In the early days of cookieless Chrome, publishers earned 45% less revenue per session from users who disabled cookies, according to data analyzed by ad platform Assertive Yield. The loss was actually a bit worse when Google’s Topics API was enabled. By some crazy coincidence, Google’s own AdX and Open Bidding win rates actually improved, meaning Google bought more ads at a lower rate.
Omnichannel supply-side platform OpenX has created a Cookieless Deal Library that will enable advertisers to evaluate the full range of cookieless targeting options to activate in the DSP of their choice. This will allow the testing of multiple cookieless solutions, including against each other, and the development of new success benchmarks. The options include, but are not limited to, alternative identifier deals, contextual deals and Privacy Sandbox Topics deals.
Now that it seems Google will really and sincerely deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome this year, advertisers are paying more attention to the search for alternatives. This Comscore Proximic study finds most of their money will go towards contextual data (28%) and first party data (27%). Despite the best efforts of adtech vendors and data compilers, alternative IDs rank last at 8%.
Google lashed out at the Department of Justice’s threat to break up the company, calling the proposals “radical.” Among other things, Google says the proposals would threaten users’ privacy, stifle innovation and break Android and Chrome. Given the appeals process, it will likely be years before we know whether Google will stay in one piece.