Traditional channels set to benefit from cookie demise

Direct mail, TV, outdoor and radio will all see an increase in marketing spend as a result of the demise of third-party cookies, marking a return to less intrusive traditional disciplines triggered by consumers’ data privacy concerns.

So says a new study by AI enterprise SaaS advertising platform Alfi, which surveyed senior advertising executives from around the world to discover how the phasing out of online cookies will affect individual channels.

With Apple already turning off default ad tracking through the release of iOS 14.5, and Google Chrome following suit next year, it is claimed that Chrome’s two-thirds (65.15%) share of ad budgets will be up for grabs from other channels and solutions.

Of the traditional channels cited, nearly four-fifths (79%) of those surveyed reckon TV will be one of the main beneficiaries, with OOH (74%), radio (67%) and direct mail (63%) also seeing a major uptick in spend.

There will also be a return to form for magazines (61%), catalogues (52%) and newspapers (52%).

Of the digital channels, digital out of home (85%) and pure play online ads (85%) are forecast to reap in the most, however.

Alfi interim CEO Peter Bordes said: “Consumers and regulators are rightly concerned about the growing threat to privacy and personal data collection as every aspect of society becomes digitised. With web browsers increasingly blocking cookies, ad spend is being relocated.

“Interestingly, the DOOH industry has deployed software that is much better at targeted advertising without ever collecting cookies from or personal information about its viewers and is already leading this revolution. It is now in the hands of ad executives to become leaders in the protection of consumer privacy while providing brands with the precise data they need to grow.”

Earlier this week, a survey of 500 UK marketers carried out by YouGov for data company fifty-five revealed that the majority of firms are either confused or unprepared for new methods of data collection in the cookieless age.

The study also showed that less than a quarter (24%) are developing alternative plans for targeting potential customers once cookies are phased out.

Retail was one of the worst prepared, with only 19% stating their company had a fully formed strategy or were in the process of developing one.