What is the purpose of piggybacking in online advertising?

The purpose of piggybacking in online advertising primarily involves the practice of calling a third-party pixel for re-targeting. This method allows advertisers to leverage existing tracking pixels from third-party vendors to collect additional data or to perform specific actions without the need to develop their own tracking solutions. By using these third-party resources, advertisers can enhance their target audience segmentation and improve the effectiveness of their re-targeting campaigns.

Re-targeting, in this context, refers to the strategy of serving ads to users who have previously interacted with a brand or website, increasing the likelihood that these users will convert in the future. As such, the integration of a third-party pixel enables marketers to track users' behaviors across the web, allowing for more customized and relevant ad delivery based on their previous interactions.

In contrast, maximizing impressions relates more to the overall volume of ad views rather than the strategic use of tracking data. Avoiding third-party involvement goes against the very nature of piggybacking, since this practice relies on third-party technologies. Reducing ad costs, while always a consideration in advertising strategies, is not a direct purpose of piggybacking, which focuses on enhancing data collection and targeting through established third-party systems.