The rise of first-party data
Our data expert weighs in on the move from third-party cookies to first-party data, and delves into what comes after the cookie collapse.
It’s no secret Google is getting rid of third-party cookies soon. Despite moving the goalposts further and further back for their data collection revamp, the updated doomsday is set for spring 2024. Rather than panic, we here at Publisher Collective have been gearing up for the cookie exodus for some time. In our second Publisher Collective Live event, our Senior Data Product Manager stopped in to discuss what comes next in our journey to be free of the third-party cookie and the rise of first-party data.
Cookie crumbs
Third-party cookies have long been seen by most users as an annoyance at best and a predatory advertising tactic at worst. Through the adoption of GDPR regulations, third-party cookies have become slightly less malicious through consent management platforms and user protections. As it stands today, the deprecation of third-party cookies is looming, and to ensure that our publishers’ revenue stays steady, we are relying more on first-party data.
First-party data serves as a mutually beneficial solution to keep users protected and anonymous, while still serving advertisers with aliases and archetypes to target. The method of this data collection can happen in many different ways, but ultimately that data collection is consented to by the user. Looking to share that data with advertisers? The user has to consent to that too.
A new recipe
Through the adoption of first-party data, users can put more trust in the websites they’re visiting and spending time on. Gone are the days of third-party cookies that attach themselves to a user’s profile on their journey across the web. First-party data ensures that the user is protected from being tailed by advertisers all over the web. As users ourselves, this excites us. But as a publisher or advertiser, this could sound a little alarming.
The deprecation of third-party cookies doesn’t mean the death of data. First-party data will likely prove to be a stronger solution when it comes to user intel, as the data offered by the user will be more robust and personalised. This can come through surveys and user insights gathered (with consent, of course) by the publisher. Site owners that look to join a publisher platform like Publisher Collective will find themselves in a stronger position with advertisers, as the data gathered by platforms will be strengthened with the move away from third-party cookies.
Our secret ingredient
The good news for our partners and advertisers is that we’re already moving away from third-party cookies. We’ve spoken about our tools like Identity Hub and surveys on the blog before, and we’re still exploring new ways to get unique data from our users in a consent-driven manner. We know our audience, and pride ourselves on the trust publishers and advertisers put in us to deliver great campaigns to our dedicated users.
As a site owner, you have to make sure you’re prepared for the deprecation of cookies next year. Want our help? You can reach out about becoming a partner here. We love supporting our community by hosting free webinars with expert advice on industry topics. You can find out more about our live events here.