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Contextual campaigns: the future of ad personalization without cookies

Contextual campaigns: the future of ad personalization without cookies

Sep 17, 2024

In today’s fast-moving digital advertising landscape, personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s expected. But with tighter privacy regulations and the demise of third-party cookies, many advertisers are asking: How do we deliver relevant, data-driven campaigns without relying on personal identifiers?


The answer lies in contextual advertising; and Cape is making it smarter, faster, and fully scalable.

What is dynamic creative without cookies?


Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) has long been a go-to strategy for personalization at scale. It allows advertisers to build countless ad variations from a single creative template, dynamically adjusting elements based on user data. Traditionally, this has relied heavily on third-party cookies. But in a privacy-first world, cookie-based targeting is no longer sustainable or reliable. Cape offers a modern alternative: using contextual data to power personalisation that’s just as relevant, but fully privacy-compliant.

Cape’s approach: contextual ad personalization at scale


Cape enables brands to run contextual campaigns that adapt to real-world signals like location, time of day, and weather; no cookies required. With Cape, your creative adapts to the viewer’s environment automatically, making every impression more meaningful. This results in higher engagement, stronger performance, and a better user experience; all while maintaining full compliance with data regulations.

Examples of contextual campaigns you can run with Cape


Cape’s platform allows you to design intelligent, data-driven campaigns using dynamic feeds and automated templates. Here are some powerful use cases:

Location-based ads


Target users near a specific store or delivery area with hyper-local offers.
Example: A local café promotes its breakfast specials to people within a 1-mile radius every morning.

Time-based ads


Automatically schedule ads based on user behaviour patterns or specific times of day.
Example: A food delivery service runs lunch deals just before noon to match daily demand.

Weather-based ads


Adjust your message based on live weather conditions for maximum relevance.
Example: A fashion brand promotes umbrellas or raincoats when it’s raining, and sunglasses when the sun comes out.

Countdown campaigns


Create urgency by dynamically counting down offer availability or deadlines.
Example: An energy provider shows how many “green plan” spots are left in real time.

Real-world use cases: contextual campaigns in action

Energy supplier: hyper-local, real-time personalization


An energy provider using Cape can personalize campaigns using weather and location data. For example, on a sunny afternoon in Amsterdam, Cape dynamically serves ads promoting solar energy sourced from nearby facilities. Meanwhile, users in windy Rotterdam see messaging about local wind energy. Cape’s countdown feature also helps create urgency, showing users how many spots remain for a renewable energy plan or how much clean energy they could have collected today. Everything is automated, driven by real-time feeds, and scaled across regions without extra manual work.

Food delivery service: tailored offers that hit the spot


A food delivery platform can personalize offers based on a customer’s location, time, and weather without ever using cookies. On a chilly, rainy night in London? Serve up ads featuring warm soups or comfort food. On a sunny day in Madrid? Highlight chilled drinks and fresh salads. With Cape, one dynamic template adapts automatically across hundreds of markets; ensuring every campaign feels local, timely, and appetising.

Why contextual campaigns matter now


As privacy rules evolve and audience data becomes harder to access, contextual targeting is emerging as the new gold standard for personalization. Cape empowers you to:

  • Deliver relevant, dynamic creative without cookies

  • Scale campaigns efficiently across regions and use cases

  • Automate updates with live data feeds for maximum impact

  • Stay fully compliant with global data privacy laws


Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all ads - and hello to Intelligent Campaign Experiences.

Cape makes it easy to build creative that adapts in real time, no matter where your audience is or what their day looks like.

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Get in touch!

Let's show you what Cape.io can do

Need help with your campaigns and creative?
Let's talk about how we can work together

Stay ahead of the curve with Cape.io

Curious about the latest in marketing and advertising?

Subscribe to our monthly, Promarketers newsletter.