Advertisers aren’t ready for the cookieless future and many agree with Google’s decision to delay the phaseout of third-party cookies, a new study from Taboola conducted on its behalf by YouGov has found.
Only 25% of advertisers are completely prepared for the cookie phaseout and 46% are happy with Google’s decision to delay the phaseout.
The new Taboola and YouGov study polled decision-makers in advertising and marketing to understand their level of preparedness for cookie deprecation, the effect they anticipate it will have on their business, and how it will affect their decision to invest in certain advertising channels.
According to the study, advertisers will change the way they spend in a cookieless world. 44% of advertisers anticipate shifting advertising spend to different channels, as the cookie is phased out.
Advertisers also see different channels as providing better performance and return on investment in a cookieless world. Search advertising and native advertising were among those ranked as the strongest.
The study polled 202 decision-makers in advertising and marketing, in companies with at least 100 employees. Fieldwork was conducted online and undertaken between 3 and 9 May 2024. The figures are unweighted.
Google delayed the end of third-party cookies in its Chrome browser in April, due to regulatory oversight in the UK.
This delay marks the third time Google has pushed back its original deadline set in January 2020.
In a statement, Google said it recognises there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators, and developers.
“We will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem,” the statement read.
“It’s also critical that the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has sufficient time to review all evidence including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June. Given both of these significant considerations, we will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4.”
Founder and director of ZRO FOX David Gaskill said the news demonstrates why smart brands and businesses are investing in owning their own data and diversification.
“Relying on and paying for big tech is like sitting on a freeway in neutral,” he said.
See also: Google delays end of third-party cookies for third time