How Marketers can Adapt to Cookies

2024 is here and there's a monumental shift on the horizon that every digital marketer needs to brace for: The largest web browser in the world, Google Chrome, is phasing out third-party cookies by the end of the year. This move marks a pivotal change in how we approach online advertising and data collection. So, how do we gear up for this cookie-less future? Let's break it down: Embrace First-Party Data: Now is the time to ramp up your first-party data collection strategies. Encourage customers to share their information directly with you. Think loyalty programs, newsletter sign-ups, and personalized account experiences. Invest in Contextual Advertising: Contextual targeting, which aligns ads with the content of a webpage rather than user history, will regain prominence. It's about being relevant in the moment, not intrusive over time. Leverage Privacy-First Alternatives: Explore Google's Privacy Sandbox and other emerging technologies designed to balance personalization and privacy. These tools aim to offer targeted advertising without compromising user anonymity. Diversify Your Ad Channels: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Strengthen your presence across multiple platforms, and consider untapped channels like podcasts or newer social media platforms. Educate and Reassure Your Audience: Use this transition as an opportunity to build trust. Be transparent about your data practices and how you respect user privacy. Stay Informed and Agile: New tools are starting to emerge to lessen the blow of the cookie-less future. Keep tabs on these new technologies to choose the right alternative for your business. Your thoughts? How are you preparing for this shift?

I talk to dozens of heads of marketing every week and these are the top 3 concerns I hear regarding data privacy regulations (and what you can do about it). 1. Do-not-track options More regulations allow users to decide whether they want the store to track their data or not. This poses a challenge for brands because it’s as if someone walked into their store with a mask. They're not able to pull any meaningful data from those interactions. What you can do about it: Statistical modeling can help you understand behavior patterns from the % of users who do opt-in to tracking. Polar Full Impact attribution model estimates views of marketing channels in addition to tracked clicks.   2. Third-party cookie crackdown With cookie restrictions, it will become increasingly difficult for brands to get access to third-party data. What you can do about it: First-party data collection is still 100% in your control, and it's more powerful than ever. Last year, we helped a neon lights brand switch to first-party tracking and they saw their ROAS jump 28% while Cost per Purchase dropped 36% - without changing ad spend. 3. Browser tracking restrictions Google Chrome and Firefox are making it harder for brands to track their customers' behaviors. What you can do about it: Alternative measuring techniques like Polar Analytics 🐻❄️’s Causal Lift or new machine learning models can help you have a sense of performance without needing user-level identifiers. Earlier this year, we helped a skincare brand test Meta awareness campaigns using our new Causal Lift feature. The data showed zero lift in conversions, helping them confidently shift budget to better-performing Google campaigns. The privacy-first era isn't the end of data-driven marketing. It's pushing us toward something better: understanding customers through synthetic data and direct relationships. Smart brands are already adapting by mastering first-party data collection, building statistical models to fill tracking gaps, and using predictive analytics for targeting. Want to learn how to master any of these techniques? DM me and I'll be happy to help.

It's finally here - as of yesterday, Chrome started blocking third-party cookies on 1% of users, and will fully phase them out by Q3. The next few months are going to really upend AdTech and the workflow of performance marketers. We've been hearing a lot of questions on this so I wanted to take a few minutes to share some early best practices we’ve learned through our work with customers. For publishing ads on your website: build first-party audiences. Ad publishers can earn more in auctions (and direct sales) by offering targeted audiences. 3P cookies were the go-to route for this for years but have already been losing efficacy. Our customer bol, a major European e-commerce retailer, replaced their 3P-cookie-driven audiences with ones they curated with their collected 1P data and were able to significantly improve ad performance. You can read their full case study here: https://lnkd.in/eXtuh4JZ For advertising on walled gardens: connect to Conversion APIs. Most social media and ad platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Nextdoor have built Conversion APIs to replace their deprecating 3P cookies (such as the Meta Pixel). You can send your completed conversions directly to these APIs to improve automated campaign performance and reporting. You can also leverage these on platforms like Google Ads (where they’re called “Enhanced Conversions.”) We’ve written a lot about this and have built integrations into many Conversion APIs through Hightouch; you can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ezsDNyHQ For advertising on the open web: explore 3rd-party data alternatives. There are many solutions vying for dominance to help advertisers connect to customers on the broader internet. I’m personally really interested to see how this space plays out in the next few months. Google is offering APIs for advertisers and publishers to target audiences called “Privacy Sandbox,” while a slew of other players offer alternative IDs to stitch together user information, such as The Trade Desk’s Unified ID 2.0 and Epsilon’s CoreID. It’s cliche at this point to say that “the future of advertising is first-party data…” but we’re finally at that future. What do you think? How are you prepping for cookie-pocalypse? What other strategies should people take?

Prepping for a Cookie-less Future: The End of Third-Party Cookies Introduction The end of third-party cookies is a topic that has been making waves in the digital marketing world. With major browsers like Google Chrome phasing out support for third-party cookies by 2024, the landscape of online advertising is set to undergo a massive transformation. This article explores the reasons behind this shift, its impact on marketers and advertisers, and the strategies to adapt to a cookie-less future. What Are Third-Party Cookies? Third-party cookies are small text files that websites use to track users across different sites. They have been the backbone of targeted advertising, allowing marketers to gather data on user behavior, preferences, and demographics. However, growing concerns about privacy and new regulations like GDPR have led to a gradual shift away from third-party cookies. Why Are Third-Party Cookies Going Away? 1. Privacy Concerns: Users are becoming more conscious of their online privacy, leading to a demand for more transparent data collection practices. 2. Regulatory Changes: Laws like GDPR and CPRA are making it harder for companies to collect and use personal data without explicit consent. 3. Browser Initiatives: Browsers like Chrome and Safari are phasing out support for third-party cookies to protect user privacy. Impact on the Advertising Industry The end of third-party cookies will have a significant impact on the advertising industry. Here's how: - Loss of Valuable Data: Marketers will lose access to detailed user data, affecting their ability to deliver personalized ads. - Challenges in Tracking: The inability to track user behavior across sites may lead to less effective advertising strategies. - Shift to First-Party Data: Brands with strong first-party data will be well-positioned to adapt, emphasizing the importance of building direct relationships with customers. Strategies for a Cookie-less World 1. Invest in First-Party Data: Collecting data directly from customers through surveys, subscriptions, and loyalty programs. 2. Explore Alternatives: Technologies like Google's Privacy Sandbox offer new ways to deliver targeted advertising without relying on cookies. 3. Content Marketing: Focusing on SEO and content marketing to create relevant and high-quality experiences tailored to the user. Conclusion The end of third-party cookies marks a new era in digital advertising. While it presents challenges, it also offers opportunities for innovation and a renewed focus on user privacy. Marketers and advertisers must be proactive in adapting to this change, investing in alternative technologies, and building stronger connections with their audience. Read about this in a recent Forbes article featuring Ezzey on this topic https://lnkd.in/eRNfhcrT