When The Cookie Crumbles

The steps publishers need to take before Google pulls the plug on third-party cookies

Research by Pew Research Centre shows that 72% of online users feel that everything they do online is tracked by advertisers, technology firms, or other companies. 81% say that the potential risks they face because of data collection outweigh the benefits.

The crumbling cookie, endless pages of regulations, and complicated walled gardens prevent them from accessing data and shake the golden triangle of publishers, advertisers, and users.

As much as 40% of today’s browser inventory is free of cookies, a scenario that encourages the transition to a cookie-less world wide web.

These fundamental changes will transform how the digital world operates, and numerous publishers will be left wondering how to grow revenue and optimize yields.

Earlier this month, Google’s Director of Product, David Temkin, announced that the company is making progress with a range of privacy-preserving APIs that will prevent individual tracking while still delivering results for publishers and advertisers.

Publishers hold a crucial role in forming the new internet. In an ecosystem built on trust, they will have to engage readers by delivering great content through engaging mediums.

Authenticate and thrive

One of the essential steps publishers will have to get accustomed to is explaining the value of being connected. Since the new world order is centered around permissions, building a solid base of an authenticated audience will result in a higher-valued inventory.

While creating a dedicated strategy for users’ authentication, one must keep in mind that some methods may be better than others.

For instance, device fingerprinting has become a synonym for an imperfect form of identification since attributes may keep changing. Remember that user-privacy is the focus, and data has to be protected across platforms.

New engagement methods

If you have successfully created a first-party authentication environment, you now have the option of trying out different workflows to determine which suits your audience the most. Placing authentication requisites at critical areas can result in higher-valued inventory when users attempt to reach it.

A practice you should consider using before the cookie-slash countdown is over is creating a registration wall.

Freemium or metered models can encourage users to register and provide you with critical first-party data. For premium content, you may choose to incorporate a paywall.

No matter the engagement model you choose, providing value in your content will continue to be the foundation for high engagement. Creating a system where users can understand their data usage and easily remove themselves from it will become a fundamental requirement.

The creation of registration or paywalls also gives you the ability to create a stronger brand image, trust, and loyalty by simply reserving the option to remove them on essential topics to users.

What it means for Publishers

• Authentication of users will become the ultimate sign of trust and loyalty. We are entering a new age for the internet, and growth in revenue from advertising operations depends significantly on generating, nurturing, and capitalizing on user relationships. Consent Tools can ensure users have a transparent and clear knowledge of how their data is controlled while helping you stay safe. They also enable you to deliver personalized content and ads at the same time.
• An ecosystem without cookies is nothing more than a new ecosystem that’s full of opportunities. Offering memberships or subscriptions, like we highlighted earlier, will become the popular methods for collecting data and monetizing user traffic.
• Staying updated on the new frameworks that are being put in place is crucial. There are numerous models currently being explored, including Project Rearc and Google’s Privacy Sandbox, where click-based conversions will be traced directly within the browser.
• Advertisers will become more dependant on the publisher’s content and users for successful ad serving. The manner in which advertisers build and preserve brand-image will be greatly influenced by the publishers and their content.

At the end of the day, advertising is not going anywhere. New solutions, whatever they will ultimately be, will take into consideration the use of first-party cookies. As a publisher, you should know who your users are and stay clear about the value their data adds to your inventory.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more news and updates.

Get your hands on our copy of our exclusive A/B Test Blueprint!