2022 has already been identified as a year of digital transition and evolution. Highlights include the emergence of new technologies and the (r)evolution toward improved user privacy on the Internet. These indicate a present and future moment of change that will affect both people and brands.

The metaverse, cryptocurrencies, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), are some trends that brands must understand to best reach their target audiences.

But before looking to the future, we need to remember our homework from 2021: adapting our digital activity to fit the new reality focused on privacy.

We estimate that companies that do not adapt to the current changes in privacy will lose up to 25% of their data if they do not implement new Privacy solutions.

User privacy online is something that fully affects both consumers and companies. With the disappearance of third-party cookies, companies and brands must find new ways to ethically collect and measure user data, while continuing to offer personalized experiences to each user.

Today, on Data Privacy Day, we tell you how you can best adapt and operate with the new privacy rules in order to keep making the most of your data.

2022, privacy’s peak

Companies that utilize customer data must rethink the way they operate online with the disappearance of third-party cookies. User privacy regulations (like the California Privacy Rights Act) affect:

• what data we collect
• how we collect it, and
• how we activate it in our strategies

In the words of Paula Gómez, Data & Adtech Director at Making Science, “If we don’t adapt to this new scenario, it will lead to two major errors. First, it means that we are not respecting the relevant regulations, nor our customers. Secondly, it means our activity cannot be correctly measured, leading to errors in measurements and activations that will affect our business.”

To mitigate these effects, companies must integrate First-Party Data: customer data that the company owns directly. It’s crucial to make this data central to the marketing strategy. Then you can have control over the platforms that capture, process, and activate this data, working within an integrated ecosystem.

Along with this new strategy, we recommend implementing solutions that can help us develop campaigns and actions with the same normality as in the past.

Our most recommended solutions for a cookieless future include:

• Google Analytics 4
• Consent Mode
• Server to Server (S2S)

Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4, or simply GA4, has new capabilities that improve user identification across devices and platforms; new capabilities to measure and gain compliant insights; and machine learning-based capabilities for new and advanced insights.

Consent Mode

Another option is Google’s Consent Mode. This solution allows Google tags (analytics and advertising) to adjust their behaviour based on the user’s consent. It can send the information as usual if the user consents. If not, it will send a cookieless ping.

Server to Server (S2S)

Server to Server uses server-side tracing, where a single tag sends information to the server and from there redirects the strictly necessary information to each platform, creating a more secure data flow.

Which option is best for you?

These days, privacy is a very serious matter. Companies must keep their online experience relevant and personalized without compromising the privacy of their customers.

If you haven’t gotten started yet, don’t wait until it’s too late. Our team of Google and first-party data experts would love to help you and your team prepare for this and the many other upcoming changes in the market.

Reach out to us at info@makingscience.com to book a call and see how we can help.