Episode #1 | Post-Cookie World: Insights for Marketers

Here are 5 key takeaways from the podcast:

1. The End of Third-Party Cookies – A Game-Changer for Digital Marketing: The phase-out of third-party cookies, especially in Chrome, dramatically shifts how tracking and ad targeting are done. Marketers must adapt their strategies to stay effective in this new environment.
2. Focus on First-Party and Zero-Party Data: In a cookie-less world, marketers need to focus on first-party data (data collected directly from users) and zero-party data (data that users willingly provide, like preferences or survey responses) to drive marketing efforts.
3. Privacy as the New Currency: With stricter privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, marketers need to handle data in a privacy-conscious way, building trust with users by respecting their data and providing transparency.
4. Contextual Advertising is Making a Comeback: As cookie-based tracking diminishes, contextual advertising—where ads are shown based on the content of the page rather than user behavior—is becoming more important for effective targeting.
5. AI as a Key Tool in the Post-Cookie World: Artificial intelligence (AI) will help marketers better segment their audience, personalize content, and optimize ad campaigns, all without relying on third-party cookies.

These points summarize the key themes of the episode and provide a clear overview of the major shifts in marketing strategy.

Vadym:
Welcome everyone! You’re listening to our first episode of The Data Crunch Podcast, where we’ll talk about one of the biggest shifts in the marketing and analytics worlds today.
My name is Vadym, I’m a Growth Marketing Manager at OWOX.
I’ve got my good friend and fellow marketing enthusiast, Ievgen, here with me. He is the Head of Marketing at OWOX.
Hey Ievgen, how are you today?

Ievgen:
Hey Vadym! I'm doing well, thanks.
And yeah, I’m really excited about today’s topic because it’s already affecting everybody in the marketing field. And this is going to be huge in the next few years.

Vadym:
Absolutely!
And right before we dive deep into today’s hot topic, if you’re looking to stay on top of the latest trends in marketing and data analytics, don’t forget to subscribe to our OWOX YouTube channel. We share lots of insights and useful content there that can help you get ahead. Alright, let’s get started.
Today, we’re talking about the end of third-party cookies. Ievgen, you’ve probably heard this buzzing around - everyone’s asking, ‘What are we going to do when cookies disappear?’ I think it’s not just a small tweak to how ads are delivered; it’s a huge shift in how we collect and use data.

Ievgen:
Right.
So first things first. Cookies are not going away.
However, we’re seeing big changes driven by privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, and companies like Google and Apple, the GIANTS are making moves to protect user privacy.
So the third-party cookies, the browser cookie are going away. Facebook pixel, etc.
Google is planning to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome very-very soon, and when you consider how dominant Chrome is, this will reshape the advertising landscape for every business. The whole marketing landscape.

Vadym:
Exactly. To put it simply for our listeners - third-party cookies have been the backbone of digital advertising.
For years, they’ve allowed marketers to track what users do across websites and apps.
If you’ve ever wondered why you keep seeing ads for something you looked at once a week ago, that’s third-party cookies doing their thing.

Ievgen:
Yep, and now all that is changing.
But here’s the kicker: without these cookies, much of that cross-site tracking and personalized ad targeting becomes impossible.
So the big question is - what’s next?
How do we marketers keep delivering targeted, relevant ads in a cookie-less world?

Vadym:
That’s what we’re here to unpack today.
But before we dive into the solutions, Ievgen, let’s start by explaining why third-party cookies are such a hot topic.
I think some people hear "cookies" and think, ‘Okay, great, less tracking!’ but for marketers, it’s a little more complicated, right?

Ievgen:
Oh, absolutely.
From a user perspective, getting rid of third-party cookies sounds like more privacy and less creepy tracking - and that’s definitely true. But from a marketer’s standpoint, it’s like taking away one of the key tools we’ve been using for personalized ads and audience insights.
Imagine trying to run ad campaigns with one eye closed.
So for example, the shortened lifetime of cookies critically affects the results of attribution, your ad campaigns, and the whole website analytics.
So since cookies are deleted in 1 or 7 days, a user who visited your site seven days ago will be considered a new one.
It will have a massive effect on the customer journey.
You won’t be able to see the complete picture of which traffic sources affected a customer's purchasing decision. 

And look at Affiliate marketing.
Each affiliate offer has a cookie lifetime.
Suppose the user visited your site via a referral link today and covered it in 10 days.
In that case, this conversion won’t be credited to the affiliate, and the affiliate will not receive any commission.

Plus, it negatively affects the size of the remarketing audience and ad frequency.
Platforms will also have less data to create lookalike or similar audiences.

That's the kind of changes we're talking about here.

Vadym:
Right now, it’s been our go-to for understanding customer behavior across different websites, targeting specific users, and creating personalized experiences. But now, with this shift towards privacy-first marketing, we need to adapt. And we need to do it fast.

Ievgen:
That’s exactly it. And I think the main point for marketers to understand is this: even though third-party cookies are going away, it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop collecting our customers’ data.
It just means we need to be smarter and more respectful about how we do it. So the future is really about focusing on first-party data and even zero-party data. Those are going to be your best friends moving forward.

Vadym:
Quick question: What’s the difference between first-party and zero-party data?

