Skip navigation

Read offline


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Overview
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

The ever-present cookie is officially going the way of the pop-up ad, and many are saying good riddance – but how should marketers proceed in a world without cookies when cookies were the cornerstone of their targeted marketing campaigns? The Boston Consulting Group surveyed and interviewed IT and marketing experts to explore a future where the ever-present cookie is no longer available for consumption. This report outlines their blueprint for post-cookie success. Spoiler alert: It involves putting together the right technology stack and hiring people with the skills to run it.

Summary

The internet marketing landscape is changing due to privacy concerns, but no one knows how to replace the ubiquitous data-gathering power of the cookie.

Apple is adding privacy features to the iPhone, Google is doing the same for its Chrome web browser and legislators have finally acted on the privacy concerns of the public. The result? Cookies, which have previously been an important source of consumer data for targeted digital marketing campaigns, will soon be obsolete.

When the Boston Consulting Group surveyed IT executives and senior marketers, one thing became increasingly clear: Everyone knew the marketing landscape was changing, but few knew how to address the changes. More than half were “unclear about how and when data privacy, collection and activation policies will change,” 62% said ...

About the Authors

Peter Dewey, David Ratajczak, Alex Barocas, Katie Kilborn and Abhishek Shrivastava are professionals with the Boston Consulting Group.