I am one of “those people.”
Those people who make marketing tracking and CX difficult.
I am a DuckDuckGo user.
And I always decline the cookie popup you added so hopefully to your website.
I’m sure it’s a character flaw, being slightly difficult. Or not.
But things are turning in my direction when it comes to third-party data and deep tracking. If you are a data hound that relies on these tactics, it’s probably keeping you up at night. So, what’s a good little marketer to do? Plenty, as it turns out.
Focus on First-Party Data: Instead of whining, put the effort into collecting and utilizing first-party data directly from your own website or app. This data is collected with user consent and can include information such as browsing behavior, preferences, and purchase history. Still learning how to manage GA4? You can build those fancy reports to give your boss with all kinds of depth. Just not as creepy and icky.
Invest in Data Privacy and Consent Management: Implement robust data privacy measures and consent management solutions to ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Obtain explicit consent from users for data collection and processing activities. This means that when people skip the “I accept” button, it means they are disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means no. Also, if you push globally, you should already be aware of GDPR and EU/California/Canada regulations.
Contextual Targeting: Shift towards contextual targeting techniques, where ads are targeted based on the context of the content being viewed rather than individual user profiles. This could involve analyzing the content of web pages or apps to serve relevant advertisements. GA4, your new bestie.
Utilize Second-Party Data Partnerships: Collaborate with trusted partners to exchange second-party data directly, enabling more targeted advertising and personalized experiences while maintaining user privacy. Implement encryption, data anonymization techniques, and regular security audits to safeguard sensitive data. Your data gets warehoused and stripped of identifiers. You get the fun tracked data, but not where that person lives. Or their middle name. Cool, no? Your IT person will love this one.
Explore Advanced Technologies: Explore emerging technologies such as federated learning, differential privacy, and on-device processing to analyze and derive insights from data while preserving user anonymity and privacy. Unless you are a super large company with deep pockets, most of us will be skipping over this option. Hospitals, Siri, and banking will be looking into these.
Focus on Retention and Loyalty! Shift marketing efforts towards retaining existing customers and fostering loyalty through personalized experiences, special offers, and tailored content based on first-party data insights. In other words, go back to treating your customers like the valued people that they are. #goldstandardmarketing This option is my favorite for obvious reasons. Can you hear the choir singing? Oh, look! A unicorn and a rainbow!
Experiment with New Advertising Models: Explore alternative advertising models such as contextual sponsorships, native advertising, and influencer partnerships that rely less on individual user tracking and targeting. I’d LOVE to see a photonics company work with an influencer. Break new ground. Shake things up. (Also, if anyone wants to do this, let’s chat asap!)
(And tell them what you told them) These strategies can help your business navigate the post-third-party cookie era while continuing to deliver relevant and still personalized experiences to your audience while respecting everyone’s privacy preferences.
PS: I attended a presentation during the AHP annual conference recently, where this was a huge topic of interest for everyone in media and marketing that relies upon those old trusted and creepy tactics. It’s a massive shift for everyone, but you have time to comply since Google won’t throw the switch until 2025. Take into your data consideration that Firefox and other browser champions are already compliant.
