We’ve seen this movie before: Advertising effectively as the cookie endures

By Matt Coote, Country Manager Australia, GumGum

Google’s recent announcement to leave cookies as they are in its Chrome operating system got me thinking of the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.

For those who haven’t seen this 90s comedy (which is probably most people under 30), the basic premise is that every time the main character wakes up, it’s the same day - again and again and again.

Where Google is concerned, over the last three to four years it feels like there is an annual occasion where the company announces essentially the same news - cookies aren’t going away - and we as an industry collectively respond.

Already others have pointed out that there may be more than a little political strategy behind its most recent move.

But whatever its motives, I’d argue that we’re all better off focusing on what the consumer really wants, rather than the decisions - or repeated non-decisions - of tech’s biggest player.

Matt Coote

The team at GumGum has long held views regarding how consumers feel about identity-based advertising. So we decided to test our theories, and shared the findings earlier this year with the release of our Digital Advertising Pulse Check.

And lo and behold, we were confirmed in our belief that third-party cookies, without an opt out option, were categorically not what Australians expect from their online experiences.

The report revealed that 69% of Aussies feel traditional tracking‑based ads are either 'invasive’ or ‘unsettling’. Furthermore, when a brand’s ad feels invasive or too personal, 56.2% of consumers said they are very likely or somewhat likely to stop using that brand’s services.

It’s a clear sign that advertisers that stick with this approach are running the risk of eroding consumer trust - something that isn’t easily won back.

So rather than potentially alienating people, the most sensible path forward for brands today is to lean into contextual advertising and attention measurement strategies. Doing so both respects privacy and meets people where they are, at precisely the right moment.

In practice, this means placing ads in environments that naturally complement brand messages. Again, quoting from our Pulse Check, Aussie consumers told us that doing so was much more likely to lead to a positive outcome. In fact, more than three times as many people said they prefer contextually relevant ads to the cookie-based alternative.

I’ll sum up by tossing in a spoiler: at the end of Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s jaded character eventually takes a more virtuous path by treating those around him with dignity and respect, ending the repeating cycle. My best advice for brands is to follow his lead and ensure that your advertising is similarly respectful.

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