Re-Strategizing In a Cookieless World

Following Google’s announcement that it planned to “remove support for third-party cookies” in 2020, cookies, web tracking, and calls for regulation took center stage in headlines. Following a long period of operating in silence, the collection of first-party data, and the extent of information obtained, was unveiled, raising privacy rights concerns and queries regarding constitutional infringements

U.S. web surfers appreciate the personalized results that cookies provide, even as they dislike cookie tracking, according to a recent study by Google and Ipsos. With 91% of internet users, between the ages of 16 to 74-years-old, saying they are more likely to shop with brands presenting “offers and recommendations” that cater to their preferences, the tension between personalization and privacy grows more taught, as consumers voice the importance of both.

In the absence of sufficient data, companies struggle to market to consumers effectively. When collectors attempt to discover the true size and composition of their audiences, they struggle to decode which segments and demographics are represented in their data, and how to strategize and tailor their actions to best serve users.

Marketers can retrieve the data they want while staying compliant with privacy and internet laws by turning to three strategies. To start, anonymous data can be lawfully collected, providing collectors information about users’ unidentifiable interactions such as number of clicks, page visits, and purchases. The second method allows websites to obtain more individualized data, as they encourage visitors to register for accounts and trade information for rewards on sites. Last but not least, regression-based collection, such as monitoring the proportion of sessions that resulted in buys or the ratio of ads seen that directly resulted in website visits, can reveal essential information.

Using consented and analytical tactics, marketers can navigate a cookieless world wide web. Re-strategizing can empower new methods for both capturing and tapping the potent power of data.

Data Collection in a Post-Cookie World
Source: InfoTrust

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.