The myth: single retargeting strategies work better
Before we get into multiple retargeting strategies, we'd like to directly address the arguments in favor of a single retargeting approach. Many major providers argue that by using a single provider, you can get more bang for your buck.
This theory generally rests on the fact that your bids are coordinated and aligned by a single retargeting provider that has a full vision of your campaign and can maximize ROI. Proponents of this approach will say that this reduces the risk of "overbidding" and "frequency blindness."
At first glance, this feels intuitive—but it falls apart once you dig into it. The truth is that most retargeting providers don't want you to onboard multiple providers because it is against their interests. At RTB House, we are strong advocates of multiple retargeting scenarios. Numerous examples show that adding a competent second provider pays big dividends with comparatively little risk.
What is a multiple retargeting strategy?
A multiple retargeting strategy is actually quite simple. Rather than allocating your entire advertising budget to a single retargeting provider, you select multiple providers and decide how to allocate your spend. Both target the same pool of users—people who have already visited your site—but each uses its own algorithms and technology to decide who to target and when. You can learn more about retargeting in general in this article.
What are the benefits of working with multiple retargeting partners?
There are two main benefits to onboarding a second retargeting provider.
The first is technology. While the best retargeting providers don't differ much in terms of inventory, some have very different technology from others. By onboarding a new provider, you can take advantage of more diverse innovations—like Deep Learning—and get an instant boost to your campaign. RTB House research shows an 8–11% performance gain when running a Deep Learning and Machine Learning retargeting stack together.
The second is competition. When you have multiple providers onboarded, you can compare results and ensure they don't take their foot off the gas. To get comparable results across all your partners, make sure both partners use identical business terms—this ensures you're always comparing apples to apples.
To see how algorithmic differences play out in practice, watch Orlana explain it using an analogy from the world of fashion:
Will a multiple retargeting strategy dilute my ad budget?
The short answer? No. Most retargeting providers are good at scaling their operations to match whatever budget you give them, whether that's up or down. You can adjust your budget allocation to each provider without overspending.
By leveraging multiple providers, you can leverage their unique technologies and approaches to optimize your budget and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Will using multiple retargeting providers risk audience cross-over?
Another common concern is audience crossover. In theory, a poorly managed campaign could cause individual users to see ads from multiple providers, leading to ad fatigue or higher costs due to bidding competition.
In practice, the scale of overlap is small when using good providers. This is because different providers use different technologies, which evaluate and select users using their own methodologies. Each provider will target different users as their methodologies and technologies have unique strengths.
As your reach increases, each provider will naturally target different users. There will be some overlap—generally around 22%—however, this is actually desirable. Most users need an average of two clicks on a banner to drive a conversion, so overlap isn't wasted effort; it's multi-touch attribution working as intended. Furthermore, by introducing competition, you encourage providers to perform at their best, helping drive incremental conversions you might not otherwise get.
Edo explains this dynamic—and why overlap is a feature, not a flaw—using a surprisingly effective analogy:
Does it take more effort to work with multiple providers?
Another major misconception is that it takes more effort to set up and manage a multiple retargeting strategy. While there will always be some initial effort on the client's part when starting a new campaign, good providers (like RTB House) will take every step to make that process as smooth as possible.
Once a campaign has been set up, the work primarily falls on your retargeting provider. All you need to do is ensure your business terms are consistent across providers so you are always fairly comparing and monitoring campaign performance.
Daniel uses his love of ice hockey to explain why having more than one expert assess the same opportunity is always worth the effort:
When should you NOT add a second provider?
Multiple retargeting isn't the right move in every situation. Consider staying with a single provider if:
Your traffic volume is too low. If your retargeting pool is small, splitting it across two vendors may not give either enough data to optimize effectively.
Your current provider is underperforming. Adding a second vendor to a broken setup compounds the problem. Fix your foundation before expanding.
You can't measure incrementally. If you don't have the infrastructure to run A/B tests or read overlap reports, you won't be able to attribute results accurately.
Your budget doesn't support a meaningful split. A 70/30 split with a very small total budget may leave the secondary provider without enough to optimize against.
Single Retargeting vs. Multiple Retargeting
Quick decision table
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
High traffic volume, established campaign | ✅ Add a second provider |
The retargeting pool is large and growing | ✅ Add a second provider |
Current provider performing well, budget available | ✅ Add a second provider |
Low traffic volume, small retargeting pool | ❌ Build volume first |
Current provider underperforming | ❌ Fix the foundation first |
No measurement infrastructure in place | ❌ Set up tracking before expanding |
Budget too small to split meaningfully | ❌ Consolidate until budget grows |
When should I use a multiple retargeting strategy?
There are many benefits to using multiple retargeting providers. It helps improve the reach of your campaign, and as a bonus, you are able to test multiple providers in order to determine which ones are giving you the best return on ad spend (ROAS). This healthy competition can help keep your providers on their toes and ensure that everyone is always trying their best.
The results of using multiple providers can be impressive. For example, when RTB House came on board as a second retargeting partner for KuantoKusta, the results of their marketing campaign were twice as good as when they ran with only a single provider.
Best practices if you add a second provider
Align on KPIs from day one. Both providers should be working toward the same targets—ROAS, CPA, incremental conversions—on identical business terms.
Use a consistent attribution model. Agree on how you'll measure success before you launch. Last-click attribution favors the vendor that touches the conversion last; multi-touch attribution provides a fairer picture of each vendor's contribution.
Run an incrementality test. The gold standard for measuring a second provider's contribution is an incremental lift test—isolating the conversions driven by the second vendor that would not have occurred with just one.
Monitor overlap reports. Keep an eye on audience overlap between vendors. Some is healthy and expected; if it climbs significantly above 30%, investigate whether both vendors are genuinely evaluating users differently.
Don't set and forget. Review performance regularly and rebalance budget allocation based on results. The 70/30 split that works at launch may not be optimal at month three.
Run both providers simultaneously from launch and allow sufficient time for both algorithms to optimize before drawing conclusions.
How do I onboard multiple retargeting providers?
First, follow best practices for creating and expanding your retargeting campaign. Then, onboarding multiple providers can be straightforward if you follow a few basic procedures. The key is to ensure that all your retargeting providers follow uniform KPIs and payment agreements.
This approach has two main effects. The first is that it is easier for you to measure performance between your different providers. The second is that it makes onboarding easier. When everyone is working towards the same target ROAS, conversion rates, and other KPIs, you don't need to manage a complicated budget, even if you are not distributing your ad budget equally between all providers.
Is RTB House a good fit for a multiple retargeting strategy?
If you want to try out a multiple retargeting strategy, RTB House is a top-tier partner. We have been a strong voice in encouraging the retargeting industry to embrace a multiple retargeting approach, and our technologies and processes are designed to maximize the success of these kinds of campaigns.
In particular, our Deep Learning technology is a major differentiator. Most of our competitors still rely on legacy Machine Learning. As Deep Learning is more sophisticated, we can take a more targeted approach, minimizing overlap and maximizing conversion opportunities.
Our track record speaks for itself:
iCarros (Automotive): Conversions increased by 306% after RTB House joined as a second retargeting partner.
Huuge (Gaming): RTB House exceeded ROAS goals by 4x and boosted player revenues by 2.6x compared to other providers.
Gumtree (Classifieds): A multiple retargeting strategy doubled conversions and increased traffic by 33%.
Still not sure whether multiple retargeting is right for your campaigns? Oliwia breaks it down using a travel planning analogy that makes the logic hard to argue with:
Ready to explore what a second retargeting provider could do for your campaigns? Get in touch with our team.
