‘It hasn’t changed our plans’: Despite Google’s cookie setback, Vodafone presses forward in search for alternatives

Counting on Google to furnish a rock-solid alternative to advertising sans third-party cookies is like betting on a roll of the dice, especially with the recent hiccup in its grand scheme. That’s probably why marketers at Vodafone in the U.K. aren’t losing sleep over the news. For them, it’s just business as usual, continuing their own preparations for advertising without relying on those cookies.

A core part of their plan is first-party IDs, which are unique to the digital platforms where they’re set. Essentially, these are IDs issued by a publisher aiming to monetize their audience. They provide a means to run targeted advertising campaigns without third-party cookies, and unlike other alternatives, these IDs are set by the publishers themselves, minimizing the risk of data leakage — an outcome that’s undoubtedly advantageous for people’s privacy and, consequently, less likely to attract regulator scrutiny.

However, there are some clear disadvantages to these IDs as well. With each publisher issuing them, all must be linked with advertisers’ own IDs, making the environment incredibly complex and therefore more difficult to match all those IDs.

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.