NOTE: This is an update to “Google Delays its Third-Party Cookie Deprecation for A Third Time” based on Google’s announcement on 7/22/24.

After many delays and roadblocks over the years, Google has announced that they are abandoning their plans to eliminate third-party cookies. This decision likely comes as a surprise to marketers who have been diligently preparing for a “cookie-less world.” 

Google initially intended to deprecate cookies from their Chrome browser due to consumer privacy demands. However, they have repeatedly delayed this change as they made efforts to support advertisers and ensure regulatory compliance. Now, Google says that instead of getting rid of third-party cookies entirely, they will instead prompt users to set their own preferences around cookies, empowering individuals to opt out while still allowing cookies to exist.

Despite this course correction from Google, marketers should still prioritize data gathering tools and strategies outside of cookies – and Listrak can help.

Refine your data strategy beyond third-party cookies

There isn't a true 1:1 replacement for third-party cookies, but there is an opportunity for retailers and brands to level up their identity and data collection strategies. At Listrak, we believe retail marketers can stay on the pulse of their shoppers' behavior by prioritizing an active and focused approach to collect zero-party and first-party data from their owned channels – website, email, SMS, push, etc.

Savvy marketers know that data freely provided by our customers (zero party) or data collected with their consent based on shopping behaviors (first party) is more powerful in moving the engagement, loyalty, and conversion needles than third-party aggregated data collections from anonymized audiences.

• 83% of consumers are willing to share their data for a personalized experience - Accenture
• 71% of customers feel frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal - Segment

Listrak helps marketers collect data and power deeper customer connections

1. Listrak’s Growth Xcelerator Platform (GXP) is identity resolution marketing in action

GXP adds a layer of identity to your website to help you capture and identify the anonymous traffic that hits your site. GXP uses strategically aggressive acquisition tactics to compile as much zero-party data as possible. Then hyper-personalized tactics come into play to help capture first-party data from these site browsers, and personalized offers are used to get the browsers to convert in that first session.

2. Leverage SMS to collect customer preferences in real time

While you can always collect responses from your customers through onsite forms, Preference Centers, and quizzes, the conversational nature of SMS allows for an even more efficient way of collecting this kind of data. Info Campaigns and Data Acquisition Campaigns via text provide opportunities to ask your contacts what they’re shopping for, what their ideal size is, where they prefer to shop, and more. You can even collect their birthdate to trigger a personalized birthday campaign to deliver a special treat on their special day.

3. Dynamic Product Recommendations deliver 1:1 personalization and increase revenue by 30%

Use first-party browse, cart, and purchase data – along with the data you collected in #2 above – to inform the product and content recommendations that you show to each customer onsite and via email throughout their shopping journey. Furthermore, Recurring Automated Campaigns are a great evergreen send that can be built entirely of recommended products highly relevant to the customer, helping to increase lifetime value and loyalty.

4. Popups are a best practice

Entrance and Exit popups, Two-Step flows, and Tap-to-Join functionalities on mobile are all proven to acquire new subscribers (especially when paired with a compelling incentive). Listrak provides you with the tools you need to collect, analyze, and build with first party data by collecting email & SMS opt-ins. The data collected is yours to leverage.

5. Re-engage and Winback using first-party data

Use your first-party data to create lapsing/at-risk automated email and SMS journeys based off the order information you receive from customers across multiple channels to retarget them before they fully churn. Remember: It costs more to acquire a customer then to retain a customer.

6. Increase Conversions and Lifetime Value with Predictive Analytics

Predictive Analytics looks at customer behavioral data mixed with AI, machine learning, and statistical models to access the likelihood of what will happen next. You can then engage through automated segments based on “likelihood to purchase or click” or “what product affinities a customer may have,” etc.  As customer behavior evolves, predictive models automatically retrain.

With or without cookies, privacy and compliance are critical for deliverability, so make sure you are up to date on the latest regarding GDPR, CCPA, CASL, CAN-SPAM, etc.

Collect crucial data to support your cross-channel marketing strategy with Listrak

At Listrak we strive to be more than just a platform. We work to be an extension of your digital marketing team – helping you succeed now and in the future. Partner with your account manager and GXP strategists to maximize your first- and zero- party data collection, then use strategy in the platform to harness that data and drive growth.