Savvy advertisers know the importance of reaching a significant section of their target audience. With the disappearance of third-party cookies, this challenge is growing. Geo-based segments offer a solution by grouping users according to socio-demographic and psychographic criteria, based solely on their postal code. CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions is now integrating these segments into its digital targeting solutions, while ensuring their compliance with high ethical standards through a rigorous validation process.
Geo-based segments represent an approach to audience segmentation, based on an analysis of demographic, behavioral and geographic data. By identifying groups of individuals sharing similar characteristics on the basis of postal code, these segments enable advertisers to reach a large pool of individuals while targeting an appropriate audience. Since geo-based segments is based on users' postal codes, it is not necessary to identify these individuals on the basis of a cookie or any other unique identifier. The match rate can therefore be 100%, as long as the postal code is available.
CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions uses geo-based segments to meet market needs, but precision targeting must not be at the expense of ethics. These segments have therefore been evaluated and classified according to their compliance with our guidelines:
Red flagMany of the red-flag segments do not comply with our internal ethical rule of not targeting audiences on the basis of their ethnic or racial origin. We have therefore chosen to exclude segments targeting a specific community from our offer. However, a distinction must be made between these segments and the broader ones targeting neighborhoods rich in diversity or with a multi-ethnic character, which are not necessarily problematic.
Yellow flagYellow flag segments require validation by our advertising standards team prior to use. They can be used, but an assessment of the advertising context is necessary to avoid any risk of prejudice or discriminatory messages. For example, a segment composed of less wealthy individuals is not necessarily problematic, but we want to ensure that it is not used to promote products or services that exploit the economic vulnerability of the people targeted.
Green flagSegments in this category are approved for general use and contain categories that pose no risk of prejudice. Forty-four segments carry a green flag.
"(...) precision targeting must not be at the expense of ethics."
André Munro
Director of Data Strategy and Monetization
CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions's geo-based segments offer an ethical and effective solution for optimizing your advertising campaigns. By combining accurate targeting with an ethical approach, you'll benefit from our reputation as a trusted public broadcaster, reduced risk of inappropriate advertising and authentic engagement with your target audience.
