The death of third-party cookies; a statement that has haunted the advertising realm for the last 5 years. But last week, Google surprisingly (or unsurprisingly?) announced it would, in fact, not be retiring the third-party cookie.
This shift was one that was going to affect targeting, insight gathering, and performance, causing huge dismay and uncertainty. And with Google struggling to ‘get it right’, they will now be exploring alternatives.
I have previously said that third-party cookies crumbling would be the best thing to happen to advertising, breathing vital new life into campaign creativity – and I’m going to stick by that.
When we first heard about the change, it felt like us creatives were losing valuable audience insights. In fact, we’ve been so caught up figuring out which font or image gets the most clicks that we’ve forgotten how to create ads with meaning.
Half of the creative we now see on social ends up being a hybrid of original concept and performance data-led decisions. So, a future without cookies meant we could go back to delivering our original creative ideas without being tied down by performance metrics. We could focus on human and cultural insights to create personalised, contextual, and community-based ads that connect with our audiences.
So, ‘Are you prepared for the cookie-less future?!’, they said. Well, yes, we were.
In fact, we created a recipe with ingredients to make your mouth water with creative anticipation!
I do not believe that with the abandonment of phasing out third-party cookies, we should also abandon our evolved creative planning, do you? So, let’s all have a go at the recipe shall we –privacy-related challenges are not going away, so why not still be prepared?
Our recipe:
· 1x Personalisation
· 2tsp Contextualisation
· 100g Community Building
Personalisation
The conflict within this very word is interesting - 69% of UK customers stated high levels of online privacy concerns. But at the same time, 46% said they are happy to exchange data as long as there is a clear benefit. So, in one camp we have a group shouting “I want privacy” and in the other, “I want personalisation”. And in all honesty, these are probably the same people.
Personalisation itself is tricky as it can come in all forms and is quite complex depending on what lens you look at it through.
An example of this is emotion: A piece of creative that gets you in the feels because maybe you’re going through a new stage in life, and it just feels so relevant to you.
Or perhaps the personalisation taps into your interests. Content that’s tailored to you because a brand understands you. You’re their audience and you matter. Never underestimate the power of being recognised.
Or maybe it’s not subtle at all and you end up partaking in some matchmaking. Placed together based on questions, statements or information provided. AI-led chatbots or tools that do this push personalisation in an almost effortless way.
In short, ‘personalisation’ is a complete bespoke approach that lasers into individual journeys, and completely bypasses blanket content and targeting. It’s up to you to leverage the psychographics of your audience and supercharge your personalised creative in a new, evolved way.
Contextualisation
Similarly, contextualisation offers unique opportunities for creatives. This is content that is prepared, reactive, or in the right place at the right time.
Geo-targeted campaigns are a key example: using location data to reach users with messages that are relevant for their location, behaviour, or regional nuances. Seeing a ‘Hey London’ on your feed (assuming you lived there) would make you stop, right? Maybe you’re hungry and searching for places to eat. Up pops an ad with a ‘Get Directions’ call to action taking you straight to a nearby restaurant. Simple.
They said it’d be the wettest summer in 100 years, but then we had a mini heatwave a few weeks back (a distant memory I’m sure). As you sweltered, flicking through Instagram, rueing the day you cursed the warnings of the expected ‘50 days of rain’, I’ve no doubt you were inundated with weather-synced campaigns promoting fans, inflatable pools and BBQ food.
Community Building
Lastly, community building. When we think of techniques used to gather this, it starts to feel a bit old school. Competitions and discounts have long been an easy win to gain customer information, but brands can go beyond this to create campaigns that are truly tailored and valuable.
This privacy-focused future we’re in presents a golden opportunity. Unlock your creativity to deliver experiences, not ads. Don’t just take, give. Talk to your customers, not at them.
The revival of the loyalty programme, the resurgence of the micro-site, the popularity of subscription-based ‘communities’ – all successful techniques that have brought consumer and brand closer together, building that all important trust.
Likewise, high-value gated content that gives you access to articles, sneak peaks, tailored itineraries, or interactive experiences that take you on a digital journey in an incentivised and fun way. These are skills that, if done correctly, consumers are more than willing to engage with.
In short, community building isn’t about being sneaky with it. It’s about value exchange, transparency, and giving power back to your audience.
The future is clear - personalisation, contextualisation, and community building will transform your creative. This is an exciting time; you don’t want to be left behind. Take my recipe and bake these all-important techniques into your creative strategies. Not later, now.
