Data

In interactive advertising, the computer science definition of data is most often used - that is, information in a form suitable for use with a computer. Most commonly, three types of data are associated with cookies for interactive advertising:

Observed Facts

An interaction that is recorded directly. This includes:

• Browser information (User Agent, Operating System, installed plug-ins, for example).
• Ad impressions, clicks, and conversions.
• Searches, pages viewed.

Declared Facts

Information generally recorded as part of site registration or use that is provided directly from a human. This includes:

• Demographic information like Age, Gender, and Occupation.
• Social connections.
• Geographic information like State and ZIP.

Inferred Facts

By aggregating observed facts and comparing against other sets of observed and declared facts, a third type of data can be generated. Examples of inferred facts include:

• Friend suggestions.
• Demographic information, when it hasn't been declared.
• Market segment.

The IAB provides an industry-focused web site discussing Data in Advertising, and a data primer.