With a year until Google eliminates third-party cookies from its popular Chrome browser,75% of companies globally are worried about tracking cookies, but in the UK a massive 90% are not ready for life without third-party cookies, according to new research.
New global research from Adform and Dynata finds:
- Three-quarters (75%) of companies globally believe the removal of third-party cookies will have an impact on their business
- But 78% of marketers globally have no tested solution in place for 2022, rising to a staggering 90% in the UK
- Only 3 in 10 (29%) companies globally currently have a first-party ID solution, dropping to only 2 in 10 (22%) in the UK
Adforms ‘Effortless Modern Marketing’ report reveals marketers believe enhanced data ownership will unlock a range of much-needed benefits; the concept of a closed, brand-owned ecosystem – underpinned by first-party data, transparent costs, and operational adaptability – is viewed positively by over three-quarters (78%) of UK marketers.
The report was conducted with more than 1,000 marketing professionals across the UK, EMEA and the US, in conjunction with leading market research firm, Dynata.
As well as highlighting a significant lack of readiness for life without third-party cookies, the research also reveals marketers’ priorities are centred around finding time and cost efficiencies in a more transparent supply chain, and a desire to move towards ‘brand gardens’ – a purpose-built, future-proofed ecosystem where modern marketers are empowered with complete data ownership and management.
Phil Acton, Country Manager, UK & BeNeFrance at Adform warns the lack of preparation for the demise of third-party cookies signals a significant problem: “These findings need to be a wake up call for marketers – the deprecation of the cookie is a ticking time bomb. With a year to go most UK marketers currently have no plan in place, as only 22% are actively working on first-party IDs. Marketers know this is a looming problem, but after a difficult year many haven’t prioritised efforts to find a replacement. In the UK, there is clearly scope for education and progress regarding first-party ID solutions.”
Over three-quarters (79%) of respondents surveyed globally believe a brand garden would increase flexibility and data control, while more than two-thirds (70%) state the resulting improvements to trust and data transparency would be advantageous to their business outcomes.
Taking back control
More than nine in ten (92%) global marketers state cost and time efficiencies are key challenges in their supply chain, with almost two-thirds (63%) ranking these savings as the primary benefit of working with a single provider on a global scale. In addition, 63% of UK marketers say they lack control over their supply chain and this is a significant reason to move towards a clear, centralised point of oversight when deploying marketing campaigns.
Most likely, this is due to 50% of UK marketers prioritising rapid response capabilities in the ever-changing market, with greater time efficiencies enabling better agility. This also indicates a strong preference for consolidation and transparency throughout the supply chain to achieve greater control, likely driven in part by the findings from the recent ISBA programmatic supply chain transparency study.
Acton adds: “The industry evidently understands the value of building brand gardens to maintain transparency, efficiency, and flexibility, but it requires innovative solutions to truly achieve effortless modern marketing. Providers that invest in connectability, scalability, and sophisticated reporting measures will be best positioned to deliver supply chain optimisations. As the marketing industry begins to reinvest budgets after a turbulent year, minimising costs and regaining data control will be its core priorities, especially as we edge towards an era without third-party cookies.”
Adform and Dynata’s Effortless Modern Marketing report looked into current trends and sentiment regarding control and transparency, identity, cost efficiencies, and user experience. The survey was conducted in 12 markets across Europe (UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Poland) and the USA from 1st to 13th September 2020, analysing responses from 1047 marketing professionals.