Google is preparing for a cookie-less world. But the marketers are not amused. Why? Because from the marketers’ point of view, it seems Google has made the decision without having a clear implementation roadmap in the mind. Fear of Cookiepocalypse is surging in this environment. After all, third-party cookies have remained the major workhorse for marketers to track consumers’ online behavior; what sites they visited, which topics they browsed, and finally what items they bought. So, marketers are not clear how they will operate their business without cookies. Evidently, marketers are worried. And maybe reasonably right from their perspective. However, the million-dollar question is: Should marketers be worried? Well, we don’t think so. This is why.
Data privacy laws are getting stringent:
First thing first. Data privacy laws surrounding cookies are getting stringent. There are no two ways about it. Since cookies permit websites to remember you, your logins, and other sensitive information, they are a goldmine for cybercriminals to scam you. That’s why many competing browsers such as Safari, Microsoft, and Firefox have already blocked third-party tracking cookies. Since Chrome is the most widely used desktop browser, it’s only a matter of time that Google too implements blocking third-party cookies.
Creation of consumer-centric identity solutions:
With the imminent Cookiepocalypse, there’s definitely scope for the creation of an improved identity solution that is more advanced than cookies. In fact, Google is already leveraging the situation and has come up with its new privacy feature called the Privacy Sandbox. This feature will enable cross-site use without third-party cookies or any other tracking mechanisms.
Availability of new tools for marketing
It’s not all gloom and doom for marketers. Google’s solutions such as the Privacy Sandbox aims to create web technologies that both protect people’s privacy online and give companies and developers the tools to build thriving digital businesses to keep the web open and accessible to everyone. It’s a win-win for both!
Finding alternative identifiers for targeted marketing
Of course, at the end of the day, Google is the biggest player in online ads. And in no way will it kneecap the online ad industry. Instead, Google wants to replace the third-party tracking cookies with a complicated set of technologies that are meant to let ad companies target specific demographics like age and location, while at the same time allowing the people who are targeted to remain anonymous.
Final Thoughts
With all the scurrying around by ad marketers in fear of the Cookiepocalypse, you have to accept that change is the way of life. And why should marketing be void of any change?
We can equate these changing (challenging) times to ancient markets where sellers had to shout at the top of their lungs to catch the attention of the customers. While in this day and age, some sellers still use this age-old technique, others have devised newer, more advanced ways to catch the attention of the customers and make sales.
The sellers realized that instead of shouting themselves hoarse, they could draw the customer’s attention with the help of signboards. These signboards were way more efficient than shouting because the customer could clearly view the type, price, and the range of wares being sold by the seller.
Moral of the story: Effective marketing makes effective sales.
While we have our apprehensions about the changes in the field of marketing, doing away with cookies is just a part of the evolution of marketing. Who knows, a cookie-less world can actually prove to be more efficient and successful for all of us ad marketers.
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