Erin Mullaney, Media Director

I recently participated in a lively discussion with buy-side and sell-side ad executives to dive into the latest thinking around targeting, measurement, and—of course—cookies. While these conversations can sometimes get technical, here are 4 straightforward takeaways for marketers navigating this landscape:

Remember the Root Concern

It’s not just about the third-party cookie as a method for collecting and using data on internet users, but about the act of data collection itself. The issue of unclear consent and privacy won’t disappear with the cookie, which makes building trust and transparency with consumers while still effectively advertising the real challenge. At its core, 1:1 deterministic targeting and tracking, regardless of the method, is what fuels privacy concerns. While there are many alternatives to third-party cookies, some are just fixes for targeting and measurement, while others aim to solve the underlying issue. The latter are likely to be more sustainable as privacy regulations evolve.

Wait, I Thought Google Said the Third-Party Cookie Wasn’t Going Away?

Google decided it wouldn’t proactively phase out cookies but would instead allow consumers to choose whether they want to be tracked. This mirrors Apple’s rollout of iOS 14.5 and App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in 2021, where users were prompted to decide if they wanted apps to track them. At that time, 96% of iOS users opted out. Today, that opt-in rate has climbed to about 24%, as people grow more accustomed to these types of prompts. While Google is putting the decision in the hands of consumers, if the prompt is as direct as Apple’s, we can expect most users to opt out. This means third-party cookie alternatives are still very much in demand. (Source: Adjust)

Exploring the Alternatives

At CP, we categorize targeting and measurement approaches into two groups: Hyper-Targeted and Privacy-First.

Hyper-Targeted solutions are the easiest alternatives to third-party cookies because they preserve 1:1 deterministic targeting and measurement, making them compatible with current ad tech. This group includes identifiers like IP addresses, device IDs, universal/alternative IDs, and data matching methods like identity graphs and cleanrooms. Measurement alternatives here include server-to-server tracking. Although these solutions are often considered “more accurate than third-party cookies,” they may still face future regulatory scrutiny, as they don’t fully address the root privacy concern. Even if the data is anonymized, it’s still being collected, leveraged, and in some cases, linked to personally identifiable information like names and emails.

Privacy-First alternatives, on the other hand, break away from 1:1 attribution. The key difference here is using “unattached” data in targeting, measurement, or both, to avoid tracking individual consumers across their entire journey. For targeting, this could mean probabilistic targeting via survey-based, contextual, or cohort methodology. On the measurement side, it could involve aggregated or modeled results, as well as brand lift studies, test & learns, and media mix modeling. These solutions, specifically on the targeting side, are less widely adopted and often perceived as less effective, but it’s critical to test them as the landscape continues to evolve. At CP, we’ve seen some promising early results with these alternatives, even outperforming hyper-targeted methods in certain cases. We believe AI will further improve the ability to leverage unattached data signals to drive results.

Where Does First-Party Data Fit Into All This?

The role of first-party data largely depends on your business model. Knowing your customer will always benefit your marketing efforts, but building a robust first-party data strategy requires transparency and incentivizing consumers to share their information. For some brands, there’s an immediate value exchange—like providing an email to unlock content behind a publisher paywall. For others, data is collected post-purchase, which is less helpful for prospecting. Ideally, you can use first-party data as a seed list to reach similar audiences, but privacy-first alternatives may also limit the effectiveness of lookalikes. Thinking strategically about how you collect and utilize first-party data is essential to determining its value for your business.

Conclusion

The ad industry’s focus has shifted from simply finding alternatives to third-party cookies to addressing the bigger picture: consumer privacy. While hyper-targeted solutions continue to dominate, privacy-first approaches are gaining traction, and their relevance will only grow as regulations tighten. As brands and advertisers, it’s crucial to stay ahead by testing a variety of strategies and ensuring that your approach to data is both transparent and adaptable to the evolving landscape. The future of targeting and measurement lies in balancing effectiveness with privacy, and those who can master this will be well-positioned for success.

