The post-cookie era will usher in the age of collaboration
In a study titled «Online Advertising in the Post-Cookie Era,» the German organization OWM (Advertisers in the Brand Association) and the Federal Association of the Digital Economy (BVDW) evaluated various action scenarios for advertisers and other market participants in the post-cookie era.
One of the key findings is that in the post-cookie era, there is no specific solution for addressing end users in a qualified manner, but rather a combination of first-party data, contextual targeting and other technical solutions. "The privacy sandbox plays an important role in this context," emphasizes OWM CEO Arne Kirchem. "We will be watching very closely to see whether Google - which repeatedly emphasizes that it is an open standard whose development can and should be collaborated on - takes the interests of advertisers sufficiently into account." BVDW Vice President Thomas Duhr adds: "The results show that the impending end of third-party cookies is not a revolution, but an evolution. First-party data is becoming a basic requirement in media planning. It will become the basis for efficient collaboration."
Bridge technologies already in use, success still to be seen
The advertising experts interviewed in the study believe that advertising identifiers are an important technological bridge between user data on the buy and sell side. However, it remains to be seen how interoperability will work and whether they will be supported by regulators and browsers in the long term. The industry is therefore now facing the age of cooperation; only together can new standards be developed and established.
"What we want from the advertisers' point of view is standardization," explains Arne Kirchem. "A proliferation of new ad identifiers and a jungle of ad tech providers should be avoided at all costs. Everyone must pull together and the focus must be on the functionality of the entire ecosystem; in case of doubt, this must take precedence over the particular interests of individual market participants. The joint study by the OWM and the BVDW shows how sensible it is to develop topics together."
BVDW Vice President Thomas Duhr adds: "Old polarities should be thrown overboard, sustainable and future-proof solutions can only be developed together. Advertisers, technology and market partners must work more closely together to enable effective digital advertising that complies with data protection regulations in the future. Collaborative solutions lead to data economy and a better user experience in equal measure."
The study, which was commissioned by the OWM and supported in partnership by the BVDW, was conducted by Vonwerschpartner Digital Strategies between April and June 2020. The study was prompted by regulatory and browser-driven developments that will lead to the end of third-party cookies. Around 100 experts from the OWM and BVDW environments - including advertisers, technology providers, agencies, publishers and other market partners - were surveyed as part of in-depth interviews and an online study.
On Owm.de a Summary of the study can be downloaded.
