Google’s recent delay on the deprecation of third-party cookies in Chrome may elicit a sigh of relief from some marketers, but it’s a temporary one. Although delayed, change is inevitable – privacy regulations are tightening globally, and consumer privacy concerns are at an all-time high.
This creates a pivotal moment for brands, and a chance to move beyond the third-party cookie before the clock runs out. Leading brands are using this time to build a future-proof marketing strategy, centred on robust first-party data.
Why first-party data is the new frontier
The vast majority (92%) of leading marketers believe that using first-party data, to continuously build an understanding of what their consumers want, is critical to their growth. Those using first-party data for key marketing functions achieve up to 2.9 x revenue uplift and 1.5 x increase in cost savings. By prioritising first-party data collection and building a strong foundation, brands can achieve three vital things:
- Maintain control and ownership: Unlike third-party cookies, you have complete control and ownership of your first-party data. This allows for greater flexibility in using the data for various marketing initiatives.
- Enhance customer relationships: Building a strong first-party data strategy fosters a more personalised customer experience. You gain valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and behaviours, allowing you to tailor content, offers and promotions for deeper engagement.
- Future-proof your marketing: A robust first-party data strategy ensures your marketing efforts remain effective regardless of future changes in the data tracking landscape.
Building a strong first-party strategy
There are tools out there to help marketers, not least on Google Marketing Platform (GMP). GMP offers various AI-powered measurement solutions that can help unlock valuable insights from your first-party data. A good place to start is by implementing the Google Tag, Consent Mode, Enhanced Conversions and Google Analytics 4. Alongside this, by using a Consent Management Platform (CMP) within it you can ensure transparency and control over data collection. This will help foster trust with your audience and increases the likelihood of them opting-in to share their data.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) focuses on user events and on-site behaviour and so allows for the collection of insights. GA4 audiences can then be pushed into your marketing for quick, AI-driven marketing campaigns.
Activating first-party data with cloud and AI
Once you have these foundations in place for collecting consented first-party data, you can create a robust data pipeline in Google Cloud, where AI can accelerate personalisation and relevance.
Some data clean rooms allow you to collaborate with partners and analyse data sets without compromising user identities. Audience segments and predicting user behaviour based on your first-party data can be achieved with the advanced modelling and targeting possible with the help of AI which allows for much more targeted campaigns.
By tapping into the power of AI and durable measurement solutions within GMP and Google Cloud, brands can maximise data collection and analytics in a transparent way which respects user choice.
The AI opportunity awaits
The looming deprecation of the third-party cookie isn’t the end of the road; it’s a pivotal opportunity for innovation and competitive advantage. By prioritising consented first-party data collection and harnessing the power of AI-driven solutions, brands can unlock competitive performance – all while respecting user privacy.
Don’t wait for the cookie to crumble – embrace the power of first-party data and AI to accelerate marketing maturity today.
