Third-party cookies have been the backbone of programmatic advertising for more than a decade, and for good reason. They are great for analyzing users and tracking their behavior online to come up with user profiles. While this tool has been a success and a great tool for the marketing world, it’s also been a very controversial tool. The days of 3rd party cookies are numbered, as this article explains.
Google announced earlier this year their plans to kill third-party cookies in Chrome by 2022. Here’s what you need to know about why the death to 3rd party cookies has come and what it means for marketing and advertising for your business.
What Are Third Party Cookies?
Have you ever come across those weirdly accurate ads when visiting a site? These ads are called third-party cookies. A third-party cookie is generated outside of the website operator by a third party with advertising and targeting pixels. These cookies are used for a variety of reasons, including collecting marketing information like gender, age, user behavior, and more. It’s personalized advertising at its finest. It’s a powerful and effective marketing tool used by many advertisers.
Some specific data that third-party cookies collect are:
- Visited website via which the cookie was generated
- Personal data such as age, gender, and location
- Subpages visited on the visited website
- Time spent on the page and its subpages
Once this unique data is collected, a user profile is created to help with personal advertising and targeting and tracking purposes. This data is a major plus for advertisers!
Why Third-Party Cookies Are Going Away
Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) and Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) have now automatically blocked third-party cookies. What’s the reason for this? Google has seen this kind of tracking tool as intrusive and wants to tighten privacy regulations for users online. Removal of third-party cookies by browsers has just begun since the demand for user privacy and stricter data-sharing laws.
Alternatives To Third Party Cookies
What is the solution for the death of 3rd party cookies, then? Know that there are still effective ways for getting new customers and connecting with your target audience through advertising. Here are some ways digital advertising can work without cookies:
- The Privacy Sandbox: Google has now begun working on a privacy targeting solution that targets groups based on anonymous data to be used by advertisers. While this is still new, it’s best to test this method to provide feedback on this new development.
- First-party data from phone calls! Selling through the phone is an excellent solution to the absence of third-party cookies. To receive first-party consumer data, start making phone conversations. It’s a great way to hear firsthand what your customer wants and get sales right away.
Talk to a Professional
Even though third-party cookies are a strong pillar used by advertisers, there is always a solution, as this is only one targeting method. With advertising and marketing tools constantly changing and evolving, it can be difficult to stay up to date and have an effective strategy. Our marketing professionals at Caledon Virtual are here to help.
Contact us to learn more and develop a plan of action to reach your ideal customer online.
