A Marketer's Ultimate Guide to Web Cookies

A Marketer’s

Ultimate Guide 
to Web Cookies

A Marketer’s Ultimate Guide to Web Cookies
Part 1:

Web Cookies 1 1

First off — what are web cookies?
A web cookie is a tiny piece of code added to and stored in a user’s
web browser after they visit a particular website.
 
It typically stores two types of data
An identifier for the unique user, which does not include
identifiable information, such as a name or email address.  
Instead, cookies delivered by websites include randomly generated
IDs that are typically long strings of random letters and number
Information about the user, such as what actions you took or  
what browser you’re using

How are web cookies used in

digital marketing today?
Storing important data, such as the items you’ve
added to your shopping cart, as you navigate a websit
Session management — if you’ve ever had Google
autofill your login details or autocomplete your
address at checkout, those are cookies at work
Streamlining the customer journey by offering
personalized product rec
Personalizing a website experience based on each
user’s preferences
Retargeting ads that remind you to finish shoppin
Assessing and measuring marketing performance

What are the different types of cookies?
First-Party Cookies
These cookies come directly from the
website you visit, collecting data like
pageviews and session length.
Persistent Cookies
Cookies designated as persistent can stay with
your browser for years if not cleared—these are
used to track long-term user behaviors like the
total number of lifetime interactions with a  
given site.
Third-Party Cookies
Cookies used most frequently by advertisers,
information gathered by third-party cookies is
shared with others by the website publisher.
These cookies may be dying off as new regulations
and features limit the collection of data.
Session Cookies
Used solely by HTTPS websites, secure cookies

facilitate safer transactions and are often  
used by payment services and banks.
Session Cookies
Usually expiring moments after closing a

browser, session cookies keep users logged

in and retain temporary information like  
items placed in a checkout cart.

Part2:

Challengesof

Third-Party ’s
AMarketer’sUltimateGuidetoWebCookies

What are the privacy concerns  
surrounding third-party cookies?
As users grow more accustomed to personalized and cross-channel
advertising, they’re also on guard to third-party tracking and
— specifically the amount of data that companies have on
them, what they do with it, and whether or not they’ll sell it to other
advertisers.

To combat these concerns, the EU passed the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) in 2016, while California passed a similar state statute,
the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), in 2018.

( to all of the most important privacy terms to know!)
its effect on
digital privacy
Here’s a guide

And beyond privacy concerns,

cookies have always had

technical drawbacks:
Inaccurate identification
for multiple people
Poor identification for multiple
computers/browsers
Varying web experiences  
for different browsers

Google Chrome’s third-party 
cookies changes:
In January of 2020, Google announced that its browser,
Google Chrome, will follow the footsteps of Safari and
Firefox and phase out support for third-party cookies. 
It’s a collaborative approach to develop an advertising
solution that is healthy for users and everyone else in
its ecosystem, from ad companies to publishers to
digital brands. 
When Google made its announcement last year,  
they estimated a two-year timeline. However, it later
clarified that this was not a hard deadline but rather  
a recommended timeline for companies to begin
exploring alternatives to third-party cookies.


Part 3:

Digital Marketing
Without Third-Party ’s

Is this the end of digital marketing?
Contextual Targeting
Email Marketing
Nope. In fact, it’s far from it. There are a whole host of digital marketing  
tools and tactics you can use to plug the hole left by third-party cookies:
Emerging channels
Ex. SMS marketing and connected TV
Retargeting will still be possible through

FLEDGE

Double down on first party data.
As we pivot away from third-party cookies,
. This includes information that
brands collect directly from customers, such as phone
numbers and email addresses.

Here are some ideas on how to build your email or SMS list
Opt-in first-party data sharing before users can access
free content, such as tutorials or downloadables
Newsletter sign-ups that unlock a discount
Post-purchase surveys
first-party data
will gain even more value

How can marketers prepare for the transition?
As marketing leaders, you must actively future-proof your business with concrete
actions beyond familiarizing yourself with the changes regarding third-party
cookies. Start by driving brand awareness to your site for more potential
customer profiles, and ask yourself:

How many of my marketing channels currently rely on
third-party cookies? How will my revenue be impacted
once third-party cookies are no longer supported?
Which other user identifiers can I lean on besides
third-party cookies
What are the non-third-party-cookies marketing tools and
channels that I can invest in? What is the timeline required
to begin these new efforts?

Follow us!
Subscribe to Our Newsletter: 
Ecommerce Marketing Minute!
Sign up to: 
Get the subscriber-exclusive Ecommerce
Marketing Cheat Code for marketing of the
month delivered directly to your inbox
Be the first to get access to resources that help
you grow your brand
Have priority registration for limited capacity
expert-led ecommerce marketing workshops,
brand exposure and personal development
opportunities, and community events

A Marketer's Ultimate Guide to Web Cookies

More Related Content

What's hot (19)

Similar to A Marketer's Ultimate Guide to Web Cookies (20)

More from AdRoll (6)

Recently uploaded (20)

A Marketer's Ultimate Guide to Web Cookies