If you’re in marketing, you must’ve heard about Google’s plans to terminate support for third-party cookies. This was a big deal, and professionals across industries scrambled to come up with new ways to obtain customer data in order to continue their targeted digital marketing efforts. Now, the use of ‘was’ is of the essence here. Apparently, the search engine behemoth has changed its mind. As things currently stand, third-party cookies in Chrome remain effective but a new type of user experience is being proposed.
In this article we’ll be:
Sharing everything we know about the change.
Explaining what influenced the decision.
Discussing how it affects business communication.
A new kind of Chrome browser experience
Google Chrome, which dominates with nearly 64% of the browser market, was set to follow Safari and Firefox in blocking third-party cookies. However, in a surprising turn, Google has reversed this policy shift despite being years in the making. This latest development underscores the unpredictable nature of digital privacy reforms.
On July 22, 2024, Google revealed it will delay phasing out third-party cookies unless users actively disable them. The company aims to balance user privacy with advertising needs by introducing a new solution that prioritizes user choice.
The search engine wants to display a one-off message that would allow Chrome users to make an informed decision and set their preference about allowing third-party cookies, that would be applicable across all Google browsing experiences. In a blog post published on The Privacy Sandbox site, its Vice President Anthony Chavez said:
We are proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice. Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time.”
This statement leaves marketers with some wiggle room but it’s difficult to predict the scale of users adjusting their preferences, and so the degree to which you can still count on cookies to gather customer data and then serve targeted ads.
Reasons why third-party cookie deprecation was abandoned in 2024
The use of third-party cookies to track users’ activity across the Internet, largely without their consent, has always been a dubious practice. EU’s GDPR requires advertisers to get people’s consent before placing cookies in their browsers. Although Firefox and Safari have already stopped supporting these data files, Google has been reluctant to do so as well.
Considering how much hold of the search market the company has, it simply had to take advertisers’ comments into account. They’ve been seemingly unprepared for a change this big, and thus unhappy to hear about it, but they haven’t been the only stakeholders with something to say.
Back in 2020, the search giant announced the cessation of support for third-party cookies to happen within two years but the deadline has now been extended twice. This is apparently due to numerous regulatory concerns about the Privacy Sandbox, which was a more anonymous solution for tracking users’ actions, designed to serve advertisers’ interests in place of third-party cookies, offering a number of purpose-specific APIs.
After considering feedback from a number of interested parties including publishers, advertisers, and legal bodies (but not the users, it seems), a decision was made to usher in a new type of experience instead of just stopping support for third-party cookies. So, for now, we’re going to be presented with a choice.
All that being said, there are still…
Multiple concerns regarding The Privacy Sandbox
Due to its near-monopoly nature, Google may seem like an all-powerful organization able to operate at will, but this isn’t so. In fact, a number of regulatory bodies and other organizations have voiced their concerns regarding The Privacy Sandbox, preventing its rollout. This means that Google couldn’t afford to end up with no support for third-party cookies nor an alternative solution. Hence the recent policy change.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox has drawn criticism from:
UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which has flagged multiple concerns with the proposed solution on top of saying that it could “distort competition by causing advertising spend to become even more concentrated on Google’s ecosystem at the expense of its competitors”.
IAB Tech Lab, a nonprofit digital advertising consortium, which published an extensive gap analysis highlighting how the switch from third-party cookies to The Privacy Sandbox would significantly impact most current forms of digital advertising, pointing to its infeasibility in multiple use cases.
Criteo, an adtech firm, which, after two months of testing, found that Google’s proposed solution would cut their ad revenues by 60%.
Google is pushing back against all this opposition, sharing positive, although not perfect results of its own tests, showing the impact of change to be not as severe as these other organizations claim. At the same time, its vowing to engage and work with the stakeholders to align its vision with prevailing regulations in an effort to hammer out a solution that will satisfy all parties involved, which means that some form of The Privacy Sandbox is still likely to come.
What should a marketer do now?
For marketers, this decision offers a temporary reprieve by preserving an option for data collection and targeted advertising. However, with ongoing changes and regulatory pressures, third-party cookies may still face eventual phase-out.
Privacy advocates such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation see Google’s most recent move as a nod towards the advertising industry and prioritizing revenue over user privacy, especially in the light of other browsers already working without third-party cookies. It’s safe to assume that this kind of pressure will continue, causing Google to budge in the end.
❓ So, what should you do to future-proof your broadly understood marketing communication? What’s the right move going forward?
First off, it’s important to remain flexible and be ready to adapt. Start developing marketing strategies that’ll work or prove useful regardless of whether or not third-party cookies are available.
One avenue you should definitely explore is the collection and use of zero-party data in your marketing and communication efforts, as although it may be more demanding to obtain, it eventually promises a bigger return. Now, there’s no denying that what works in favor of third-party cookies is their broad reach, but keep in mind that scale ≠ sale, and there are more factors involved if you’re looking to operate efficiently
An alternative to third-party cookie usage
While Google’s decision to keep third-party cookies provides short-term relief, marketers should proactively explore alternative strategies. Investing in approaches that can withstand future changes and regulations is crucial. One effective alternative is leveraging a cross-channel messaging platform to communicate with a legally collected database of contacts.
Advantages of a cross-channel solution over third-party cookies
1. Compliance and trust
Utilizing first-party and zero-party data ensures full compliance with regulations like GDPR. This builds customer trust, which is essential for conversions and sales. When customers know their data is handled responsibly, they are more likely to engage with your brand.
2. Higher engagement
Contacts in your database have already expressed interest in your business, leading to higher engagement rates compared to anonymous third-party cookie-based campaigns. These individuals are more receptive to your messages and promotions.
3. Personalized communication
Direct access to customer data allows for highly personalized and targeted communication. You can tailor your messages to individual preferences and behaviors, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your campaigns.
4. Accurate and reliable data
First-party data is more accurate and reliable, as it is collected directly from customers. You can also gather valuable insights from campaign interactions to further optimize your marketing efforts.
5. Building long-term relationships
Cross-channel communication helps nurture leads and provide valuable content, fostering long-term relationships. This approach boosts customer loyalty and increases customer lifetime value.
How MessageFlow fits into the failed end of third-party cookies
MessageFlow can support both the collection and use of first- and zero-party data, offering a comprehensive suite of tools for efficient, personalized cross-channel communication. Using the platform, you can:
Run integrated campaigns
Leverage Email, SMS, Mobile Push, and RCS to create cohesive and effective marketing campaigns based on quality data.
Enhance data management
Integrate various data sources and marketing tools via API to improve information accuracy and campaign efficiency.
Make data-driven decisions
Utilize MessageFlow’s advanced analytics to gain insights and make informed decisions, enhancing the outcomes of future campaigns.
Maximize engagement
Emphasize personalization, timeliness, and relevance in your communication to drive better business results.
Adapt to future changes
With its flexibility and scalability, MessageFlow ensures your business can adapt to any future changes in data collection policies.
In conclusion
In the face of ongoing changes to data privacy regulations and the eventual deprecation of third-party cookies, it is vital to adopt marketing strategies that prioritize compliance, accuracy, and customer trust. MessageFlow provides the tools and capabilities you need to transition away from third-party cookies to a more sustainable and effective approach to marketing communication.
Ready to future-proof your marketing strategy? Contact us today to learn how our platform can help you navigate the evolving digital landscape and achieve your business goals.
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