Redefining Ad Performance Through Deep Learning and Contextual Insight

Throughout my career, I have contributed to developing three distinct contextual products, and Cognitiv stands in a class by itself. We approach contextual targeting with a human-like understanding of language and behavior, which is part of the company’s cutting-edge deep learning technology. Today, I will explore how Cognitiv’s approach uniquely addresses the complexities of the advertising landscape.

Beyond The Keyword: Advanced Contextual Targeting 

Since 2015, Cognitiv has been at the forefront of AI in advertising. Now, we have set a new standard in contextual targeting by using proprietary deep learning technology, natural language processing (NLP), and a GPT-based large language model to achieve human-like content comprehension.

Many solutions rely on basic keyword targeting to approximate context—for instance, assuming a page mentioning “tennis” and “racket” is about tennis rackets when it might be about how much of a racket people were making on the local tennis court. Clearly, this approach is limited in capturing the whole meaning and intent behind the language. Our ContextGPT^™ product goes beyond keywords by analyzing sentiment, tone, and subtle shifts in meaning, such as distinguishing between phrases like “Do you want to come shopping?” with a neutral, positive sentiment and “You can come shopping if you want,” with a more neutral and indifferent sentiment.

This advanced understanding enables ads to appear in environments that align contextually and resonate with real-time user intent, increasing relevancy and engagement. Additionally, ContextGPT provides full ad placement transparency, offering insights into where ads reach the most engaged customers. Cognitiv’s human-like understanding of sentiment and intent elevates ad performance and enhances brand safety by ensuring placements are suitable for both the audience and the message.

Enhanced Performance Powered by Deep Learning

Even though our user interface (UI) is simple to navigate, our approach to performance-driven advertising is innovative and fundamentally different from everyone else in the industry. While many companies rely on traditional machine learning (ML) to build performance models, we utilize deep learning, which enables us to better understand user behavior. We capture insights beyond basic click and conversion data to encompass broader browsing habits, nuanced engagement patterns, and conversion likelihood.

When I discuss this with clients, they often recognize a distinct difference in how we harness data to identify patterns and predict outcomes. We leverage cutting-edge deep learning to redefine performance in digital advertising, reaching levels that simpler ML approaches cannot match. Our performance solutions are trained on a massive dataset containing hundreds of millions of data entries, each represented by a high-dimensional feature set of over 200 characteristics. This sophisticated design allows our model to dynamically fine-tune itself, adapting to real-time market shifts with remarkable precision. Leveraging billion-parameter transformer models, we achieve contextual understanding and targeting accuracy far beyond what traditional models or simpler ML techniques like logistic regression can offer.

While meeting the millisecond latency requirements standard in RTB, Cognitiv stands apart by being able to deploy and operate these large-scale, complex models—managing millions of parameters—where traditional ML models would struggle. This capability uniquely empowers our clients with unparalleled targeting depth and contextual relevance in their campaigns.

Unmatched AI Expertise and Innovation

Our commitment to AI extends beyond product functionality: it’s embedded in the company’s DNA. Cognitiv was founded by data scientists and AI researchers, and our products are built by experts specializing in deep learning. One element that impressed me when I joined Cognitiv was the depth of AI expertise within the company. Unlike many adtech companies where AI is a more superficial term than a true differentiator, our solutions are backed by PhD-level expertise. This expertise fuels innovation and is integrated into every campaign and solution we develop.

With over seven years of extensive experience in the advertising industry, I have collaborated with and assessed a wide range of contextual and performance-based advertising solutions from both the agency and technology partner perspectives—and I will be the first to admit I was becoming a bit of a skeptic. The products that initially excited me during the interview process here genuinely deliver on their promise, a rarity in this industry.

Cognitiv’s approach to adtech sets a new standard for intelligent, adaptive advertising. With deep learning-powered contextual and performance solutions, our technology is truly performance-driven, insightful, and designed for the long term. For those in the industry seeking a partner with a genuine understanding of context and behavior, Cognitiv’s unique approach is one that I am proud to stand behind.