The deprecation of the third-party cookie is one of the biggest quandaries that the digital advertising industry has ever faced. Already, a significant share of internet activity is taking place in cookieless environments. When Google finally flips the switch in 2023, however, it will plunge most of the internet into a cookieless reality. Traditional forms of identity and measurement, which we’ve relied on for the better part of three decades, will cease to function.
So, what happens when the cookie finally crumbles? What does the future hold for advertisers, publishers, and everyone else in between?
I recently went deep into the weeds on ExchangeWire’s TraderTalk TV, dissecting why the crumbling of the cookie is such a monumental shift. Third-party cookies have served as a sort of glue holding the digital landscape together; without them, information can become fragmented and siloed, throwing the economic model that underpins the internet into disarray.
However, advances are being made in AI and machine learning, enabling the processing of massive quantities of data from wide-ranging signals. As a result, we are able to make sense of incredible complexity to understand internet behavior in a way that is consumer-first and consent-first. This is possible today, meaning advertisers can already do the testing necessary to prepare themselves for a world without third-party cookies.
When there is so much at stake, “wait-and-see” isn’t the right approach. Experimenting, measuring, optimizing – these actions need to be taken today to ensure a seamless transition to a world without third-party cookies.
Learn more
To hear Allan’s analysis of the third-party cookie deprecation’s impact, as well as the emerging alternative technologies, watch the latest episode of ExchangeWire’s TraderTalk TV. To explore more of Allan’s insights, check out his recent article “Future-Proofing Your Digital Measurement for the Post-Cookie Era.”