’s proprietary technology. Clients upload their data directly to a data enablement platform, which is then distributed to ad platforms and publishers including Google, Meta, and over 70 publishers. Notably, the data remains the property of the client, not Hatched.

Denise McCormack, Hatched's Head of Digital, Data and Tech, said: 'For clients that want to activate first-party data, we have a privacy-compliant way to do that without having to rely on walled gardens.' McCormack said it was a 'fast and effective way to leverage first-party data without complicated and expensive tech integration.'

Hatched has also become a licensed reseller of LiveRamp products, a move that has enabled the creation of Hatched iD. Melanie Hoptman, LiveRamp’s COO of APAC, said: 'Developing a sound first-party data strategy and moving away from third-party cookies and device-based identifiers has been proven to yield immediate benefits.'

Hatched iD is already being utilised by some of the agency’s clients, including CPA Australia (CPAA). The professional accounting body is using the tool for an acquisition campaign aimed at increasing member growth. Sandy Tat, CPAA Digital Performance and Optimisation Manager, said: 'Hatched iD allows us to build a solid foundation to activate first-party data across platforms while balancing privacy and data activation.'

In line with the industry's move towards a cookie-less future, Hatched aims to go cookie-less by 2024. The agency reports that almost 50 per cent of its programmatic buys are already cookie-less, indicating a significant stride towards this goal.