Digital Privacy
The current digital privacy ecosystem is filled with proposals, philosophies, and buzzwords and can be an intimidating space to enter on your own. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and compiled this list of a few of the largest-impact digital privacy changes and non-technical definitions.
Depreciation of 3rd-Party Cookies
3rd-Party cookies have been used to target, track and attribute in the advertising industry. 3rd-Party cookies store data on your devices with unique identifiers that are then used to track you and your activity across the web. This way of targeting and tracking has become increasingly scrutinized for its broad use by advertisers and for the volume of data it collects on website users, many of which are not aware their data is being shared and tracked.
Because of this scrutiny, there is a large shift in the advertising industry to move away from 3rd-Party cookie usage and tracking, which has led to proposals from Google, Apple and many other large players in the space for alternative tracking measures.
Learn more here.
Topics (Google)
Topics is a new privacy proposal from Google that aims to give advertisers a way of targeting ads without exposing details on individual users by assigning a handful of relevant topics to a users’ browser.
These topics are determined by a users’ browser and are only kept for three weeks, at which point they are deleted. Advertisers will only be able to see the Topic names, and not any individual data. Additionally, users are able to see and manage the Topics assigned to them, with the ability to opt-out of a Topic at any time.
Learn more here.
ATT (Apple)
Apple ATT (App Tracking Transparency) aims to provide Apple device users with greater transparency and control over their personal data. ATT rolled out in mid-2021 with Apple IOS 14.5. Upon initial download and open, all applications are required to gain users’ consent into cross-application and cross-web tracking.
Apple devices have a unique number called an “advertising identifier” that can be used to uniquely identify your device for the purposes of ad targeting and tracking, which have the opportunity for abuse and over-reach.
By associating this identifier with other information, app developers have been able to build incredibly detailed records of how you use your iPhone or iPad, including in other apps and across the web - which Apple ATT aims to squash.
Learn more here.
Shared User ID (Prebid)
Shared User IDs utilize declared and inferred identifiers to collect information, deliver messages and measure the performance of campaigns. While they are similar to cookies, they instead utilize hashed data that is either provided by the user (email address, phone, etc) or inferred from the browser/device (IP Address).
When looking at alternatives to cookies, Shared User IDs are one of the most popular solutions alongside cohorts. While different in the ways they track and measure results, these two alternatives share one main focus - user privacy and putting internet visitors back in control of their privacy.
Learn more here.
Steps For Your Marketing Team
Talk to your agency or your marketing team about what targeting audiences you have available to you through your programmatic platforms (Display, CTV, etc). They change frequently so make sure your team reports back to you with every campaign launch.
Track down and organize the 1st party data you currently have. It’s usually a lot of data and can be an overwhelming task but not utilizing that information is like sitting on a treasure chest of gold you don’t want to open because you’re too busy.
Talk to your agency or team about every possible idea to gather 1st party data and set a strategy for which ones you want to utilize and who is responsible for organizing that data and using it in future campaigns.
Pop ups on the website for newsletter, discounts, contests
Lead form campaigns
Quotes generated but not closed
Email campaigns to refer a friend, enter a chance to win, etc.
Once you’ve released those campaigns, follow them closely to see which incentives are getting the most people to convert and what the value is to you for that information. If 15% off gets more 1st party information than 12% off, are you willing to run with that?
4. Take advantage of turning 1st party data into 3rd party with lookalike campaigns.