The beginning of the cookieless era

The cookieless era is about to start. The legal changes introduced by the European Data Protection Regulation were aimed at guaranteeing the protection of the user’s personal details, a fact that affects online marketing campaigns directly. In view of this situation, Google and other companies have started getting rid of third-party cookies. This is how a period change begins.

Current state

Spain transposed European regulations in the year 2018 with the Organic Law on Data Protection, which states that explicit consent of particular users is fundamental to carry out advertising campaigns. This has a direct impact on cookies, especially on third-party cookies. Browsers such as Safari and Firefox did not take long to eliminate them, and so did Google in 2020. This affects conversion measurement and programmatic advertising through DPS or DSP (demand side platform) platforms.

Keep it in mind that third-party cookies are those installed by an advertising company or service on a website to display adverts and their appearance will depend on the user data contained in those files: age, sex, location, interests, or browsing history, among others. They allow companies to segment advertising in a precise way and provide personalised experiences.

In fact, these files are the basis on which modern digital advertising is supported, so you are about to witness a flood of changes to relieve this situation. After eliminating these cookies, most of the information that allows for reaching particular audiences is lost and will have to be obtained in other ways that may be safer for the population.

What can we expect?

The use of DSP platforms is questioned in a situation like the current one. The demand generated by the purchase of adverts is managed through them. They use different ad exchanges to connect buyers and sellers. The main advantage is that they automatise the process in such a way that it gets easier and allows the segmentation of the public.

To solve the problems derived from the loss of third-party cookies, first-party ones are now being spotlighted. They are linked to a single domain and their owners are the only ones that can access them. However, if access permits are obtained, it will be possible to continue with the construction of audience segments.

In this way, we could stress the importance of websites that get significant audiences, as is the case of banking, motor, or trips and, in particular, those that offer a good balance between reach and segmentation. In addition, Google is setting out its own solutions to this problem.

In short, the cookieless era will bring a large number of changes and will alter the game rules you knew. New tools and actors will end up appearing, although you will be able to continue using the services of a DSP platform. Nevertheless, keep paying attention to what is going on in the sector.