While Google has announced a change to its cookie deprecation plans in Chrome and the Privacy Sandbox, the industry will see continued consumer-oriented privacy opt-outs driven by regulations and by browser or operating system settings, according to Comscore.
Google's announcement doesn’t signal a return to January 2020, when the company first proposed eliminating cookies within two years, as much has changed in the past four years. Regardless of Google's strategy, it has been noted that the core needs of marketers and publishers remain largely unchanged: to address their audiences' needs and meet consumer expectations.
Comscore, in its latest blog notes that the suspension of Chrome’s cookie deprecation does not impact the continued rollout of digital audience measurement methodology.
Signals may shift, but the fundamentals remain constant
The market trend is rapidly moving towards increased privacy controls and ongoing signal loss. This shift has already occurred without Chrome's removal of third-party cookies, and it is likely to continue regardless of Google's actions.
The efforts made over the last five years to prepare for a cookieless future will remain crucial. Advertisers are already navigating an omnichannel environment where many essential platforms, such as CTV, TV, mobile, and social media, are naturally cookieless.
"Advertisers have been adapting to a more complex cross-media landscape where multiple identifiers, consent requirements, and signals govern media spend, and the endurance of the cookie does little to change this secular trend. The fundamentals of reach, frequency and incremental performance remain the bedrock of optimization," as per Brian Pugh, Chief Information Officer, Comscore.
The demand for omnichannel measurement and ID-free advertising solutions is as urgent as ever, today and into the foreseeable future, he continues.
Privacy-Forward Solutions
Comscore’s digital audience measurement approach emphasises addressing signal loss of all kinds. As the media landscape evolves with consumer consent becoming increasingly central, this shift is not limited to Chrome or any particular browser settings. The pause on cookie deprecation allows for the continued advancement of UDM 2.0, Comscore’s cookie-free methodology for digital measurement.
This support can be provided through website or video streaming tags, app SDKs, or server-to-server data sharing.
Monetizing in a Multi-ID Landscape
With most programmatic inventory already lacking user identifiers, the impact of signal loss is significant for advertisers and will be further intensified by consumer opt-outs. "With or without a top-down cookie deprecation mandate, advertisers will need to adopt ID-free tactics to drive business outcomes," notes Pugh.
Publishers will still require a partner to update their offerings for the omnichannel and multi-ID environment, which Proximic’s ID-free Predictive Audiences and contextual targeting can provide.
Privacy regulations are here to stay, and scrutiny will persist, particularly in sensitive areas like health and age-restricted advertising. Meeting the demands of today's privacy-focused landscape requires innovative, privacy-centric approaches to effectively reach audiences.
Investment in Digital
In the short term, advertisers focusing on cookie-based online revenue strategies are unlikely to alter their investment plans due to the upcoming deprecation, as noted in the blog. Continued spending on omnichannel campaigns means they need to demonstrate that their ad exposures are incremental and that overall reach is being met.
Google’s announcement underscores the critical need for our approach to privacy-focused cross-channel reach and measurement, reaffirming its relevance in today's evolving landscape.
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