COOKIEPOCALYPSE: WHAT ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR ADVERTISERS TO RESHAPE THE FUTURE OF ONLINE DISPLAY ADVERTISING?
Résumé
Third party cookie is a tacking code set by a third-party platform or a technology provider on the website the user is visiting. This small amount of text identifies users online, reveals their interests and provide powerful informations useful in enhancing online display advertising. With the passing of new legislations protecting the user’s privacy, the phasing out of third-party cookies has started. By 2023, all major browsers will block all third-party cookies and identifier for advertisers (IDFA) tracking. Therefore, advertisers and marketers are becoming more restricted in their ability to create user profiles, personalize ads and analyze performances. Advertisers need to start pivoting now to prepare for what’s next. In that context, the purpose of this study is to investigate different alternatives and forecast technological progress to help advertisers implement the most appropriate strategy (ies) to effectively overcome this disappearance of third-party cookies. By conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 experts, and according to the main benefits of third-party cookies (i.e., targeting; attribution scale), we have established a framework which categorize the alternatives strategies into six categories. The study has strong implications for advertisers and policy makers.