A Taboola study conducted on its behalf by YouGov, focused on advertiser reactions to cookie deprecation has revealed that advertisers are bracing for the cookieless world and despite a recent decision by Google to delay the cookie phaseout, advertisers still have questions about their readiness for the new world and the ultimate effect on business results it will have.
The new Taboola/YouGov study polled decision-makers in advertising and marketing to understand their level of preparedness for cookie deprecation, the effect they anticipate it will have on their business, and how it will affect their decision to invest in certain advertising channels.
Key highlights include:
- Advertisers aren’t ready for the cookieless future and many agree with Google’s decision to delay the phaseout. Only 25 percent of advertisers are completely prepared for the cookie phaseout and 46 percent are happy with Google’s decision to delay the phaseout.
- Advertisers will change the way they spend in a cookieless world. 44% of advertisers anticipate shifting advertising spend to different channels, as the cookie is phased out.
- Advertisers see different channels as providing better performance and return on investment in a cookieless world. Search advertising and native advertising were among those ranked as the strongest.
Earlier this month, at the Cannes in Cairns conference, leaders from Taboola Australia shared insights with the audience from successful finance campaigns executed on the Taboola network. These campaigns demonstrated impressive performance within Taboola’s contextual environment. These brands found significant success, reinforcing the potential of cookie-free digital advertising.
Taboola told the audience that the “cookieless monster eats everything” and brands need to be ready. For example, a top three global credit card provider recently tested and moved its digital campaigns to a cookieless approach and the additional scale and efficiency is delivering three times higher monthly average conversions, while a national bank showed a 40% lower cost per acquisition when using Taboola’s first party data compared to third party cookie-based data.
When asked what advice Taboola’s leaders would give to Australian brands worried about the impact of cookie deprecation on performance marketing, the company shared three key strategies:
- Ensure your critical conversion measurement will continue to work properly. Measure on-site performance only from clicks (not impressions), and measure it without any cookies involved.
- Move away from cookie-dependent targeting strategies. First party and context data from your publisher or tech partner will always scale better and likely perform better. Test it in your campaigns.
- Stay resilient and adaptive. Understand that only 25% of advertisers surveyed think they are ready for the transition. Embrace the uncertainty, remain flexible, and avoid committing to a single solution for now.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The independent YouGov study was conducted on behalf of Taboola, and polled 202 decision makers in advertising and marketing, in companies with at least 100 employees. Fieldwork was conducted online and was undertaken between 3rd – 9th May 2024. The figures are unweighted.
