Contextual advertising
Placing ads based on the content being viewed rather than on data about the person viewing it: a running shoe ad next to a marathon training article, a recipe brand on cooking videos. It needs no third-party cookies or personal data, which has brought it back as tracking gets harder. A relevant setting can lift attention and recall, but it narrows reach to people already reading about the topic, so it rarely works alone.
Where it's used
Used in programmatic display, video and podcast buying, publisher deals and privacy-led media plans. Good for categories with clear content moments, such as travel, food, sports and finance, and as a cookie-free alternative to behavioural targeting.
Example
Ads where the sleep problem is discussed
Illustrative scenarioA mattress brand loses most of its retargeting audiences as cookie consent drops. It shifts part of the budget to contextual placements on articles and podcasts about sleep, back pain and moving house. Cost per visit rises slightly, but the visitors are people actively thinking about the problem. It keeps the contextual line as a steady base, with broad reach media around it.