Featuring Google’s recent announcement to block all the cookies for ad Targeting from its chrome browser in 2022, Apple has also given directives to its Safari browser to do the same. This seems a bigger change as it becomes the first mainstream browser to obstruct third-party cookies fully. According to a post by Apple’s WebKit engineer John Wilander, the third-party cookies for cross site-tackling will now be blocked by default in the browsers iOS 13.1 and macOS. This was concluded after various changes were made on their Apple Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) in iOS and iPadOS13.4.
Let us launch a discussion to highlight everything digital marketers need to know about ads targeting cookies. The post will highlight what it is, its benefits in marketing, and the reasons why browsing companies are buying into the idea of blocking them from their browsers.
What are Ads Targeting and Cookies
It is a marketing technique where advertisements are placed on particular screen points to increase their visibility and attract more clicks from web users. On the other hand, cookies are small files designed to gather information from you using your devices, thereafter displaying ads on your interest’s various topics. In other words, whenever you visit a page, they store the information, and the next time you visit the pages, they share the information with other advertisers, which display their ads related to the topics of your interests on your screen.
You should know the following facts concerning cookies.
- They are browser-specific. Another browser cannot access cookies created by one browser. For example, those created by Google Chrome cannot be accessed by firefox as they are stored in specific files.
- They are domain-specific. For security purposes, a domain cannot write or even read a cookie created by another domain.
Benefits of Ads Targeting in the Digital Marketing World
It Creates Relevant Leads
For web users, online advertisements are many times considered a nuisance. Whenever you are browsing, ads keep popping on your screens, and even worse, they are based on topics that do not concern you. With this technique, the advertisers can collect relevant information and reach their targeted clients by giving them what they are looking for on the internet. In this way, the clients are likely to click on the ad and go a long way into visiting your website and even purchasing your products, which leads to the company’s success.
It Leads to Less Wastage
The information collected includes the location of the different target clients, their gender, and age. It makes no sense if you go around blasting ads worldwide, not considering where the people you are reaching out to are located or who the people you are reaching out to are. For instance, if the product you are advertising is based on one continent while the client you are reaching out to is located on another continent, it will make little or no sense. With this marketing technique, you can know the exact location of your targeted clients.
It Creates a Win-Win Situation
When you reach out to the right clients, they can be impressed by the products you offer, and by clicking through the ad, they can make a purchase. This will help them get the product they wanted and buy from you. This is a win-win situation.
It can Help to Boost Brand Building
A targeted advertisement can lead to a distinguished brand building. In reaching out to the right people, the advertisements can be the beginning of a long journey in building an outstanding brand. If they are used well, the right clients can be successfully reached.
Despite the many benefits for digital marketers, many web users seem not to buy into the idea. They regard it as a nuisance and are afraid of their information’s safety. This becomes the reason behind the idea of browsing companies like Apple blocking them.
Reasons Why Companies are Prompting to Obstruct the Ads Targeted Cookies from their Browsers
Below are the reasons why Google and Apple companies decided to bar the ads from their browsers.
- It removes statefulness– The user information gathered by the ads targeting cookies poses a security risk. The information can be used for tracking purposes. Therefore, full third-party cookie-blocking ensures that there is no ITP state detectable through the blocking behavior.
- It disables login fingerprinting– The technique permits any website to detect where you are logged. This action is made possible by third-party cookies. In blocking them, the users’ security is further enhanced.
- Opening ways for other browsers to follow suit– By blocking the third-party cookies, Apple has become the second company to act after Tor Browser, paving the way for other similar companies. In other words, it enlightens other browsers and urges them to do the same.
- It makes things simple for developers– Whenever you want third-party cookies, you can easily use the storage access API.
Summary
For the digital marketing world, ad targeting is a simple technique that has seen many brands develop. However, as many browsers work toward protecting their users, they opt to block the cookies as it exposes the web users to too many risks. The marketers may exhibit a great loss due to little reach to their targeted clients. However, the Safari browser has some ways to help you reach out to your target clients in other ways. DirectiveGroup is here to help you navigate the system, give us a call.
