B2B Advertising Tactics in a Post-Cookie World
As Google’s cookie deprecation deadline approaches, there is no shortage of ideas around what will replace the third-party cookie. Here are a few thoughts from across the industry on how the loss of the third-party cookie may impact B2B advertising tactics and strategies.
Expect New Adtech and Martech
We’re already starting to hear about new projects that will provide alternatives to the third-party cookie. This is bound to be the subject of many articles, white papers and panel discussions between now and 2022. When Google made their announcement, they introduced Privacy Sandbox with the intention to build new technology that will replace the third-party cookie over the next two years. Privacy Sandbox includes web browser APIs designed to maintain privacy while still delivering the ability for advertisers to target and measure campaign effectiveness.
Increased Focus on First-Party Data
Larger publishers have already started to build their own data marketplaces using first-party data. This consent/privacy-driven advertising ecosystem will likely be adopted by publishers of all sizes working to build, engage and monetize their audiences.
- Walled Gardens: For B2B marketers, Google and Facebook are the largest walled gardens and LinkedIn is moving into this category as well. These platforms require password-protected logins that can provide data and insights into users across devices and properties. Google has access to more data than all of these companies, gathering engagement and purchase information from an entire ecosystem of properties including Search, Gmail, YouTube, Drive, Photos, Chrome and its voice-activated Google Assistant. More publishers might begin to create their own walled gardens. They may put some or all their content behind a login or paywall which could have an impact on advertising strategy and available solutions.
- First-Party Data Analytics: Advertisers should take a closer look at their own first-party data from websites, CRM, social media channels and other sources. Closely analyzing this data may provide deeper insight into which strategies and tactics impact the buyers’ journey so that marketers can sharpen messaging across these channels.
- DSPs Will Have to Pivot: Of course, this first-party data won’t be available to DSPs and advertisers may consider more direct or programmatic guaranteed deals.
Contextual Advertising and Targeting
Contextual targeting ensures ads are relevant to the user because it’s based on the content around it. Contextual ads have the ability to reach the right user, with the right content, at the right moment while minimizing the “creepiness” often found with retargeting and other tactics that leverage third-party cookies.
Content, Creative and Customer Experience Will Win
Content must be tied to context. Advertisers will have to be more cognizant of key points in the customer journey to add more value. Creative will need to be engaging and focus on target audiences to really resonate with readers and impact their decisions.
If you’d like to learn more about what a cookie-less internet might look like and how it could impact your B2B marketing strategies, download our eBook, “A World Without Cookies: A Guide For B2D and B2B Tech Marketers.”
