• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, May 19, 2023

Data shows how cookie alternatives can generate additional revenue for publishers outside of third-party cookies. Half of a publisher’s inventory has been ignored simply because it lacks a browser identifier.

Technology and Travel and Pharmaceutical -- which includes over-the-counter (OTC) -- companies have significantly increased spending for cookie alternatives in programmatic media by as much as 66%, according to recent data.

33Across, which supports identity resolution technology, released the Programmatic Cookie Alternative Trends Report highlighting buy-side and sell-side cookie alternative trends seen in Auto, Entertainment, Finance, Food & Drink, Insurance, Pharma/OTC, Retail, Tech, Telecom, and Travel across the company’s exchange in Q1 2023. 

The report identifies the verticals that spent the most on programmatic inventory, the investment breakdown between cookies and cookie-alternative inventory, and the pricing differences for impressions.

Cookie alternative inventory remains discounted compared with third-party cookie inventory.

However, in Q1, the data shows less of a price gap between third-party cookie inventory and cookie alternative inventory compared with the more significant gap that came in Q4 due to competition.

In Q1 2023, the average cookie alternative CPM discount was 21% lower than cookie inventory. Pharma/OTC, Auto, Travel, and Finance averaged 37% lower CPMs for cookie alternative inventory

Travel and Pharma/OTC, on average, in the first quarter of 2023 saw a cost reduction of 30% in cookie alternative spend that gave advertisers access to frequently overlooked Safari users.

Entertainment, Retail, and Telecom experienced an average decrease of 46% in their cookie alternative share of voice (SOV), buying a percentage of share based on the total number of impressions, from Q4 2022.

Advertisers in the Insurance industry continue to invest more in cookie alternative inventory, despite this sector’s programmatic spend falling slightly in the first quarter. Insurance advertisers spent more on inventory without third-party cookies

Advertisers using a variety of identity-resolution technology have the opportunity to reach half the internet that operates in non-cookie browsers such as Safari, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and non-cookie Chrome, at much lower rates, allowing them to increase campaign efficiency, according to the report.

Advertising media spend typically begins to increase in the second quarter of the year, catapulted by seasonal events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduation.