In case you missed it, Google is going to be ending support for third party cookies. Good news for privacy, users. So why should marketers take note?
My thoughts on possible changes over the next few years;
Mobile first, again.Yeah yeah, it’s the year of mobile again, for the 10th time running. But amongst this news is that the removal of cookie support will only affect desktop devices.
For brands I work with I almost always recommend we begin mobile first when it comes to websites. As an industry we are moving towards creating websites that more closely resemble native apps particularly when technologies such as web assembly are becoming more relevant. And so the main takeaway for marketers is get familiar with Federated Learning.
Google will gain more control after the removal of cookies from Chrome, particularly as it has the largest user base of any browser. You might be bought into the narrative that Google is evil and wants all control over the interwebs, but I am not. They are pushing new and better standards and solutions all the time, ones which are user focused. Federated learning is a solution that will benefit both companies needing to learn from and measure user data, as well as users who are increasingly demanding privacy.
On the other hand, I’m sure many brands and media owners will want to be pushing more and more users to mobile solutions, where they can still be tracked. I hope this isn’t done lazily, and that we benefit from better user experience on the devices we hold in our hands daily and love. I hope I’m not being too naive there.
Perhaps brands could try some SEO. I would say that, I know. I strongly believe that the “SEO is dead” rhetoric has now been turned on its head completely. The industry feels more important than ever, with some of the smartest people working in marketing gravitating towards data driven approaches to keywords and behaviour, and creating authentic and trusted brands through amazing platforms & resources. Basically, less push marketing, more intent driven marketing. A sure fire way to increase the use of first party cookies in the absence of third party cookies is to keep people on your own platforms for longer. And that means creating better experiences.
It is my hope that overall the cookie news will give many marketers a kick up the arse, and encourage more learning around strategically improving customer experiences for brands, rather than solely relying on click through rates, impressions and marketing decisions based on media owners rules. A balance between the two may mean a closer need for all marketing disciplines to work and think together.