How brands can keep moving forward as Google’s third-party cookie plans fall back

Following nearly four years of timeline shifts and back-and-forth with ecosystem players and regulators, Google has decided to keep third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. Instead, they’re proposing a new experience for user choice as the mechanism to dictate usage of third-party cookies. This is a bold departure from their statements in early 2020 announcing the end of support of third-party cookies in Google Chrome, a browser that represents roughly 66% of Internet traffic.

While many in the industry are shocked by this latest announcement, Adobe’s message has remained consistent over the last several years: Brands need to think beyond Google, their timelines and third-party cookies to deliver holistic, exceptional customer experiences in all environments. What must instead be at the forefront of a brand’s long-term winning strategy is reaching customers where they are, in the right moment, with the right context, with consumer privacy as a critical consideration. Relying solely on third-party cookies to accomplish this is too shortsighted and too narrow of an approach. Instead, brands need to be focused on building a first-party data strategy with diverse and durable identifiers that build lasting customer trust. This first-party data strategy should exist with a framework that supports extensibility with second-party data collaboration and trusted third-party data for additional insight, scale and reach.

Relying solely on third-party cookies is a practice of the past

Google Chrome is the only web browser that supports third-party cookies today. All other browsers, such as Safari and Firefox, removed support for third-party cookies years ago. Furthermore, Google’s latest announcements note that they will be relying on user choice and allowing users to opt out, likely further continuing third-party cookie deprecation.

Audiences have already shifted to cookieless environments

In our most recent cookieless research report respondents stated that almost half of their potential market already resides in cookieless environments (this includes non-Chrome browsers, mobile operating systems and others that don’t allow third-party cookies). With audiences and eyeballs already moving on from third-party cookies, it’s critical that brands continue to follow suit by investing in strategies and technology that support the same.

Building a privacy-centric approach with scale is the path forward

Implementing strategies and tools that emphasise consumer respect and understanding while strengthening data collection opportunities and activation are safe investments that will help brands scale over the long term. Investing in technology and channels that aren’t dependant on any specific identifiers is a safe bet, as is further diversifying by incorporating trusted second- and third-party data to ensure scale and reach.

Adobe Real-Time CDP is uniquely positioned to help organisations navigate and secure their plans irrespective of the future of third-party cookies. Real-Time CDP helps businesses adopt a privacy-centric, first-party data approach while also providing support to work with trusted third-party data providers to scale audience activation practices. What’s more is that Adobe can help customers continue to deliver exceptional experiences as we proceed with investing in second-party data, bringing Real-Time CDP Collaboration to market later this year.

Exceptional experiences win over new customers and retain existing customers and exceptional experiences don’t solely rely on third-party cookies.

Learn more about Real-Time CDP and how we can help you to get started on your holistic customer data management strategy today.

Ryan Fleisch serves as head of product marketing for Adobe Real-Time CDP and Audience Manager. His current role coupled with his previous leadership roles in solution consulting have allowed him to understand the technical nuances of marketing and advertising technology as well as the big-picture trends that are transforming the industry at large. Prior to Adobe, Ryan worked at J.Crew and iProspect, allowing him to gain a strong understanding of challenges and needs from both a client and agency perspective.

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