Google’s Privacy Sandbox, the phase-out of third-party cookies in various browsers and consumers’ concerns on data privacy: a lot is changing in the world of digital marketing. The “old truths” are slowly disappearing and teams find themselves struggling trying to fit their current strategies into new tools and technologies.

Stubbornly clinging to your marketing strategies won’t work when the technology evolves. In this article, we take a look at why the Privacy Sandbox isn’t just a swap-out for third-party cookies, and why your company needs to reconsider its approach to digital marketing, which puts bringing value to consumers at the forefront.

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Privacy Sandbox and its latest update: a brief recap

Privacy Sandbox is a suite of proposals that provide a new approach to online advertising and user privacy. It’s important to note that Privacy Sandbox isn’t a single tool or feature. It’s a collection of strategies and APIs (including Topics API, Protected Audience API and Attribution Reporting API). The goal? To give users more control over their data while still allowing advertisers to reach their target audience.

In a recent update, Google has lifted the veil on some important considerations going forward, the most memorable being that:

  • third-party cookies won’t be deprecated in Chrome—yet
  • more work is needed to roll out all Privacy Sandbox features

The Privacy Sandbox update may evoke a sigh of relief for advertisers at first, as it takes away some of the urgency for companies to find alternatives for third-party cookies in Chrome. However, in the long term, companies that don’t review their practices will inevitably fall behind when it comes to advertising and personalization. The initiatives discussed in the Privacy Sandbox update is a temporary reprieve while Google figures everything out, but not a permanent solution.

Want to know more about the Privacy Sandbox update and what can be read between the lines? Find out more in this blog article.

The harsh truth: it won’t work like it used to

If you’re hoping to simply swap out your current cookie-based strategies for Privacy Sandbox equivalents, you’re in for a rude awakening. Sure, Chrome might have shelved the deprecation of third-party cookies for now, but third-party cookies can’t and shouldn’t be the way forward for your marketing activities. The new system is fundamentally different, and it requires a complete rethink of how your company approaches digital marketing.

  • Your organization will need to play a more active role to transition to Privacy Sandbox, particularly in terms of development.
  • The way you analyze data will have to evolve along with your data strategy.

More developer involvement

As controversial as they are, third-party cookies have made marketers’ jobs easier. Tracking pixels did most of the work: marketing teams just needed to set them up and third-party cookies did the rest.

But now those days are gone. Privacy Sandbox features require much more active involvement from developers. There’s a deeper level of interaction between websites and browsers, which means your tech team will need to be more hands-on with your marketing efforts. That also implies a steep learning curve: it might take some time before everything is set up in the best possible way, considering your team will encounter points of failure from this new world.

Less precision, more guessing

The data you’ll get from Privacy Sandbox APIs won’t look exactly the same as what you’re used to with third-party cookies. In many ways it’s more aggregated and less granular. This means you’ll need to adjust your data analysis strategies.

In addition, the new APIs are designed with privacy in mind, which often means trading off some level of precision. You’ll be dealing more with cohorts and probabilistic data rather than individual-level tracking. This shift requires a different mindset when it comes to targeting but also measuring the efficiency of your marketing initiatives.

The era of first-party data

With third-party data turning into a “will they, won’t they” game, uncertainty is on the rise. As the name implies, you rely on external parties to get to know your customers. First-party data, on the other hand, is collected through your own channels and managed by your company. No more wondering whether it will still be available in a month or even a year.

What is first-party data?

First-party data refers to information companies collect directly from their customers. This information can come from various sources: website visits, newsletter subscriptions, customer feedback and loyalty programs, for example.

First-party data is much more than an alternative to third-party data. Ever since GDPR and other privacy regulations were introduced several years ago, data privacy has been at the forefront of the online experience. People are now fully aware about companies tracking their online behavior. That’s why building trust and providing some value-exchange with your customers will be more important than ever going forward. By being transparent about the (first-party) data you collect and providing clear benefits to your customers, your business has access to vital information about your customers, while respecting their privacy. First-party data also ushers a shift from collecting as much data as possible to collecting the right data that can actually propel your marketing efforts.

Learn more about customer data management »

Conclusion: flexibility is strength

Flexibility is strength in a digital world. When technologies evolve, it’s time to rethink the way you currently do things, and find a better, more suitable approach. Uncertainty is unfortunately part of the current marketing landscape. We’re venturing into uncharted territory, and no one—not even Google—seems entirely sure how it will all play out. Without a doubt, this uncertainty is one of the driving factors behind Google’s decision not to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome just yet.

However, amidst all this, one thing is clear: it’s time to stop trying to force old strategies into new frameworks. Don’t try to recreate your current marketing strategies and mould them to fit new tools and technologies. Instead, use the tools and technologies to support your vision and strategies.

The best approach moving forward is one that respects user privacy while still delivering results for your business.

How Vaimo can help

Feeling overwhelmed? We are here to walk you through the changes and the way your company can adapt to them.

Vaimo offers data solutions that fit your business. We have worked with ecommerce brands for over 16 years and understand how important it is to find a future-proof strategy that works for you.

Want to know if a CDP is right for your business, or how you can become truly data-driven with first-party data? Our team is happy to chat about the possibilities for your brand(s).

Let’s talk »