Why Google’s U-turn Could be the Catalyst needed for Real Responsibility in Online Marketing.
When Google (unsurprisingly) backtracked on its depreciation of the 3rd party cookie last week, this led many to be concerned that much of the work already done in this space is wasted. However, the need to drive consumer trust and create a better internet for everyone is un-diminished so it is vital to our industry that we all press ahead with efforts to make the way we plan and activate campaigns better for everyone.
The original intent behind Google’s ‘cookieless future’ was in response to increasing pressure from consumers, to protect their privacy, allowing them to browse the internet without the fear that ‘big brother’ was tracking their every move. Since that first announcement from Google four years ago, more than 40% of the internet is already cookieless. If you add in the almost 85% of Apple users who said ‘no thanks’ to cookies when Apple moved to an opt-in model three years ago, then there is already a huge portion of users are cookieless – and when Google comes to the table with their own opt-out solution the number is bound to grow significantly.
Therefore, if a huge volume of consumers has already opted out and many more would prefer not to be targeted in this way, the industry must press ahead to acknowledge that choice, whilst remaining as relevant as possible in a much less intrusive, responsible, privacy-first way. We must consider the overall experience to allay consumer fears and provide a positive engagement with brands.
As the industry presses ahead with future solutions, consideration should be made on the needs of three core groups to ensure that we do not find ourselves in a similar position around trust in the near future. They are; “the Consumer”, “the advertiser” and “the publisher”. From a responsible marketing perspective, we also have the opportunity to consider the planet in future solutions, as lower data processing will come with a lower carbon footprint.
It is in our hands to move back to planning around high-calibre content, delivered in the right context, that generates high-quality engagement and attention, and ultimately, brilliant effectiveness. This content can then be supplemented by 1st and 2nd party data collected and used in a way that the consumer consented to that enhances the consumer experience and gives them another reason to love your brand.
If we get this right, then there are added benefits for:
The consumer
They will have a much more positive experience when using the internet, a removal of the feeling of being “stalked” by brands when they are online and an increase in trust in those brands as a result.
Digital experiences that provide benefits, driven by high-quality publishers, with a dramatic reduction in irrelevant Made for Advertising Content.
They will also take back control of their data and the opportunity to get a true value exchange for offering the privilege of using that data.
Advertisers
The big win for advertisers is that media effectiveness increases dramatically when we get content and context right. It also drives trust in that brand at a time when trust is more important than it has ever been before.
Purchase intent is 14% higher among consumers who view ads in context (Integral Ad Science, "Ad Context & Attention", 2022)
For younger consumers particularly, the content a brand’s ads run against have an impact on purchase intent. Purchase intent decreased by 7% for Gen Z and 5% when an ad ran against questionable content versus standard content (Channel Factory/Magna, 2023)
High-quality, professionally made, video content drives 60% higher ad recall than non-professional content. People are also 44% more likely to trust advertising seen within professional content (Thinkbox, "Context Effects". 2024)
Brands should also see an increase in control of their data and where they appear, meaning greater brand safety.
Publishers
There is an opportunity to ensure that high-quality publishers see a greater share of the budget going into the campaign, allowing them to develop better content that engages with the consumer.
It also allows them to educate the consumer on how they are funded to encourage consumers to give consent, however, this will only work if the high-quality content is relevant to the reader or viewer. 63% of UK audiences believe it’s acceptable that websites display adverts in return for being free to use, but that number drops to 36% once audiences are shown how their personal data is used by ad-tech companies (Ofcom / Information Commissioner's Office, 2019)
Only 36 cents of every dollar that enters the programmatic ecosystem effectively reaches the consumer after fees, data costs, wastage, fraud and viewability are taken into account (Association of National Advertisers, "Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Study", 2023)
The Planet
Less data usage and better formats will enable a dramatic drop in the carbon footprint of digital advertising campaigns
Scope 3 (Q1 2023) shows that 215,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions are produced every month across the US, UK, France, Germany and Australia as a result of Programmatic campaigns. That is the equivalent of 24 million gallons of Gasoline!
Removing high-carbon emitting websites (i.e. high-ad load/clutter), from your media buys increases media productivity by 40% and reduces your media carbon footprint by 30% (WFA, 2024)
Made for Advertising websites generate 26% more carbon waste than non-made for advertising websites (Scope3 / Ebiquity plc, 2022)
In conclusion, driving better investment, following better buying practices and utilising data in more ethical ways gives a more positive experience for everyone. It creates a much better media ecosystem, it drives positive business outcomes, it’s better for the planet and creates a positive experience for the consumer, bringing back trust when it has been lost in many cases.
Let’s continue to drive being better.
