What These Marketing Leaders Think About Google’s Latest Cookie Postponement
Google has pushed back its deprecating cookies yet again until 2025, as reported by Ad Age. This may not be entirely surprising considering Forrester "found in 2023 that 50 percent of the global marketers surveyed did not believe that Google would deprecate the third-party cookie," according to an ANA presentation given by Intel.
Below are reactions to the news from various thought leaders in the marketing space.
Edik Mitelman, general manager of privacy cloud at AppsFlyer:
"Google's latest third-party cookie postponement feels like that friend who perpetually claims they'll 'be there in five minutes' while still in their pajamas. Advertisers need to start controlling their own destinies, instead of obsessing over Google's cookie dance. The whole ecosystem, from ad networks and DSPs to identity providers and brands, has been anticipating another delay and remains all too reliant on seeing what Google decides to do.
"Larger forces are also at play – with privacy legislation being announced at a federal level – making a watertight data collaboration strategy vital for all global businesses. Privacy Sandbox might be Google's answer, but it's not the only game in town. The extension shouldn't be treated like a snooze button — advertisers have waited long enough to know that they should have a plan for building their own first-party data program.
Grégory Cornuz, chief product officer at Equativ:
"It's unclear whether the gradual phase-out of cookies, will even continue following this latest delay. Market players are left having to choose between maintaining already high levels of investment to adapt without a guarantee of return on investment or pursuing other solutions.
"As it currently stands, Privacy Sandbox will make the execution of media buying strategies on the open web more complex, even more expensive, and less effective. While Google attempts to fix its offering, marketers should look towards innovative and independent alternatives that can create value for the ecosystem, as well as a fairer and more transparent exchange of value for Internet users."
Ryan Stewart, head of publisher acquisition (North America) at MGID:
"With concerns mounting over recent months following trials of Privacy Sandbox, it was only a matter of time before Google's hand was forced to do something to reassure the industry. For a while now, the industry has been so focused on finding reasons why Google should not make the change when it should have been creating and investing in viable alternatives. User privacy should always be a priority, and the market should move towards a future-proof approach that isn't going to trap us in a game of cat and mouse with regulators and big tech providers. The buy-side could learn from the proactivity displayed by publishers and media owners, who are actively collecting and collating first-party data to build effective data activation and monetization strategies. It's a long road ahead, but at least they're taking strides towards a sturdy post-cookie ecosystem."
Ben Cicchetti , VP of corporate marketing at InfoSum:
"Despite Google's latest postponement of phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome, the industry must stay the course. The end game remains unchanged – cookies are on their way out, and pausing any post-cookie strategies would be a mistake. Rather than planning solely on Google's timeline, companies must take control of their own destiny. This delay should be seen as an extra opportunity to refine and test strategies, not a reason to halt efforts entirely.
"Building robust first-party data assets and exploring opportunities for collaboration that maximize this data's value and effectiveness must remain the priority. Moving into the new first-party data era, it is also vital that we correct past mistakes and prioritize consumer privacy. This means abandoning risky practices that have put consumer information at risk in the past, such as the sharing, centralization, and commingling of vast amounts of personal data in third-party environments.
"For marketers, while it is critical to continue spending with online publishers, ensuring a free and open web, now is also an opportunity to explore and embrace emerging media opportunities built on authenticated, addressable audiences. Retail media, gaming, CTV, and streaming audio are already incredible opportunities to reach engaged consumers. Those media channels will only grow as consumers increasingly shop, game, and consume content almost exclusively through digital-first platforms. Now is the time to innovate and prepare, ensuring you're not caught off guard when changes finally take effect."
Dan Pike, CPO at Covatic:
"The latest delay highlights once again that the industry cannot afford to wait and hope that Google can solve this problem for everyone else.
"The importance of being the master of your own strategic and operational destiny has never been more apparent, and the latest news reinforces the reality that over-reliance on the tech giants can disrupt or even cause lasting damage to businesses. It also highlights the value, especially for publishers, of meaningful, equitable ad tech partnerships with companies that are more concerned with consumer and publisher needs than their own bottom line.
"Rather than allowing us to take our collective foot off the gas, this announcement further emphasizes the need to act. My hope is that industry players continue to invest in, adopt, and develop alternative solutions so that when the time does eventually come for cookies to meet their end, we are all well ahead of the curve."
Wilfried Schobeiri, chief technology officer at Ogury:
"Whether the cookie disappears from Chrome in 2024 or 2025 doesn't matter: We're at a decisive turning point in the protection of consumer privacy. This journey began way before Google made the decision to switch off cookies, and advertisers can no longer look the other way. While the competition concerns raised by the CMA, including governance of the Privacy Sandbox, are valid, enhanced consumer privacy and anti-tracking need to be the priority. Seeing these vital changes slowed once again has a detrimental impact on consumers.
Advertisers should not see this as a chance to again postpone their move to cookieless or ID-less solutions. This latest delay should be seen as an opportunity to invest in tested and proven solutions that will allow for scale without dependency on this timeline or future industry decisions."
Marçal Serrate, director of data technology at Azerion:
"Passively waiting for a complete third-party cookie withdrawal, or an alternative full fix from Google, risks stagnating progress in the advertising industry. The shift away from cookies remains imminent and it's imperative for businesses to proactively acknowledge and adapt, rather than entrusting Google to singularly lead and resolve the industry's challenges.
"As the future unfolds, the landscape is poised to become even more fragmented in terms of available solutions. Thus, finding the right partner to navigate this evolving environment is paramount for achieving success, and now there will be a bit more time to focus on this."
Don't forget to check out these ANA resources on cookies, privacy, and personalization:
- Marketing in a Cookie-Less World
- 6 Strategies for a Cookieless & Privacy-by-Design Future
- Four Practices Marketing Leaders Follow to Make Privacy a Competitive Advantage
- Navigating the Future of Commerce Media with Data Collaboration Platforms
- With Cookies Gone, Everything Old Is New Again
- The IP Address Is the Permanent Solution for Proof of Performance
- The Key to Measurement Is the IP Address
- Balancing Act: Navigating Personalization and Privacy in Modern Marketing
- Privacy, Data, and Consent: Consumer Attitudes
The views and opinions expressed in Industry Insights are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ANA or imply endorsement from the ANA.