Kim Mazejka, Senior Media Planner
Lee Junkin, Programmatic Media Supervisor

We recently attended StackAdapt’s StackDay conference in Chicago, where we had the opportunity to dive deeper into not only StackAdapt’s current and upcoming features, but also the programmatic landscape as a whole. Here are our top learnings and insights from the conference:

Programmatic ad spend is growing rapidly, driven by increased demand for connected TV, Retail Media Networks, and digital out-of-home.

• Connected TV (CTV) is growing at the same pace that Linear TV is declining. eMarketer predicts that by 2028, spend will be even between the two before CTV takes over in dominance. The downside is that there is a current ceiling on CTV inventory due to lighter ad loads and a larger share of ad free viewers, which will lead to an inventory shrinkage. 
• Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are growing at a faster rate than traditional search, which has seen its spend peak. StackAdapt is beginning to explore the integration of RMNs into their platform in order to create more seamless omnichannel integration. However, this will likely be a long roadmap as most RMNs are hesitant to join the open marketplace despite it being a large source of growth. 
• OOH is the only medium that is growing yearly, with digital out-of-home (DOOH) being the main driver. Running DOOH through a DSP can create a feedback loop to further fuel retargeting audiences and provide measurement opportunities to prove effectiveness of this once unmeasurable channel. 

Users will accept personalization in exchange for handing over their data. 

• Less than 1 in 5 users always accept cookies when given the choice, and only 26% of Apple users are opting into being tracked across sites when prompted. 
• Despite not wanting to opt in to tracking, 72% of consumers report they would only engage with a personalized ad. If they know that their purchase history information will be used for these personalized ads, they will approve being tracked. 
• This decrease in device data will likely lead to PMPs and programmatic direct buys increasing in popularity due to precise targeting abilities without this data. 

Choosing the right DSP can create omnichannel opportunities for better optimization and measurement. StackAdapt’s capabilities and recent evolutions include:

• Tools to estimate incremental reach of a CTV buy against a Linear campaign to reduce duplication of efforts and reach a higher percentage of your target audience. 
• ABM-specific reporting to measure B2B campaign performance by company, company size, seniority level, etc.
• Ability to build in brand lift studies straight into any campaign
• Optimize campaigns toward engagement metrics and vetted inventory to ensure ads are running in high attention spaces on premium inventory

With all of this information now in our arsenal, we sailed off into the Chicago sunset on a beautiful river cruise to cap off the trip! 

Katie Coughlin, Associate Media Director 

I recently had the opportunity to attend Digiday’s Retail Media Strategies conference in New York City, where leaders in the space dove into the rise of retail media, providing an exclusive look into its evolving role. While retail media has existed in various forms for quite some time, it has swiftly emerged as one of the most effective strategies for driving revenue and enabling brands to engage shoppers throughout their journey. 

In this blog, I’ll shed light on the importance of embracing a full-funnel approach to best position brands for success because the future of retail media is not just about quick wins – it’s about building lasting connections with consumers and creating value at every touchpoint.

Retail Media’s Expanding Role

Retail media is evolving from a low-funnel tool to a powerful, full-funnel ecosystem. No longer just banner ads buried on a retailer’s site, retail media now supports a brand’s entire customer journey – from initial awareness to post purchase engagement. This holistic strategy helps build a deeper connection with consumers at every stage, rather than focusing solely on immediate sales. By incorporating retail media throughout the funnel, brands can increase visibility and recognition from the outset. This broader exposure helps establish brand presence and credibility, making consumers more likely to consider the brand when they are ready to purchase. 

A full-funnel strategy also allows for a more personalized and seamless customer experience. Brands can tailor their messaging and offers based on where the customer is in their journey, leading to more relevant interactions and a higher likelihood of conversion. Finding opportunities to cut through the sea of sameness with placements and messaging that will resonate will ultimately differentiate the brand, capture attention more effectively, and foster a stronger connection with the customer.

This conference emphasized the need for brands to rethink and evolve their approach to retail media. While relying solely on retail media as a sales tactic can lead to short-term gains, it may not sustain growth in the long run. By shifting from a narrow low-funnel tool to a comprehensive full-funnel strategy, brands can position themselves for steady, sustainable growth by fostering customer relationships and retention over time.

