The Digilant team spoke with Greg Williams, President at Audigent, for our Partner Predictions video series!
Check out our previous installments featuring insights from FreeWheel and Oracle Advertising.
With data deep in their roots, Audigent is actively working to prepare agencies and brands for the onset of cookie deprecation. In our discussion, Greg emphasizes the importance of building a plan, testing outcomes, and working in tandem with partners to build strong cookieless solutions moving forward.
The new year is a big one for our industry as Google will deprecate third-party cookies. What can agencies do today to prepare for deprecation as it pertains to audience targeting?
“There’s strength in numbers, and that’s how you implement policy change and that’s how you work with the rest of the ecosystem.” – Greg Williams, President at Audigent
The topic of cookie deprecation has been an ongoing one — dating back to 2019. Google announced the commencement of cookie deprecation for Q1 2024, starting at 1% of traffic until eventually reaching 100% by late 2024. Amidst the ongoing speculation and uncertainty surrounding delays and the post-third-party cookie landscape, Greg suggests the following: plan assuming firm dates, set internal expectations, and allocate testing budget.
It’s crucial for advertisers to be aligned both within the organization and external partners. By adhering to the expected dates, organizations can accurately plan their initiatives, involving testing external IDs in different browser environments, exploring protected audiences, and aligning with technology partners focused on mutual interests.
As agencies and brands embark on these testing periods and preparations, Greg also highlights the importance of being vocal in the space. Because this is an initiative across the entire ecosystem, there is strength in numbers, and taking initiative at this time will set you up for success through 2024 and beyond.
What should agencies and their advertisers consider when looking at contextual targeting as a cookieless solution to reaching audiences?
Contextual advertising is a critical tactic for advertisers as we head into the cookieless future. With contextual advertising, agencies and brands can leverage a solution that is brand safe, keeps consumer privacy top-of-mind, and delivers a great user experience to the consumer, targeting particular keywords and topics that are of interest to the viewer. Greg stresses the need for advertisers to have a solid foundation in contextual advertising and aligning their strategies with the evolving landscape.
To obtain the most optimal outcomes with a contextual strategy, advertisers should consider factors such as solution capabilities, activation methods, measurability, technology infrastructure, and consumer privacy. Understanding where the data is coming from, how your team can easily access contextual solutions, and implementing a method of measurement will be critical for your team’s success. From an external standpoint, aligning these goals with your partners will allow you to, as Greg stated, “work together on solving challenges and working for what is in your best interest, to drive your own portfolio of brands, of campaigns — whatever that might be.”
Thank you to Greg Williams and the Audigent team for your time! Stay tuned for our last segment of 2024 Partner Predictions.