Google just announced that it is delaying the deprecation of third-party cookies to the second half of 2024. This comes slightly over a year after it first announced that the move would be delayed to mid-2023.
I shared some of my takes with Marketing Interactive on this latest development:
1. That Google says it will again delay its replacement of third-party cookies is not a surprise. While this is already the second time Google has done so, the industry, in general, is not ready for the digital advertising world without third-party cookies. This is because Google’s cookie replacement solution – new Privacy Sandbox technologies – is still undergoing testing among developers. The industry needs more time to evaluate and test the new Privacy Sandbox technologies before Chrome deprecates third-party cookies.
2. Generally, many advertisers are not ready for the demise of third-party cookies, as the Privacy Sandbox initiative is still under evaluation and testing, and there are still many uncertainties. Having said that, I urge brands to start to take this as an opportunity to work out their long-term data strategies, at least for the next three years. This involves how you should handle all your data, including first-party data, second-party data, third-party data, and even zero-party data. With that in place, you can ultimately control how you engage with your customers and nurture the data along the marketing funnel instead of relying too much on platforms. Focus on what you can manage as the foundation for developing your long-term business strategy is the way to go.
3. I don’t think the move is due to Google’s recent results. Google has enjoyed its revenue trajectory for the last 13 years. At some point, it would slow down as its revenue model relies too much on brands’ advertising expenditure. At the same time, it also faces other challenges, such as the strength of the dollar and other competitors such as TikTok. This is the same reason Alphabet has tried expanding into other businesses all these years while it was aware of this is coming.
The link to the article: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/google-delays-third-party-cookie-deprecation-2024