In a recent statement, Geoffroy Martin, CEO at Ogury, highlighted a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape. He pointed out that in response to regulatory and market pressures, Google is now allowing consumers to decide whether to use third-party cookies. This change follows the precedent set by Safari and Firefox, which have already phased out advertising identifiers.
“Advertisers should not view Google’s announcement as an opportunity to postpone their move to solutions that are not exclusively relying on 3rd party identifiers. It’s pointless for our industry to cling to a model that is doomed to disappear. Rather, it’s time for advertisers to invest in alternative solutions which allow them to scale independently of future industry decisions, while prioritising consumer privacy,” Martin commented.
As Chrome gradually reduces cookie support and half of the traffic on the open internet is now cookie-free, advertisers are feeling the impact. The availability of cookies for ad campaigns is decreasing, while the demand for effective advertising solutions is driving up costs. This evolving scenario presents new challenges and opportunities for advertisers navigating the cookie-less future.
Chris Hogg, Chief Revenue Officer at Lotame, believes that while Google may not be phasing out third-party cookies immediately, their eventual obsolescence is inevitable due to growing privacy concerns among users and regulatory bodies. He noted that as cookies become universally “opt-in,” the demand for alternative signals will increase, particularly in channels where cookies have never been utilised or have already disappeared.
Hogg said:”The fate of third-party cookies will be as a small part of an ever-expanding array of data points, becoming less relevant over time as more privacy-first, platform-agnostic solutions evolve. No one that wishes to remain competitive should think they can take their foot off the pedal of first-party data collection and strategic data collaboration.”
Conclusion
APAC marketers have long anticipated Google’s plan to phase out third-party cookies. For those aiming to enhance customer experiences, adopting a privacy-first approach is imperative. This strategy establishes a foundation for sustainable growth and enables marketers to navigate the future with confidence, transforming potential challenges into opportunities for innovation and deeper customer connections.
