• by Phil Case , May 3, 2024

After a few false starts, Google Chrome finally disabled third-party cookies for 1% of users earlier this year, with plans to get to the other 99% by year’s end. Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox already wrapped up, having removed third-party cookies entirely from their browsers. The absence of third-party cookies may diminish the productivity of ad spend as it becomes increasingly difficult for advertisers to pinpoint targeting. The solution is a three-pronged approach: first-party data layering, enlarging your organic presence, and investing in top-funnel media.

First-Party Data Layering

First-party data layering is a two-step process that begins with obtaining relevant data from customer lists or website visitors, followed by leveraging that data to create “look-a-like” audiences in targeted advertising.

Advertising platforms have become increasingly effective at using current customer lists to target new prospects who have similar purchasing behaviors, psychographics, and demographics. There is a shortcut, though. Purchasing third-party customer lists from reliable third-party data can lead to similar results, with more precise targeting.

Enlarging Your Organic Presence

A brand can look to itself for solutions by enlarging its organic online presence. This is key for helping customers passively discover your brand, which helps negate the effects of a diminishing return on ad spend. As we know, SEO is the cornerstone for enlarging a brand's online presence, and by identifying a niche and owning that space in organic search results, brands can avoid competing for hard-to-rank keywords.

Investing in Top-Funnel Media

Audience acquisition (as opposed to just audience conversion) will play an even bigger role as targeting becomes more restricted in a cookie-less world. Audience acquisition is best accomplished via top-funnel media placements such as connected TV or programmatic display. These channels represent cost-effective mediums for driving significant awareness of your offerings and igniting customer journeys toward conversion.

A cookie-less world doesn’t have to spell chaos for advertisers. All it requires is a change in outlook and approach. After all, there was a time before cookies – and brands still found success then. The negative effects of a cookie-less world are negated when each of the strategies within this three-pronged approach are synergized and work together to guide customers from awareness to consideration and, ultimately, conversion.