A world without third-party cookies: Good or Bad & What Should Marketers Do?
Is it common to browse a website and find the advertisements on the page that connects with your earlier search or browse history? I’ve always been shocked about how the website knows my previous record and then condemned the web-browsers for leaking my information. However, it’s mostly not because of the browsers but the third-party cookies! I do not know what is “cookies” for a long time. So whenever the website pop-up the window asking if it’s okay to collect my cookies, I click “allow” without thinking to rush into the website. Indeed, the pop-up window always says that the reason for the website collecting my cookies is to “improve my user experience,” so it’s “good” for us, right? Well, it seems not.
So first, what are third-party cookies?
Third-party cookies are used by ad companies to track you as you go around the internet, building a profile of you and your interests based on the sites you visit and using that to send ads to you. The creepy thing about this is that they can collect the data even don’t on their websites! LOL!
Now, since the public is becoming more aware of privacy these days, more regulations and companies are starting to take action on this issue. For example, Firefox and Safari have already banned the use of third-party data. Now, following their steps, Google, which has made up more than 56% of the web-browser market, announced that it would phase out the third-party cookie on Chrome browsers by 2022.
So it seems like we will finally live in a world without third-party cookies. It’s a good thing, right? Well, I think it depends.
For users: it seems good…But…
The banning of third-party cookies seems really a significant process for protecting users' privacy. But the effect may be invisible since there are still too many other things on social media that can steal our data and even more rampant than third-party cookies. Like I have tried to close the monitor function of WeChat today, it took me NINE steps to stop them from sending me personalizing advertisements based on my chat contents. Although I put so much effort into closing this, WeChat has announced that this has only a six-month-time-limited and I will still receive the ADs (just not relate to my data). Okay, fine. Just like the quote from Social Dilemma I have mentioned in my previous blog: “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” I have to allow these companies to collect my data to use their products. So I think it still needs much more effort to protect users' privacy more completely.
For Google: it seems a good move!
I really love Google’s announcement that this change intends to meet users' “greater privacy demands— including transparency, choice, and control over how their data is used.” This shows Google does care about what the user concerns about.
Although this move seems a challenge to the digital advertising world, I think it’s actually a good thing for Google. In fact, it seems that the company will not lose anything by banning third-party cookies. Google has announced its tool — Privacy Sandbox, to replace the third-party cookies and protect anonymity while still delivering advertisers and publishers results. This innovation meets both the users’ privacy needs and Google’s needs for advertising revenue. So it seems a succseful “win-win” strategy makes both parties happy, hah!
For marketers: Good or bad? And what need to do?
Like Google has mentioned in its blog: “Developing strong relationships with customers has always been critical for brands to build a successful business, and this becomes even more vital in a privacy-first world.” Indeed, seeing advertisements provided by third-party cookies is an annoying experience for the customers. Even if it provides related advertisements, target customers intend to lose trust in these brands because these ads seem to “steal their data by someways.” Although this banning third-party cookie seems a challenge to marketers, I believe all marketers should take this as an opportunity to provide much better experiences to win their targets’ hearts lovable and wisely.
How to win in the world without third-party cookies?
1. Take advantage of first-party data
Although it’s hard to utilize third-party cookies, companies still have first-party data to use. Marketers can still get the data of users’ behaviors or actions taken across their website, app, or product. I think this data is much more precious than third-party cookies. Marketers can use this data to know the customer better and build strategies to provide them with more unique experiences they want or use CRM software to build a good relationship. With this move, companies can have a more lovable image in customers’ hearts.
2. With the help of Google
Fortunately, Google has provided the solution by using Privacy Sandbox. Marketers could use this tool to find their target in a more privacy-concerned way. Although it’s hard to tell whether this move will be as effective as third-party cookies, it now seems a good way to relieve viewers' disgust with the personalized ADs. With this move, companies can win customers’ hearts more wisely.
In Conclusion
There is still some time for marketers to prepare for the world without third-party cookies. Although it’s hard to tell what’s the 100% right path to win in the future marketing world, for me, the only right thing we can do is always changing, adapting, and evolving to the world agilely.
Wish you all good luck! And see you next blog!
