No More Cookie Deprecation: Why You Still Need Post-Cookie Data to Future-Proof Your Media Monetization

We’re starting this article with bad news on the state of our industry, but stick with us. We’ll give you the hope, business case, and practical tips to turn this around for your organization — especially in the face of Google dropping cookie deprecation.

It might not surprise you that “annual job losses in the media sector were worse in 2023 than at any point since the Great Recession, with the exception of the peak pandemic year of 2020,” according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas study featured on Fast Company.

But like we said, you can change the trajectory of your media organization, and you can thank Google for that.

Source: Challenger, Gray and Christmas via Fast Company

Are We Saying Goodbye to Cookie Deprecation or Not?

Google sure has put the global advertising industry through a roller coaster when it comes to cookie deprecation.

• In 2020, Google announced the upcoming end of third-party cookies will happen in 2022.
• In 2021, it postponed the deadline to 2023.
• In 2022, it changed plans again. It announced that 1% of Chrome users will experience cookie deprecation in the first quarter of 2024. Gradually, by the end of the year, everyone else will join them.
• Then, in April 2024, the deadline changed to 2025.
• But in July 2024, Google announced it will no longer deprecate third-party cookies. Or, as Search Engine Journal put it, “Google’s cookie policy crumbles.”

So no, we will not be saying goodbye to third-party cookies — and that’s a good thing, especially if you’ve already adopted or got buy-in for a post-cookie strategy.

The Business Case for Collecting Non-Cookie Data Even Though Cookie Data Will, Apparently, Stay Available

Media companies that haven’t embraced third-party cookie alternatives are likely breathing a sigh of relief. So we recommend using this opportunity well and future-proofing your media monetization with post-cookie data anyway.

The Industry Has Already Moved On to a Post-Cookie Data World

When we still thought cookie deprecation was in our somewhat near future, 41% of HubSpot’s 2024 survey participants said their company isn’t even planning cookie-free targeting yet.

Source: HubSpot

But many others already embraced a post-cookie data world in full force. Among eMarketer’s 2023 survey respondents, 74% of marketers and agencies said they already transacted on non-cookie data.

Source: eMarketer

Of course, numbers fluctuate across surveys due to the surveyed audiences and interests, among others, but the movement forward in the industry, across channels, is what matters. The industry moved on without waiting for Google to follow through. For example:

• “96% of advertisers say verified user data is somewhat/very important to their CTV strategy” — The Trade Desk (Go deeper: Connected TV — better experience, less fraud).
• “On average, CPG companies are not willing to work with more than ~6 retail media networks” — Bain & Company (Go deeper: 5 practical tips for a competitive advantage in retail media). And they’re looking for these partnerships now. Once established, it’ll be more challenging to switch.

And there’s more.

Protect Your Media Company’s Continuity by Taking Control of Your Data

Those who use the news as a reason to stop worrying or taking action regarding post-cookie media monetization risk getting left behind. If Google proved anything with this roller coaster, it’s how easy it is for the big tech company to potentially shut off entire organizations with a click of a button.

Or get an entire global industry up at night for years, trying to keep up with its inconsistency.

Yes, you can still use third-party cookies.

Yes, there’s apparently less pressure to make changes, at least for now.

But long term, expanding your post-cookie media monetization by taking control of your data gives you a chance to future-proof your media monetization without being completely reliant on Google.

Even better news?

It might be an extension of what you’re already doing.

Combine These Two Strategies for Media Monetization Recovery and Growth

We’ve covered the ways you can create post-cookie data alternatives extensively on the blog. Yet instead of sending you to do hours of digging through our resources, we thought we’d outline two of the best strategies to combine right here.

We’ll provide one essential (free, ungated) resource per strategy in case you want to dive deeper.

Collect Your Own Verified User Data for a Win-Win-Win Scenario

Interactions with your audience are opportunities to collect zero-party and first-party data, which might even empower your audience to trust you more.

• Zero-party data is data your audience members proactively give you, like when they fill out a form to download a free guide.
• First-party data is data you collect from your assets, like how visitors use your website or what they put in their carts.

To get this data, you need to be hyper-focused on what your audience has to gain in exchange. When done right, it can end up in more trusting audience relationships, and maybe the willingness to open up even more. As we saw above, that’s exactly what advertisers want as well.

• Go deeper: 11 ways to collect zero and first-party data.

Partner with Other Companies to Amplify Targeting and Personalization

“Having authenticated users with real information behind them becomes more valuable every day,” said Matthew M. Rohrs, sales director, here at ADvendio, in our 2024 expert roundtable (You can read our experts’ insights in this report). But as our experts also pointed out, you can expand your reach by partnering with tech companies that collect and sell data. That’s one way of collecting second-party data.

• Second-party data means using data that you didn’t collect yourself, or simply data that other companies collected.

Another popular way to do that: Target readers and customers with social media ads. This way, you’re using the social platforms’ data to reach the most accurate people for you.

• Go deeper: 6 ways to collect second-party data.

“All of a sudden, so much more of the internet is addressable,” said Gavin Dunaway, marketing director at The Media Trust and former editorial director at AdMonsters, in our report.

Understand Our Industry Better to Create Long Term Media Monetization

The opportunity of generating post-cookie data comes from understanding industry trends — the industry is moving forward while some companies sit back and relax over this news, giving you the chance to stand out.

Sure, the tech world sometimes changes faster than we feel like we can keep up, but being on top of what’s happening in your industry can simplify the shifts.

We wanted to give you easy access to the most important trends happening right now. Therefore, in early 2024, we gathered three of our favorite AdTech experts and spent time listening to the industry trends they’ve identified. Despite Google dropping cookie deprecation after the roundtable was complete, we find their advice very helpful.

Check out the resulting report, validated by industry data and empowered by action items you can implement, so you can start future-proofing your media company this year.

Originally posted on ADvendio.com on 13th August 2024.