Google has advised advertisers to take urgent steps by investing in AI to address potential delays in the retirement of third-party cookies.
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned tech giants last month that they could not move forward with removing third-party cookies unless they first resolved some privacy concerns.
However, Google is confident that these issues will be resolved ahead of time, as Dan Taylor, the company’s vice president of global advertising strategy, confirmed that cookieless Chrome is on track to be developed in the second half of 2024. It seems there is. With that in mind, he told advertisers in an interview with Campaign that it’s “time to move on” and will look for long-term cookie alternatives.
marketers are not ready. Taylor claimed that only 30% of the market feels ready for the end of third-party cookies. He also noted that both advertisers and publishers are reluctant to invest in cookie alternatives.
Move forward. Taylor advised how advertisers should navigate a cookie-free world and suggested overcoming signal loss by prioritizing:
- AI investment.
- Sophisticated targeting.
- Measurement and ad delivery strategies.
Mr. Taylor also proposed providing consumers with more information and control. For example, let them know when their data will be used and explain the value it brings. he added:
- “Reminding consumers of the moments when the use of their data is actually delivering value is much more powerful, because whether or not that data helps them deliver in that moment, or if it’s creepy. Consumers can decide whether they want an experience they like or don’t want. It’s not possible just by reproducing the same technology in a new guise.”
investment in AI. Taylor reiterated the importance of using AI to reach target audiences in a cookie-free environment. He concluded:
- “Digital marketing is built on the promise of precision, and when that precision is lost, predictive power must increase. Fortunately, AI is on the cusp of leading the industry into the next decade of innovation. That’s what I think.”
- “For businesses, either ignore these forced changes until they are no longer sustainable, or start investing in AI to become a more adaptable and versatile organization.”
why do you care. Marketers still rely heavily on targeted advertising through third-party cookies, so they need to act quickly to consider alternative ways to reach high-value consumers. Failure to prepare can have a devastating impact on campaign performance.
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deep dive. For more information, see Exploring SEO and a future world without cookies.
