Irrespective of what Google says or does, the cookie has already crumbled, writes GumGum’s Tarlyn McStay. Brands that want to win should forget about ‘creepy’ tracking and think more about contextual relevance in where they show up.
As a bit of a sci-fi tragic, I love shows like Silo and Severance; the ones where entire systems are running in the background, shaping everything, and the rules seem to shift just when you think you’ve got a handle on them.
Lately, that’s been the reality of digital advertising. We’ve spent years preparing for the death of third-party cookies, only to have the timeline pushed back again. Google’s latest move, to keep cookies in Chrome and quietly remove the opt-out option, is just the latest example of the rules changing mid-game.
But here’s the thing: we don’t need to keep waiting for clarity. We already know what matters to consumers, because they’ve told us. Loudly.
Earlier this year, GumGum released its Digital Advertising Pulse Check to understand how Australian consumers feel about digital advertising today. According to the report, 69% of Australians say they find traditional tracking-based advertising either invasive or unsettling. And more than half of all respondents say they would be likely to stop using a brand if its ads felt too personal.
That’s not a small signal, it’s a wake-up call. People are asking us to do better. So the question becomes: are we listening?
As marketers, we have a choice: stick with outdated tactics or adapt.
Surely the future lies in advertising that respects privacy while still delivering results. This is where contextual advertising comes in. Rather than relying on personal data, it places ads in environments that naturally align with brand messages. It is relevant without being invasive and timely without being creepy. And best of all, it works.
The Digital Advertising Pulse Check found Aussies are over three times more likely to prefer contextually relevant ads to tracking-based ones. That’s not just a win for user experience – it’s a signal that brands who move away from surveillance-style advertising are earning more trust.
And with our proprietary attention intelligence, we’re not guessing whether something landed. We can see how long someone actively looked at an ad, and use that signal to understand if the message truly resonated. It’s how we know we’re reaching the right person, with the right creative, in the right moment.
I see it everyday in market; brands are ready for this shift. They want advertising that performs, but also builds long-term trust. It’s just that some players are pretending it’s not.
While cookies might still be part of the landscape today, the future belongs to those choosing relevance, respect, and real connection. So while Google hits pause on progress, we’re moving forward. We don’t need to wait for another plot twist; we’re already writing the next chapter. And the smartest brands? They’re not sitting back. They’re leading the way.
Tarlyn McStay is the Victorian sales director of GumGum.
