• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 2, 2023

DoubleVerify has released findings from its latest research, which examines evolving cookie-deprecation strategies as well as the shift toward user privacy and its impact on digital advertising.

Post-Cookie Questions: The Evolution of Advertising Strategies and Sentiments, released Tuesday, is the second report. The first, released in early 2022, evaluated the impact of industry changes in their business models and forward-looking strategies.

The digital media measurement, data and analytics company conducted the survey in February 2023, polling more than 800 respondents across the United States; Latin America; Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Findings show that cookie depreciation concerns remain high, but less than one year ago.

Advertisers highlight “multiple browsers phasing out third-party cookies” as a primary concern. And 31% of advertisers indicated that their ability to target audiences effectively was among their greatest concerns in a cookieless future.

This compares to the finding that nearly 50% of publishers say making data accessible in open-market environments will be one of the biggest challenges in terms of relying on first-party and contextual data.

Some 48% of publisher anticipate that cookie deprecation will have a positive impact on company revenue -- down from 64% who answered the same way in 2022. 

Publishers overall have concerns about the impact of cookie deprecation on their business, with 60% of publisher respondents saying they are either “very concerned” or “moderately concerned.” Those stating “very,” however, fell one-quarter year-over-year.

Only 24% of the surveyed publishers said they currently had a post-cookie solution in place. The remaining respondents were either still testing or had not yet begun the process.

When it comes to first-party data offering and strategies, publishers and brands want authority.

Nearly half of all advertisers surveyed cited their own first-party data activation as the cookie-independent solution that holds the most promise.

Meanwhile, nearly half of all publishers stated the same for their own first-party data activation, highlighting the misalignment. 

Advertisers and publishers agree that the ability to track contextually is a top priority.

Some 96% of publishers surveyed say that contextual advertising capabilities will be important for their businesses in 2023, and 76% of them considered the quality of their contextual capabilities as “good” or “very good.”

Some 94% of advertisers say they are planning to rely on contextual advertising for at least some of their buys in their 2023 media strategies, and 78% of them went on to state that the contextual advertising capabilities they have seen from publishers as “good” or “very good.”