Cookie Deprecation has been in conversation for digital marketing for a few years since strides in privacy have threatened the loss of this tracking technology. But is this something to fear, or an opportunity? At Above The Fold, we anticipate these changes with excitement and not the existential crisis that many articles and experts warn of.
Why, do you ask? Well first, the verdict is in on third-party cookies: they are a liability to consumer privacy. Whether they are discontinued this year or last another decade, companies can’t afford to wait to take action if they want to deliver on the transparency and trust that consumer’s demand.
Secondly, as a programmatic advertising focused agency, we are confident in our ability to help our customers reach their ideal audience with contextual, geographical and first-party targeting and to diversify into new mediums that don’t utilize cookies to serve ads, such as Connected TV.
So we are moving forward with our media plans and strategies with confidence. Marketers that have been exercising the “wait and see” method, need to use this as a trigger to get off our lazy boys eating popcorn and work on asking the question “what can we actually do with this data that we have”.
On January 4th 2024, Google took it’s first real step after years of delayed deadlines, and rolled out third-party cookie restrictions to 1% of website access to third-party cookies by default. Google plans to hase out third-party cookies for everyone in the second half of 2024.
The vital message though is this, don’t wait until the frantic scramble likely in late spring or early summer 2024 when things are starting to look real.
First and foremost, companies need to look at what they can do with gathering and utilizing their own data, and then how to utilize that to improve customer experience perspective. We’ve always looked at the cookie demise from a media point of view, but companies can look at cross-channel experience.
We stress to our clients to aim to use the same set of signals across all channels and devices to be able to offer a very hyper-targeting – someone calls in, walks into your retail location, visits the website. You own that experience and can build and utilize this first-party data to your, and your customers, advantage.
First-party data and customer experience is vital for companies to come out strong in the new world. But also, there are new ad targeting technology that has been in testing and implemented across some of the largest advertisers, and it works. The emergence of Universal ID (UID 2.0) becomes the beacon of hope, promising not just detailed audiences but a realm of specified advertising opportunities.
When used in conjunction with universal identifiers (UIDs), companies can tap into the broader data ecosystem to reach a wider audience, gain deeper insights, and deliver more targeted campaigns, while still respecting user privacy and consent. At Above The Fold, we buy media with The Tradedesk, which integrates UID into media buys.
The success stories of UID, especially its reported 12 times effectiveness compared to cookies for industry giants like Unilever and Disney, underscore its potential.
Businesses are urged to act swiftly, recognizing that the implications of a slow start could mean being left behind, missing budgets, and struggling to adapt in an era where marketers have access to more data and signals than ever before.
Navigating this sea change is necessary and a strategic imperative for companies in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.