The End of Cookies, Google Glitches, and a Major Shift in Ad Strategies—What You Need to Know
Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope you all took a well-deserved break to recharge and spend time with loved ones.
If you’ve been around the block with me, you’ve heard me talk about cookies going away since 2020. Likely even before. I saw a chart (below) from Emarketer’s Analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf that got me thinking.
Earlier this year, Google reversed its decision to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome, a move that initially sent ripples across social media and news alike. However, even though Google isn’t following through, the consumer shift towards privacy-first browsing is far from slowing down.
According to a recent study by eMarketer, nearly 90% of U.S. browsers could become cookieless in the long term, anyway. This trend is driven by growing consumer privacy concerns, with less than 1 in 5 U.S. consumers always accepting third-party cookies when given the choice.
Moreover, the landscape is already changing in other areas. For example, the share of U.S. iOS users who have opted into Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework has steadily increased, reaching significant levels from Q2 2021 to Q2 2024. This indicates a broader trend toward user control over data, which will only accelerate as privacy regulations and consumer awareness continue to evolve.
What This Means for Marketers
While third-party cookies might still exist in Chrome, their effectiveness will be dramatically diminished as fewer users opt-in to tracking. Our industry is on the brink of a monumental shift, where traditional methods of targeting will no longer suffice. According to the same eMarketer report, about half of U.S. marketers were already using or planning to use Privacy Sandbox APIs this year to respond to these changes.
This trend reflects a growing preference for direct purchase paths over the open exchange. Programmatic non-social, digital display ad spending via direct purchase paths is expected to continue gaining favor, emphasizing the need for adaptable strategies.
Embracing Innovation and Adaptation
As we look ahead, the focus must shift to innovative strategies respecting consumer privacy while delivering targeted, impactful ads.
At Qortex, we’re already leading the charge in this area with our AI-driven content aligned advertising solutions that do not rely on cookies but still provide deep, actionable insights for reaching consumers, as well as on the sell-side, expanded opportunities for direct-selling space to advertisers looking for direct purchase paths.
Moving forward, advertisers and publishers ability to adapt and pivot in response to these changes will be crucial by exploring new ways to engage with our audiences.
Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable Labor Day!
Thanks,
Zack Rosenberg
Achieving the deepest level of understanding of video through AI. Get in Touch P.S. Want 6.8X the results from your video advertising? Learn more!
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Google Glitches
Google’s advertising and analytics platforms have recently faced a string of challenges, including outages, data breaches, and glitches across Google Ads, Google Merchant Center, and Google Analytics. These issues come at a time when Google is rolling out significant product updates, such as the transition to GA4 and GMC Next, aimed at enhancing privacy and competition standards. Coupled with a wave of recent bad news and growing pressure to demonopolize its services, these disruptions are adding complexity as Google rearchitects its platforms. While these changes are necessary for the future, they are contributing to short-term difficulties for users navigating the evolving landscape.
Rise of Live Sports on CTV
The rise of live sports on Connected TV (CTV) is transforming the landscape of traditional TV advertising. Major events like the Olympics on Peacock and the upcoming NBA games on Prime Video are driving this shift, blending the reach of linear TV with the precision of digital advertising. As CTV ad spend is expected to grow significantly, and with platforms like Netflix seeing rapid growth in their ad-supported tiers, programmatic CTV is becoming increasingly attractive. However, media companies are still cautious about fully embracing programmatic CTV due to concerns over quality, pricing, and control. Yet, advancements in programmatic advertising, particularly for live sports, present a significant opportunity for brands to reach engaged audiences and for publishers to maximize revenue. For CTV publishers looking to capitalize on this trend, reach out to me! Qortex may have a tailored solution to enhance ad performance and audience engagement.
Ad of the Week
CarMax's new ad campaign, "BeetleMax: The Way Car Buying Shouldn’t Be," by The Martin Agency, creatively taps into the spooky fun of the upcoming "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" sequel by showcasing a nightmarish car dealership run by Beetlejuice himself. This inventive campaign, blending humor and horror, cleverly contrasts the chaotic experience with CarMax's hassle-free car buying, making it a standout in the Halloween season.