These changes will significantly impact how data is captured and used, especially in advertising.

Third-party cookies have been a big part of digital advertising. They let advertisers track what users do online to create personalised ads and measure how well they work. But privacy and data security concerns have led to a rethink of these practices, and Google first announced a planned phase-out back in 2020.

The delay until 2025 is an opportunity for businesses to rethink and revamp their digital marketing strategies. Here are the steps we're suggesting our clients take to get ready for cookieless:

• Focus on First-Party Data: Incentivising website visitors to share their information with you is a great way to build out your database. This will help to serve relevant advertising but ensure you have permission to use customer data in this way.

• Use Contextual Advertising: At SHIFT we’re experts at connecting cycling brands with riders across all disciplines, globally. To do this we apply our understanding of what content cyclists love to read and watch to pair this content with relevant and impactful advertising. This approach doesn’t rely on cookies and there is no inventory wasted on audiences who are not relevant.

• Implement Server-side Tracking: Tools like Google Analytics and Meta Business Manager rely on third-party cookies to record and capture website behaviour, a critical function for planning and buying paid media. Implementing server-side tracking allows for user information to be tracked using client servers rather than browser cookies, ensuring we can continue to understand how campaigns are performing but in a more data-secure way.

If you haven’t yet begun preparing for the Cookieless future then now is the time to get started. Drop Tom, our Head of Media and SEO a note on tom.king@shiftactivemedia.com if you need some support.