Third party-cookies are disappearing. Will that mean the end of a marketer’s ability to assess the impact of ads on different platforms? The ARF’s Paul Donato remains optimistic.
There is little doubt that the end of the third-party cookie is near. Google has announced that Chrome will stop supporting them (in 2022), Apple’s has adopted Intelligence Tracking Prevention and enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has already begun (see below for details). Other states are weighing similar laws.
ARF CRO Paul Donato has analyzed the implications of these developments for the advertising industry, especially with regard to attribution. Based on a number of original ARF research projects, he concludes that key techniques to evaluate advertising and marketing impact, such as Market Mix Modelling (MMM) and Multitouch Attribution (MTA), will have to adjust to a “leaner data environment.” However, simulations of analyses conducted in such an environment suggest that the loss of third-party cookies will have a limited impact. It will not bring the end of attribution.
Donato’s research provides another cause for optimism: Many marketers and attribution modelers are working on innovative solutions. Some are exploring a hybrid of market mix modeling, an “MMM 2.0.” The IAB has Project REARC which examines the use different data sources and targeting approaches. Finally, some marketers see the end of the cookie as an impetus to re-think strategies — which could lead to a renaissance of brand building and creativity. Paul Donato concludes that, “advertising always seems to find a way!”
More information about California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
California has begun enforcement of its California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This new data privacy law that gives the state’s consumers more control over the collection and use of their online information, including opting out of collection without being discriminated against because of that decision. The law has actually been in effect since January 1, but the state was still working on how to enforce it. In fact, the final regulations have yet to be approved by the California Office of Administrative Law. Under the law (succinctly):
- Right to Know Consumers may request that a business tell them what specific personal information they have collected, shared or sold about them and why it was collected, shared or sold.
- Right to Delete Consumers may request that a business delete personal information that the business collected from the consumer, subject to some exceptions.
- Right to Opt-Out If a business sells their personal information, consumers may request that it stop doing so.
- Right for Minors A business cannot sell the personal information of minors under the age of 16, without their permission and, for children under 13, without parental consent.
- Right to Non-Discrimination A business may not discriminate against consumers who exercise their rights under the CCPA.
Source: Oscar, M. (2020, July 13). Advertising. HocusFocus