Data privacy is expected to dominate conversations around tech in 2023. With several web browsers, including Google’s announcement to stop supporting third-party cookies on the chrome browser, transitioning into the cookieless world is an approaching eventuality.
The decision is revolutionary as chrome has a market share of over 60% as compared to other browsers and this would mean implications on advertiser marketing campaigns. There has been heavy reliance on cookies to build audience profiles, target customers and attribution mapping for years now. With the growing concern around safety and privacy of consumer information, marketers are looking for ways to adapt to a cookieless world.
Let us take a look at how marketers can navigate in a cookieless world.
Focus on first-party data collection
First-party data is collected directly from the brand’s own assets like website and serves as a key data source.This data can be used to personalize content and ads for individual users. By understanding user preferences and behavior, marketers can create customized experiences that are more engaging and relevant to each user. It can also be used to create lookalike audiences which will have similar characteristics as existing customers. Marketers must invest in capturing this data precisely and effectively to deliver more hyper-personalized customer experiences.
Contextual Targeting
Contextual targeting is based on the idea that the content of a webpage provides valuable information about the interests and intentions of the user. By targeting ads based on the context of the content, advertisers can reach users who are more likely to be interested in their products or services.
With cookies being dominant in planning the media mix, a user was shown an ad as per the behavior pattern. The shift from behavior targeting to contextual targeting would ensure that users are targeted as per the content of the page they are viewing. Since the targeting is relevant to the environment in which the audience is browsing the ROI can be substantially improved.
Privacy Sandbox
Google’s Privacy Sandbox effort aims to develop solutions that safeguard users’ online privacy while also providing entrepreneurs and developers with the resources they need to establish successful digital ventures.Privacy Sandbox solution by Google relies heavily on APIs like TOPIC API aimed at interest based targeting, FLEDGE API aimed at audience segmentation, Attribution Reporting amongst others to deliver relevant ads amidst the privacy protection walls.
The effectiveness of the Privacy Sandbox concepts is still unknown since they are still being developed and tested. Yet if effective, the Privacy Sandbox would offer a method for advertisers to keep sending customers relevant and targeted adverts without jeopardising their privacy.
The world of digital marketing will significantly shift in the cookie-less future. Since it would be challenging to follow users across platforms and devices, the immediate impact will be on the delivery of targeted advertisements and their efficacy.
Future innovations and creative approaches to deal with the cookie-less world are anticipated, and fresh approaches are being developed. It will be crucial to strike a fine balance between providing a customised experience and upholding privacy standards.
Even if the prospect of a world without cookies may initially seem unsettling, it may end up being advantageous for the sector as a whole.
(The author is Ms. Rekha Motwani, Business Director – Media at #ARM Worldwide, and the views expressed in this article are her own)
