Feature
The Gist
- Time to adjust. The shift in the third-party cookie deprecation deadline for Google Chrome allows marketers time to adjust their first-party data and measurement strategies
- Other issues. The timing comes as other technologies and issues are arising in usage and consideration.
- Making the most of the extra time. Companies like Semasio are finding their footing in making the most of the time available before the new deadline.
Browser cookies and electric vehicles are radically different technologies but they face the same situation: A delay in adoption. Google's announcement to further delay cookie deprecation in Chrome has created another speed bump in developing optimal first-party data strategies for digital marketing. Marketers are now speculating on how their teams should use their time until the new deadline.
Convergence in Tech Issues Requires More Time to Assess a Response
The shift away from third-party cookies, often referred to as cookie deprecation, in advertising highlights how sticky it can be to collectively adjust technology use. For years, many browser tasks relied on cookies, such as storing purchase selections in online carts or setting preferred language options on websites. These cookies enhanced online activities, eliminating the need to re-enter user details when a page was refreshed.
Cookies and Metrics
In the realm of web analytics, cookies — particularly third-party cookies, which are now being phased out due to cookie deprecation — have played a pivotal role. Third-party cookies often linked user behavior metrics across various websites, apps and landing pages. Consequently, metrics based on third-party data have typically informed decisions about content optimization and user experience.
Analytic Data Flow
The analytic data flow now shows the culmination of years of splintering. Technological advancements and new behaviors prompted by data privacy laws have rendered third-party cookies less effective for managing customer privacy and accurately measuring user behavior across digital platforms. Consumers are increasingly blocking cookies, while major players like Apple have introduced different identifier protocols such as the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) for apps. These trends have led marketers to question the accuracy of the data being captured due to cookie deprecation.
Increasing Murkiness
The data flow is becoming murkier as marketers weigh newly revealed factors in online customer behavior. The SEO community is reeling after Google accidentally leaked documents showing the signals considered in page ranking against search queries. These documents have sparked controversy because some highlighted factors appear to contradict Google’s long-standing SEO advice. While Google has confirmed the documents' authenticity, it has advised marketers not to read too much into the material.
Relish the Time
Combining this with the need to adapt their strategies means markets should relish the time to determine the right adjustments for their measurement strategies before cookie deprecation becomes a reality.
Related Article: Third-Party Cookie Deprecation: Preparing for Marketing's Future
Businesses Are Finding the Right Way to Use the Newly Gained Time
Jeff Ragovin, CEO of Semasio, offers some insights. Semasio's tech is designed to enable marketers to effectively reach consumers across devices with a suite of solutions that include semantic technology and real-time targeting.
Not Unexpected
Stating that the delay "wasn't entirely unexpected," Ragovin also believes the delay offers several benefits. “The delay should serve as a catalyst for marketers to prioritize consumer privacy, reassess data practices and get serious about how they approach targeting because a true consumer relationship is formed when advertisers empower people with greater control over their data and how it’s used," he said.
Concerns voiced by entities like the IAB Tech Lab, CMA and ICO underscore the challenges with Google's Privacy Sandbox plans, necessitating ongoing evolution in viable solutions.
4 Action Steps Before New Cookie Deprecation Deadline Arrives
Ragovin went on to explain the four approaches to respond to the deadline shift.
1. Embrace Privacy
“At the end of the day, we’re all consumers,” said Ragovin, “and just like the people we’re trying to reach, we want our privacy respected. Businesses should take a proactive approach to how they reach consumers, not leaving it in the hands of the large platforms. It makes perfect sense that the CMA is encouraging Google to update the Topics API consent interface to clarify how user data is used and ensure that third parties obtain specific consent before accessing user data. It also stands to reason that advertisers should embrace the compliant collection of their own first-party data and use it in accordance with those policies.”
2. Become Knowledgeable
“There are a multitude of solutions and alternative identifiers. To understand which solutions make the most sense for a given situation, decision-makers need to understand the strengths, weaknesses and 'best fit' scenarios for all of the key players. For example, if the primary market is EMEA, UID 2.0 probably shouldn’t be your first choice of alternative identifier to test.”
3. Engage Stakeholders
“Facilitate open dialogue with customers, partners and platforms to foster transparency and better collaboration around addressing specific challenges. There won’t be a silver bullet solution to cookie deprecation or respecting consumer privacy. To ensure seamless operations, effective advertising and financial soundness, you need to embrace broad engagement and open discourse. Push for transparent and accountable governance across your own organization and across the industry.”
4. Remain Adaptable
“Earlier this year, we made the decision to transition our audience taxonomies into always-on contextual taxonomies in order to support our clients’ ability to test audiences against contextual segments in real-time before deprecation and signal loss created so much disparity in results that opportunities to optimize would be obscured. While cookies remain available, I expect that advertisers will continue to leverage them; my caution is to do that at the expense of gaining practical experience deploying alternative identifiers or contextual methodologies. Right now, adaptability is crucial amidst changing privacy regulations and Google's evolving strategies.”
Related Article: Marketing Execs React to New Google Cookie Deprecation Timeline
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Cookie Deprecation: What to Expect in the Days Ahead
With less visibility into how customer journeys are related to brand websites and apps, marketing managers must adapt their digital strategies, from planning the search and digital ad campaigns to developing strong first-party data collection in their analytics measurement.
Ragovin also made a similar observation. “Ultimately, this delay should serve as a wake-up call to explore post-cookie targeting strategies in earnest,” says Ragovin. “Cookies have long served as a cornerstone in advertising, facilitating targeted ad delivery and performance analysis. However, they have also become a dependency within the industry — a quick solution to reach audiences without truly understanding them. The shift away from cookies presents challenges, but also the opportunity to get back to the basics of ‘knowing customers.’”
The days ahead will be intriguing as marketers develop new methodologies to support their campaigns once the cookie deprecation deadline kicks in and third-party cookies are gone.
