5 Ways Marketers Can Modernize and Move On as Google’s Cookie Plans Crumble

Just as marketers adjusted to the idea that Google would phase out third-party cookie tracking this year on its Chrome browser, the tech giant flipped the switch. According to Forbes, it will retain cookies for now and “allow users to set their own parameters around how they are tracked online.”

As Google seeks to balance user privacy and advertiser demands, “marketers now find themselves in an unexpected position: armed with preparatory strategies for a post-cookie world, yet still able to leverage these familiar tracking tools,” says Forbes.

This isn’t the first time Google has changed its plans for third-party cookies and it probably won’t be the last. With a May 2024 study by Statista reporting that Chrome commanded a 52% market share, what should marketers do now as they strive to target and engage its users? Evolve with the times, of course!

Here are a few takeaways from the Forbes article, along with our advice on other modern options that marketers should consider now:

1. Marketers Will Continue to Rely on Cookie-less Solutions: “Market leaders did not go into standby mode due to Chrome’s third-party cookie deprecation. Organizations continued using available tools and practices, regardless of impending changes. Many began exploring new solutions for a cookie-less future, focusing on alternative identifiers for personalized advertising. These ‘cookie-less solutions’ have proven reliable and privacy-centric in testing.” - Alex Yastrebenetsky, InfoTrust (as quoted in Forbes)

 

2. Third-Party Data Will Still Fuel Customer Acquisition Campaigns: “As a performance marketing agency specializing in third-party data, we've paid close attention to Google's plans. Many leading brands use high-quality data to fuel customer acquisition campaigns, and we expect that to continue, as the ROI is very high. The reality is that third-party data isn't dependent on cookies and remains a powerful source for igniting customer growth. - Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc. (as quoted in Forbes)

 

3. User Behavior Analysis Will Help Extract Insights: “Savvy marketers will adopt new tools that analyze user behavior to extract more actionable insights from third-party data (without needing to know who you are). This will allow marketing agencies to deliver hyper-relevant ads while complying with the new rules of the digital game.” - Dennis Kirwan, Dymic Digital (as quoted in Forbes)

 

4. Identity Graphs As a Cookie Alternative: Our team at OMI has seen many of our customers transition to people-based identity solutions that offer greater visibility into online and offline data while maintaining privacy. Identity graphs represent an innovative example of these solutions, pulling data from multiple quality sources and anonymizing the profiles to ensure privacy.

 

For example, OMI’s specialized SMB market data is available for licensing in combination with other data sources on the Snowflake marketplace. As the most comprehensive SMB business contact database of its kind, it offers more than 20 million companies matched to 95+ million contacts with email addresses. It is part of our B2B Living File® database, which contains 140 million contacts with manager-, director- and professional-level and above titles.

Identity graphs can include several identifiers per person—including name, company name, address, email address, phone numbers, and devices. The data is anonymized and does not contain personally identifiable information (PII), so marketers can't use it to trace an individual's identity. The anonymized IDs are built within the identity graph and securely taken to a DSP for delivery of a brand’s or agency’s display ads.

 

5. Intent Monitoring for Powerful Lead Gen: Intent monitoring offers another successful alternative to third-party cookies. Intent insights are obtained when buyers' online activities are anonymously monitored, captured, and analyzed (based on website visits, content downloads, product reviews, registration for webinars, etc.) to uncover purchase intent signals that can lead to improved and more tailored results across email campaigns, content marketing, programmatic advertising, account-based marketing and more. Matching intent insights to contact data from an identity graph, advertisers can build custom audiences that are in-market for their offers and remain in compliance with emerging requirements.

 

The good thing about constant change is the innovation it unleashes. As a result of its delays, Google has given marketers more time to reinvent and revisit their strategies. Tracking cookies have existed for nearly three decades, but times have changed. Marketers need to modernize and move on.

 

Connect with our team today for more insights on future-proofing the way you target and engage prospects.