Google hits the brakes on the long-awaited cookie phaseout. So now what? mhp.si explains
The 10,000-Foot View
- In a blog post April 22, Google announced they’re delaying the removal of third-party cookies in Chrome, meaning digital advertisers can keep using their existing targeting and tracking strategies for now.
- In addition to allowing companies to continue utilizing the results-proven tracking and targeting tools they know, the announcement gives businesses more time to prepare for a cookieless future by building first-party data strategies and testing alternative solutions.
- The pressure is still on Google from the privacy-focused European Union and others, so the shift away from cookies is still coming. Brands should treat this as a useful grace period, not an indefinite return to business as usual.
After five years of pushing back deadlines, Google has indefinitely paused its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the company’s near-ubiquitous Chrome browser, preferred by about 70% of internet users.
In one of the more shocking moves in Google’s 26-year history, Google VP Anthony Chavez published a blog post on April 22 announcing the company’s retreat on the broad privacy initiative they’ve been pursuing since January 2020, saying:
“We’ve made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new *standalone prompt for third-party cookies. Users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s Privacy and Security Settings.”
*The “standalone prompt” Chavez refers to was a proposed feature that would have asked users, site-by-site, whether they wanted to allow third-party cookies.
Originally slated for 2022, cookie phaseout was first delayed to 2023, then 2024 and finally 2025. Now, Google says the project is on pause indefinitely, citing unresolved questions from publishers, developers, regulators and marketers.
What Does This Mean for Companies?
For advertisers that have spent the past five years adapting their digital strategy for a cookieless future, this might be the most unwelcome plot twist since M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening.” But there are plenty of silver linings for businesses looking to connect with potential customers.
In the short term, Google’s decision will greatly benefit advertisers and their ability to reach the right customer at exactly the right time, allowing them to continue using the full range of targeting tools they know and trust.
That said, while the timeline on phasing out cookies has shifted, it doesn’t change Google’s trajectory or its eventual target. The company’s move toward a more privacy-centric ad ecosystem is still very much in motion, and with both growing antitrust actions and privacy hawks in the EU to contend with, this pause won’t last forever.
While it’s a welcome reprieve, don’t let this delay lull you into a false sense of long-term security. Consumer expectations, lawsuits and global privacy concerns are still pushing Google and Chrome toward a cookie-free future. Those pressures aren’t going anywhere.
What mhp.si Is Doing
Our teams have spent years helping companies of all sizes cookie-proof their strategies by building robust first-party data systems. Through marketing automation, CRM integrations and personalized content journeys, we’re helping make sure our clients own the online relationships and customer data that will still be driving real results long after third-party cookies are gone.
mhp.si’s recent pivot to Google’s DV360 as our primary demand-side platform (DSP) for buying digital advertising is reinforced by this update, and a definite strategic advantage right now. DV360 gives us access to more households, more publishers and more data segments to meet the precise targeting needs of our clients.
With premium inventory, deeper data and broader household-level reach, we can stay effective for clients, regardless of what Google does or doesn’t do with cookies in the future.
Our Best Advice: Stay calm and stay on target with your plans for a cookie-free future.
For companies, not much changes right now. Advertisers can continue to use third-party cookies for targeting, retargeting and attribution. For digital campaigns running through DSPs, that means the data remains rich, addressable and actionable.
While it’s available, you can and should keep using third-party cookie data. Privacy concerns aside, it’s tried-and-true tech that just works. But doubling down on the past and refusing to change is never a good strategy in business, and it’s definitely not a good idea here. In this case, staying the course on cookies would be like investing in music on Compact Disc after the iPod launched.
mhp.si’s guidance: smart companies should use this pause to continue to strengthen first-party data capture, invest in contextual targeting and refine attribution models that don’t rely on cookies. Now is also a great time to audit your marketing tech. Make sure your CRM, automation and analytics tools are set up to give you actionable insights from the data you own.
Need help with that?
Contact mhp.si!
If you’ve been delaying your cookieless preparations, consider this a welcome second chance to prepare for the future and get it right.
The team at mhp.si can help you get started. As always, we’re staying ahead of the curve, and we’re ready to help our clients navigate and capitalize on changes in the digital advertising ecosystem — even the ones that come out of the blue.
