At The Drum’s Predictions event, Adsquare tackles the growing reality of signal loss and how offline signals are the most reliable way for marketers to prove impact in 2026’s fragmented world.
“Signal loss is real,” says Rob Garber: “and it’s going to get worse,” he warns. He tackles a problem all marketers recognize: cookies barely work, ad blockers are everywhere, virtual private networks (VPNs) are scrambling location data, and identity across devices is, in his words, “an absolute mess.”
But the real kicker? “Of 100% of all sales globally, only 28% happen online, according to Forrester,” Garber says. “Seventy-two percent happen offline.”
If most revenue is generated in physical spaces, Garber argues, why are marketers only measuring success almost exclusively through digital clicks? “Clicks show interest,” he says: “visitation shows intent.”
His solution centers on mobile advertising ID (MAID) – a deterministic, consented signal emitted by smartphones that includes an anonymized ID, location and timestamp. Unlike cookies or IP addresses, MAIDs don’t jump from Birmingham to Croydon in half an hour. “It’s deterministic, it’s tied only to one device.” Garber explains.
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Using a hypothetical sneaker launch, Garber shows how MAIDs can power planning, activation and, crucially, measurement, linking ad exposure to real-world store visits. In an outcomes-obsessed economy, he said, that’s where the real ROI story lives.
The takeaway is blunt but energizing: signal loss may be shrinking digital certainty, but offline data offers a way back to what actually matters – proving impact in the places where people still buy. And that’s the 72% marketers can’t keep ignoring.
For more insights and advice on tackling signal loss this year, watch the full session, coming soon on The Drum TV.