Digiday+ Research: Agencies, brands don’t agree on specific path beyond third-party cookie expiration

Of the 146 industry pros surveyed by Digiday, 70% of agency and brand executives said their businesses are busy actively preparing for the end of the third-party cookie.

But when it comes to what specifically agencies and brands are working on to take them beyond third-party cookies, responses to Digiday’s survey were across the board. Among respondents, there was no majority concerning what agencies and brands are working on as a replacement for the third-party cookie.

First-party data, ad tech-built cookie alternatives and contextual targeting did come close: 49% of agency and brand execs said their businesses are investing more in technology to acquire first-party data, 45% plan on using ad tech-built alternatives to the third-party cookie and 45% are spending more on contextual targeting campaigns. Meanwhile, a third of agency and brand execs are looking to second-party data partnerships, Digiday’s research found.

And where does Google’s suggested replacement for third-party cookies – Google Topics – fall in the conversation among agency and brand execs? Among those surveyed by Digiday, more than 40% did not agree or disagree that Google Topics will effectively replace the third-party cookie.

Clearly, industry execs have plenty of drive and options when it comes to charting the path beyond the third-party cookie. But the map for measurement and targeting past the end of next year is far from complete.