CXO Matters | How Marketers Can Cope Up with the Cookieless World?
Marketing

How Marketers Can Cope Up with the Cookieless World?

How Marketers Can Cope Up With the Cookieless World?
Image Courtesy: Unsplash
Written by Samita Nayak

Lately, the marketing world is experiencing disruption due to the upcoming demise of third-party cookies. It’s going to completely change the way marketers operate, starting from collecting data to providing engaging customer experiences.

It was in 2020 when Google decided to phase out 3rd party cookies. Originally, it planned to remove the cookies by 2022’s end but later extended it to 2023. As for other browsers like Apple’s Safari and Mozilla Firefox, they have already blocked them.

Are All Cookies Going Away?

No, only some are. At the moment, Google is only removing third-party cookies. So, the good news is marketers and business owners can take the help of alternatives to optimize marketing campaigns. 

Indeed not using third-party cookies will make it hard for marketers to identify individuals. However, the alternatives can still ensure that the right message is delivered across the targeted people. 

So, as a marketer, the best thing to do now is to stay updated on 3rd party cookies, privacy practices and alternatives that may help your business.   

How Do Marketers Cope Up With the Cookieless World?

As mentioned earlier, there are alternatives that can help marketers to survive in the cookieless future. 

You already know that only third-party cookies are being wiped out. So, you still have first-party cookies and can use it for personalization, relevant advertising, audience segmentation, etc. 

Besides, first-party cookies aren’t the only alternative you have. There are other alternatives too. But let’s start with 1st party cookies first.

First-party Cookies

First-party cookies offer great user experience and loads of information to marketers. The information is usually about the consumer’s geographic location, preferences and other demographic data. 

This behavioral information can be used for creating a comprehensive customer profile, which would be further helpful for optimizing marketing and advertising campaigns. However, do know that you won’t be able to keep a track of your consumers’ activities on other sites that aren’t linked to your domain.

Identifiers

Identifiers can profile and identify individuals based on their access to apps, logs, tools, or websites. But while differentiating users, you need to choose whether to consider online identifiers alone or by combining it with additional data. You may create different profiles but don’t be too specific. 

Here are some standard identifiers.

  • Cookie identifiers
  • Internet Protocol (IP) addresses
  • Pixel tags
  • Device fingerprints
  • Accounting
  • Advertising IDs
  • MAC addresses

With the rising consumer data and privacy concerns, consent is becoming more important. But, unfortunately, managing it isn’t easy. 

As for the new GDPR rules, an entity can only control data when it has legal obligation and under regulations. The regulations involve data encryption, obtaining consent, and even deleting data when not required. Consumers also have rights to get their information transferred or erased. 

Fortunately, there’s a solution. You can use CMP (Consent Management Platform) to inform visitors about the data you collect and use. The CMPs often come as pop-up forms, prompting website visitors to select data they would like to provide once the site fully loads. This builds trust as it showcases consumers that the website collects information securely and transparently.