Well, folks, the age of the third-party cookie has one foot out the door. As Chrome leads the identity shift in 2024, the way digital advertising works stands on the brink of a major shakeup.
For over two decades, Chrome cookies have powered hyper-targeted marketing by letting platforms peek at people's web surfing histories. However, growing consumer privacy concerns and regulations are bringing increased restrictions on tracking users across sites without their consent.
By the end of 2024, Chrome will phase out third-party cookies completely. Based on what we saw with Apple's Intelligent Tracking Protection prompt, a large chunk of consumers may just say "no thanks" to alternative tracking methods from Google, TradeDesk, and more aiming to balance relevance with privacy.
So rather than crossing your fingers and hoping that targeting stays business as usual, smart B2B marketers are future-proofing themselves by taking control of first-party data instead of traditional tracking Chrome cookies. The time has come to connect with audiences based on direct relationships instead of third-party monitoring workarounds.
First-Party Relationships to the Rescue
As online tracking loses steam, first-party data strategies gain momentum. Savvy B2B brands recognize this third-party cookie shakeup clears the lane to gain an edge through owned audience data.
When external tracking of Chrome cookies fades out, direct customer relationships become the hot ticket for underpinning targeting and measurement. Consented first-party data - intelligence gathered from known contacts and customers - can provide accuracy no cookie or third-party identifier can match.
So begin leveling up first-party data by incentivizing opt-ins and subscriptions with content offers and loyalty perks. Expect gated content to make a comeback! In this customer-centric era, the brands able to deliver value via owned audiences are poised for growth.
Additionally, such a consent-focused approach will definitely boost email open rates and help you build a highly productive sales pipeline.
Measurement Must Keep Up
As parts of the marketing mix enter uncharted waters post-cookies, measurement best prepare to ride some waves too if it wants to stay relevant. Third-party tracking of Chrome cookies fades fast, so it’s time for brands to step it up by owning their customer data trails.
If marketers still cling to legacy conversion metrics in this new era, they’ll quickly lose visibility into the customer journeys driving growth. Tracking capabilities must keep pace with the changing data access rules across devices and platforms.
Constructing reliable first-party tracking infrastructure becomes non-negotiable for quantifying campaign ROI and guiding budgets. Marketers not yet well-versed in owning their analytics must move to establish in-house protocols like UTM tagging parameters to the top of the priority list - or risk flying blind on business impact.
Centralizing this consented behavioral data into unified customer records will grow ever more invaluable. Uncovering multi-touch walkthroughs that inform attribution beyond Chrome cookies. With smart infrastructure in place, brands gain the foundation to optimize spending on channels with the highest demonstrable value. If you’re not pushing this data in a data warehouse and mining it, you’re going to be lost.
Partners Can Still Share Data Smarts
Just because third-party cookie sharing gets tricky doesn't leave partner marketing high and dry. While outside companies can’t freely exchange customer data anymore, strategic alliances can still benefit from compliant data sharing.
For multifaceted partnership programs, set standards early for responsible transparency between allies. Figure out what intelligence ties most closely to shared profit goals, and establish appropriate guidelines for combining consented insights.
Smart data alliances prioritize privacy and permission. But marketers proactive on compliance now can pave valuable connections through ethical data sharing. When companies have user permission to share selected anonymized identifiers, the collective first-party data uncovers fuller views of how partnerships influence customer journeys. This is where Primer can come in. Primer facilitates the transfer of permanent identifiers to its customers. As Chrome cookies go away you need to target your ICP using custom audiences full of names, emails, etc. - data that can be safely and compliantly exchanged and still allow you to serve ads across the internet.
In Airgap’s case, the company managed to increase conversions by 28% by matching their ad audiences with Primer-built ICP.
Evolve Measurement to Business Impact
As parts of the marketing mix enter uncharted waters post-cookies, measurement must keep pace to remain tied to revenue impact. Rather than clinging to outdated conversion metrics in ad platforms, forward-looking B2B marketers can evolve tracking to directly quantify pipeline and revenue generation if they’re passing data into a data warehouse and connecting the dots.
Getting granular visibility into marketing’s influence on won deals allows demand gen leaders to double down on the plays truly expanding growth. Modern analytics can connect campaign exposure across accounts to provide a transparent view of multi-touch attribution.
Technology like Primer already exists to facilitate this more meaningful revenue impact measurement. Primer's revenue influence tracking ties campaign reaches directly back to pipeline creation and expansion. Helping teams clearly understand marketing's dollar contribution while optimizing channel mixes for maximum ROI.
For marketers building future-proofing strategies, leveraging customer intelligence platforms like Primer forms the foundation to maintain accuracy even when untied from Chrome cookies. Unifying first-party data fuels customized audience creation and closed-loop analysis – capabilities you need in the post-cookie landscape.
Prepare Now to Get Ahead
As Chrome leads the identity shift in 2024, early signs suggest consumer data complexity will only increase across devices as third-party tracking of Chrome cookies fades. But rather than leave marketers in a lurch, this cookie fadeout offers B2B brands an opportunity.
The winners will be those who embrace this period early to improve owned, consented data strategies. Establish in-house tracking to govern customer intelligence without third-party workarounds. Proactively invest in data infrastructure, transparent consumer experiences, and organizational commitment to an ethical first-party future.
The initial adjustment requires work. But brands powered by customer data continuity are destined to enter a new era of accelerating growth, deal visibility, and revenue creation. A future where transparent personalization and predictive intelligence derive not from tracking users, but respecting them.
Adopt the First-Party Customer Data Paradigm with Primer
Use Primer to enrich your CRM or collective first-party data with ad network identifiers to expand the audience reach across the platforms. Build highly-targeted audiences you can activate on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Google Ads simultaneously.
Also, scrutinize your closed-loop analysis to synergize your marketing and sales efforts. We’re ready to take you on a personalized onboarding tour – request your free live demo and fully explore Primer capabilities.
