Data solutions company Lotame has announced new research looking at the future of cookie-less advertising. The report surveyed 200 US-based senior execs in digital media and marketing to understand how their organizations are planning for the phase out of third-party cookies.
The big takeaway — the disconnect between marketers and publishers on contextual advertising.
Context Versus Behavior
According to Lotame’s report, two-thirds of marketers surveyed (66%) said that while contextual targeting is useful, it can’t replace audience targeting. Meanwhile, on the publisher side, nearly 70% (69%) said they’re confident that context can replace audience when third-party cookies disappear.
“Publishers and marketers aren’t on the same page right now,” says Lotame CEO Andy Monfried. “To enable relevant, responsible, and resilient advertising, marketers and publishers need to address this disconnect and work together on mutually beneficial outcomes. While publishers are leaning into contextual, it’s just one useful tactic to offer marketers, but it simply won’t scale unless you’re large enough. Publishers can win more business with a portfolio of identity options that together seize the full funnel of marketer objectives.”
In Search of an Identity Partner
Another key takeaway from Lotame’s report — nearly half of those surveyed (46%) are still looking for an identity partner, even as browser changes curtailing cookies go into effect. Of those, nearly one-quarter (23%) want to find one within the next 6 months and 23% are looking at a full year before onboarding a solution at all.
“As we approach the deadline to retire third-party cookies, publishers and marketers are in urgent need of privacy-friendly tools to understand and engage audiences at scale,” says Monfried.
Interoperability is Key
While everyone is talking about The Trade Desk’s Unified ID, marketers and publishers want choice and interoperability when it comes to a cookie-less ID solution. Lotame’s study found that the majority of marketers (60%) believe the future of identity targeting relies on multiple interoperable IDs.
“Choice and interoperability are paramount,” added Monfried. “There’s no single horse in this race, nor should there be one winner.”
Lotame’s survey results bode well for its own ID offering. In October, the company launched Lotame Panorama ID. Instead of relying on email addresses from logged-in users, Panorama ID couples web, mobile, CTV, and customer data to allow for targeting.
At launch, Lotame billed the new ID as “the first global, people-based identity solution for a cookieless open web.” The company recently unveiled Magnite, Advance Local, Sovrn, and Eyeota as early adopters.
