When will the cookie crumble? What does Google’s delay mean for the industry?
Google has delayed the end of third-party cookies in its Chrome browser for the third time, pushing the timeline back to beyond 2025.
The tech giant gave the update on “the plan for third-party cookie deprecation on Chrome” ahead of its first-quarter financials, due on Friday.
“We recognise that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem,” a company spokesperson wrote, adding “we envision proceeding with third-party cookie deprecation starting early next year.”
But what does this mean for the marketing industry, especially as they shuffle towards a cookie-less future with an ever-shifting start date?
“We’re seeing a reevaluation of the marketing mix – largely when looking at performance marketing vs traditional brand channels,” explains Hamish Smith, founder of new marketing solutions business PrettyGood. “DTC brands hung their hats on last click attribution and we have seen how that’s played out. It serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks in this approach, especially with the vulnerability to price surges from the online oligarchs.
“My prediction is that we’ll see a resurgence in traditional brand channels – no cookie apocalypse, ad fraud or ad blockers. The traditional channels offer reliability and the opportunity to cultivate a proprietary audience. All in all, it signals a return to fundamentals in navigating the shifting tides of marketing efficacy.”
“These cookies just won’t crumble,” jokes Gerry Bowness, head of digital at Mediahub. “But given the previous delays we’ve seen with the deprecation, this is not surprising in the slightest. I think it’s right that sufficient time is given to proper stress testing of Google’s alternative solutions, in particular to ensure outputs are fair, equitable and don’t favour their own ecosystem.”
James McDonald, co-founder and director of independent advertising services agency Audience Group says the news is “irrelevant to anyone who is thinking beyond traditional digital performance media strategies.”
“Cookies have been deprecated in non-Chrome browsers for a long time,” he points out. “Anyone who isn’t prepared with a first party data strategy and a non-pixel measurement strategy, should not delay.
“A non-cookie targeting approach using your first party data will be at least as good as a cookie-based approach and it sets you up for post cookie world while also allowing you to better target iOS devices and non-Chrome browsers.”
Jordan Taylor-Bartels, CEO and co-founder at Prophet says this “shouldn’t be seen as binary; there is no good and bad.”
On the upside, according to Taylor-Bartles, this delay “allows organisations more time to get their workings, repositories and data buckets in order.” The downside? “Uncertainty is worse than certain doom or glory,” he points out.
“Google owes those responsible for a significant portion of its bottom line, both agencies and brands alike, transparency and clarity as to its genuine plans for this deprecation. While we’re at it, clarity around future states wouldn’t hurt, either…”
Alfie Lagos, director and founder, of LexLab says the delay “isn’t an invitation to maintain the status quo but rather a critical call to action for brands and advertisers to advance their digital strategies”, noting that the postponement “reflects the intricate complexities of current ad technologies.”
He explains: “Essential functions within platforms like DV360 — Google’s programmatic buying platform — and CM360, Google’s third party ad serving platform, such as audience targeting, conversion measurement, and the nuances of campaign optimisation, are still deeply intertwined with third-party cookies.
“Google’s extended timeline is a candid acknowledgment of the substantial technical work needed to untangle these dependencies. Ensuring that capabilities, which are fundamental to the reach and impact of digital advertising, transition smoothly into a future without cookies is no small feat.”
Lagos says that, while progress has been made with initiatives like Google’s Privacy Sandbox, “replicating the sophisticated mechanisms supported by third-party cookies demands precision and innovation”, and this extra time before cookies are phased out “should be viewed as an essential period for the industry to collaborate on innovative solutions that balance user privacy with the effectiveness of digital campaigns.
“For brands invested in paid digital advertising, this period is an opportunity to solidify first-party data strategies and explore new measurement and targeting techniques. It’s a time for recalibration, where reliance on direct consumer relationships and data should become the cornerstone of advertising tactics.”
Lagos suggests that brands should immediately evaluate their data practices to ensure they are transparent, secure, and effective for targeted marketing; invest in robust CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Oracle for managing first-party data; and ensure its marketing teams become proficient in new tools and strategies, “preparing for a landscape where cookie-based methods become obsolete.”
“In light of Google’s announcement, the digital advertising industry isn’t just waiting for the next deadline,” he continues.
“It’s a time for proactive innovation. Brands that utilise this period to enhance their data capabilities and align with emerging technologies will find themselves ahead in a post-cookie world, ready to engage with their audiences more effectively and ethically than ever before.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Deputy Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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“A non-cookie targeting approach using your first party data will be at least as good as a cookie-based approach and it sets you up for post cookie world while also allowing you to better target iOS devices and non-Chrome browsers.”
“as good as” is highly subjective. I am not sure advertisers with no first party data will say that. If anything this will prolong the timeline of agencies pitching banal ‘first party data strategies’ to clients with no meaningful upside
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