Ievgen:
Sure. First-party data is information that a company collects directly from its own audience, like website analytics, purchase history, or even interactions in email campaigns.
It's data gathered from your own properties.
On the other hand, zero-party data is the gold standard.
This is data that users willingly provide themselves - think preferences, feedback from surveys, or account setup information. It’s all about consent and trust.

Vadym:
Right, and with privacy becoming such a big issue, this kind of user-consented data is really important. But let’s not forget - Google is also working on alternatives to cookies, like the Privacy Sandbox and something called FLoC. Ievgen, could you explain what that’s all about?

Ievgen:
Yeah, so Google’s Privacy Sandbox is their attempt to create a more privacy-friendly way of delivering targeted ads. One part of this is called FLoC, or Federated Learning of Cohorts.
Instead of tracking individual users, FLoC groups people with similar browsing habits into "cohorts" and shows ads based on the group's collective behavior, but not the individual.

Vadym:
That's an interesting concept, but there’s been some pushback on FLoC, right?

Ievgen:
Definitely, some companies and privacy advocates are still concerned that FLoC doesn’t go far enough in protecting user data.
Plus, there are worries that it could create new risks - like exposing people to group-level profiling.
So, while it’s an option, it’s not necessarily the one-size-fits-all solution.

Vadym:
Exactly. So, marketers shouldn’t just rely on FLoC or any one solution.
This is where things like customer data platforms (CDPs) come in. They help marketers manage first-party data across different touchpoints, right?

Ievgen:
Correct. CDPs centralize all that first-party data so that you can have a complete view of your customers. This helps with everything from personalizing experiences to optimizing ad targeting without relying on third-party data. It’s like putting your data strategy on autopilot - everything in one place, ready to be analyzed and used smarter.

Vadym:
I love that - it's centralized and consent-driven.
But one of the things I’m hearing a lot about is the fear that without cookies, personalization will really suffer. What’s your take on that?

Ievgen:
That’s a valid concern. In the short term, we might see a bit of a drop in the depth of personalization we’re used to, but with better data collection methods - like accurate first-party data - marketers will be able to create more meaningful and relevant experiences in the long run.
And let’s not forget contextual advertising, which is making a big comeback now.

Vadym:
Ah, yes, context ads. That’s where ads are displayed based on the page's content rather than tracking users, right?

Ievgen:
Exactly. Instead of focusing on user behavior, you place ads in contextually relevant environments. So, for example, if someone’s reading a fitness article, you show ads for workout gear. It’s old-school, but it’s becoming increasingly effective in this privacy-first era.

And just to clarify, contextual ads are a type of display ad, but not all display ads are contextual.
Display ads, in general, are graphical ads that can show up on websites, apps, or social platforms. 
The difference is that display ads can also be behaviorally targeted, meaning they track users' browsing habits to serve relevant ads.
Contextual ads, on the other hand, are purely based on the content of the page itself – without needing to track the user.

Vadym:
It feels like we’re going back to basics in a way but with intelligent tools.
And speaking of smart tools, we can’t leave out AI. Ievgen, how do you see AI fitting into this post-cookie world?

Ievgen:
AI is going to be crucial, Vadym.
Maybe not in terms of data analytics itself.
However, it can definitely help marketers a lot.
They will still have to make some sense of first-party data at scale, and maybe predict customer behavior at some point with the help of a data professional.
But when this is done right, in the ways that third-party cookies never could, AI can really help with smarter segmentation, better personalization, and creating all that targeted content - all without crossing privacy boundaries.

Vadym:
That’s a big advantage. But I think one of the hardest parts of this transition will be building trust with users, don’t you?

Ievgen:
Absolutely. Trust will be the currency of this new era in marketing.
Remember this “currency” concept of Aaron Fletcher.
When you trade your core currency for the money when you sell stuff.
Similar to the “value” concept we’ve built when running a storytelling agency.
The same goes here.
Users want to know that their data is safe and need to feel like they have control over how their information is being used.
If companies can do that - if they can be transparent and responsible with data - they’ll be in a much better position to succeed in this new landscape.

Vadym:
Agreed. So, to sum it all up, third-party cookies are going away, but it’s not the end of the world.
Marketers just need to rethink how they collect and use data.
Focus on first-party data, server-side tracking, same-origin streaming as we do at OWOX, super accurate, less reliable to ad-blockers, etc.
Plus, don’t forget to explore some of the advertising types, like those display ones with relevant context, and don’t forget to use AI.
At least for increasing productivity.
Above all, build trust with your audience.
If privacy is that currency to get trust - we have to pay it. 

Ievgen:
Exactly. It’s a big shift, but also a great opportunity to build stronger, more authentic connections with customers. That’s what we all marketers should be about in this new so to say cookieless ERA. 

Vadym:
Well said, Ievgen. That’s all we have for today. Before we sign off, a quick note for all marketers out there. Accelerate your data analytics with OWOX BI Streaming. Instantly integrate data into Google BigQuery for real-time insights that empower fast decision-making. Start your free trial today and experience the speed at owox.com

Thanks for joining us, and don’t forget to subscribe for more tips on mastering the marketing game. See you in the next episode!

Ievgen:

So guys, stay data-curious, keep exploring new opportunities your data brings in and see you in the next episodes.