Enhancing Web3 Marketing: Addressable’s Innovative Approach
For years, Web2 marketers have employed various strategies to identify and “acquire” potential customers, but in the realm of Web3, this task becomes significantly more complex, according to Asaf Nadler, an executive in the ad-tech sector. His company, Addressable, has launched a groundbreaking service aimed at revolutionizing the effectiveness of Web3 marketing, particularly from the perspective of sales teams.
At the heart of this innovation is the concept of retargeting—focusing on those potential customers who almost made a purchase, trade, or engagement but ultimately did not follow through. In the traditional Web2 landscape, the abundance of personal data available online makes it relatively easy to track such individuals. However, the pseudonymous nature of crypto wallets presents a unique challenge. Nadler asserts that Addressable’s database effectively “bridges the gap,” enabling companies to pinpoint and target their most promising customers.
This level of targeting could be crucial, especially if the ongoing bear market in crypto worsens, potentially deterring new users from entering the space. Economic downturns tend to increase what traditional marketers refer to as the “cost per acquisition,” a concept that Addressable has adapted to the crypto landscape as the “cost per wallet.” Nadler notes, “In a bear market, people are less excited about user acquisition.” He emphasizes that what founders truly care about is maintaining engagement with their community and finding ways to reactivate lapsed users.
Importantly, Addressable does not function as a doxxing service. While the company may have insights into wallet ownership—such as knowing that John Doe controls wallet abc123—this information is not shared with clients like CoinDEX. Instead, the product allows CoinDEX to deliver targeted advertisements to John Doe, transforming wallet abc123 into a paying customer.
Addressable’s expertise lies in drawing inferences from various data points. The company scours social media for valuable insights that can be cross-referenced with wallet activity. For instance, if wallet abc123 has interacted with protocols that John Doe follows on X, or has made trades discussed by John Doe on Reddit, these clues can be sufficient to reconstruct a targetable identity.
The resulting ad-tech playbook is not merely a novel cryptocurrency innovation but rather a sophisticated adaptation of existing online marketing tactics tailored for the unique challenges of the on-chain economy. According to Nadler, the Web3 customer acquisition funnel is already exceptionally narrow, making it uniquely challenging to engage potential customers. He states, “Rather than invest in KOLs or engage in broad marketing efforts, we empower companies to focus exclusively on users who have shown interest in their offerings.” KOLs, or key opinion leaders, are social media influencers known for promoting projects to their vast audiences.
Although Addressable has been operational for three years, its retargeting service is a recent development that Nadler believes will significantly impact protocols aiming to cultivate a loyal customer base. He warns, “The most detrimental outcome for DeFi projects right now would be if users lose faith in them.” Targeted advertising, he argues, offers a viable solution to this pressing issue.
