When the last of the third-party cookies exit the ecosystem in early 2022, marketers will finally enter the post-cookie world. And after years of dealing with increasing complexity as channels, regulations and customer expectations have multiplied, marketers may soon find their jobs getting easier. Before, they used different technologies and processes to leverage customer data for campaigns and insight generation. But soon, such a piecemeal approach will become obsolete, and the opportunities ahead of them are even more exciting.
Identifiers that require consent
Marketers can no longer use an identity solution based on invisible tracking. Identifiers that use direct authentication and provide clear methods for opting out not only work better, but also are better in terms of brand safety and accountability. When users decide to log in to a site, subscribe to content or actively self-identify in other ways, advertising reach is automatically more accurate.
Marketers also can measure the success of their campaigns with greater precision at a people-based level if they connect a customer’s identity through authentication. Publishers will benefit from this approach as well, as they build more valuable addressable inventory that has the potential to deliver greater yields.
Identity translation tools that are interoperable
With IDFA changes now upon us, and the changes Google has announced that go beyond Chrome’s cookie deprecation, it may feel like we’re experiencing a contraction of IDs. Some marketers may still be wishing for a simple one-to-one replacement for the once-dominant cookie. Ultimately, building a sustainable model will require the use of multiple identifiers from different corners of the mar-tech community. However, instead of adding complexity, a broader set of consent-based IDs will give advertisers more accurate reach and open access to previously untapped, valuable media.
To make this possible, advertisers are leveraging people-based technology that can accurately translate identity from multiple sources into a common identity language. They are using it to power customer intelligence and experiences, as well as dial up their analytics and measurement capabilities. With embedded privacy-features that offer more control, a flexible solution can scale reach, manage frequency and enable advertisers to engage their audiences wherever they are.
A connected customer journey
A people-based approach has benefits beyond advertising. CRM strategists develop sophisticated plans to interact with customers and provide the seamless, meaningful experiences that consumers expect. However, marketers only see fragments of the journey because so much of the data is disconnected. Omnichannel campaigns are derailed from the start.
Marketers can begin to create a more holistic view of their customer with comprehensive, people-based identity. Using identity solutions that provide granular controls over data facilitates better data collaboration with partners, so marketers can enhance their knowledge of the customer, expanding far beyond their own limited view. With developments in connected TV (CTV) that utilize authentication and offer more transparency to gauge reach and duplication, television can be brought into the fold of journey orchestration now.
The chance to test and take control
To move forward with an identity strategy, marketers should start small, but start now. Testing new approaches in already cookieless environments like Safari and Firefox can prepare organizations for changes in addressability, set expectations for reach, and develop consistent benchmarks and repeatable practices for maintaining reach. Having a specific learning agenda is critical, as is working with a neutral, interoperable identity provider that is independent of media-buying platforms to remove bias and ensure transparency.
Layering on market opportunities that will emerge when pent-up consumer demand is finally unleashed, it’s important for brands to use this valuable time to learn how to maximize their investments and build share. And to know that every dollar spent is reaching a correctly identified audience that can be measured on a people-based level. Experimenting to get ahead of the curve and measuring the results will give marketers control to adjust their strategies.
The ability to do hard and wonderful things
Successfully executing any organizational vision takes careful planning, foresight and work. However, decisions made now to take control over data and leverage interoperable people-based identity to activate it more broadly can reap rewards sooner rather than later. Broader access to inventory, partnerships and enhanced analytics can bring the future forward. Suddenly, leaving the cookie behind may not seem like a challenge but an opportunity to accelerate growth and drive competitive advantage with trust-based tools that strengthen and nurture the entire ecosystem.