An increasing number of grandparents are now engaging in Skip-Gen travel, or traveling with their grandchildren. This trend has become more common due to longer, healthier lifespans and a new approach to retirement. In this report we explore the persona of the Memory-Making Grandparent, and what we can anticipate from this travel trend moving forward.

The US Open starts on Monday, August 26, 2024, and the world of tennis is buzzing with excitement. But it’s not just the tournament that’s capturing attention – tennis itself is experiencing a renaissance, transforming from a popular sport into a mega-trend that’s influencing fashion, lifestyle, and social media.

Check out the new face of tennis fandom:

Alyssa Stevens, Global Director of PR, Social Media & Influencer Marketing

The creator economy has officially arrived on the national stage, and if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that influencer and social media marketing are no longer just buzzwords. As the political landscape heats up, we’re witnessing the industry’s growing influence in ways that are impossible to ignore.

The recent inclusion of social media influencers in high-profile political events, like the Democratic National Convention and the White House’s inaugural Creator Economy Conference, marks a significant evolution in how political communication is unfolding. This isn’t just about politics recognizing the power of platforms like TikTok—it’s about the media landscape itself transforming. As the Global Director of Social Media & Influencer Marketing at Connelly Partners, I find this movement not just fascinating but vital for the future of how we engage with audiences.

Influencers, once primarily leveraged for brand awareness, are now pivotal players in the political arena. Their ability to engage with communities on a personal level makes them invaluable assets for candidates like Kamala Harris, who uses TikTok to connect with voters. The recent White House Creator Economy Conference, which gathered 100 professionals from my industry, discussed the future of digital content, touching on topics like AI, mental health, and fair pay. Similarly, the Democratic National Convention invited 200 content creators to cover the event, offering them an exclusive vantage point of the stage. These events are more than just milestones; they are a clear acknowledgment of the creator economy’s role in shaping public opinion and driving meaningful conversations. Having worked in the influencer and social industry for well over a decade, I see this as a moment that cements its journey from niche to mainstream.

For brands and agencies, this evolution should be a wake-up call. The creator economy is no longer just about product placements or brand endorsements; it’s about fostering genuine relationships and understanding the nuances of audience engagement. As political campaigns tap into the authenticity that influencers bring, recognizing that traditional advertising and news sources may not fully capture the attention of today’s audiences, brands must adapt.

Influencer marketing has been – and will continue to be crucial in any comprehensive campaign. Brands must collaborate more deeply with creators and platforms to harness the power of influencers in ways that truly resonate. Whether for political, social, or commercial purposes, this dynamic and ever-changing landscape demands a thoughtful, strategic approach to stay ahead. Now more than ever, it’s clear that the creator economy isn’t just a trend—it’s a driving force that will continue to shape the future of marketing and communication…and perhaps even the 2024 election! 

Katie Coccia, Senior Manager of Human Resources and Facilities

We just hosted another Connelly Partners Empowering Women’s Networking Event, which offered both CP and non-CP women the chance to meet someone new, make meaningful connections, and learn about personal brands. 

But what is a personal brand? And how is it different from a reputation? 

Simply put, a reputation is built on trust and is influenced by how others view your actions and conduct. A personal brand, however, is the image that you want others to have of you [1]. It is intentionally and strategically designed to convey your unique value and it sets you apart from others in your field [2]. It gives you the tools needed to fight imposter syndrome, all while helping you gain support from people who will elevate and speak up for you [3][4]. 

At the event, attendees wrote down one word to describe their personal brand and shared it with their peers. We saw many powerful words like evolve, curious, brave, and more. I left the event feeling energized and inspired, and I caught up with a few colleagues to hear their thoughts.

The personal brand word exercise was fun and uplifting. I liked how it painted a picture of everyone’s personalities and key strengths—highlighting how powerful we can be when we join forces and are eager to learn from one another. My word was “enthusiasm” as I take pride in approaching my work with positive energy and optimism—to encourage my teammates and create a more collaborative environment, even when facing challenges. – Courtney Marlow, Senior PR & Social Media Manager

This was my first women’s event. I got to talk to and connect with ladies at CP from other departments that I otherwise never get a chance to talk to. I feel like I learned more about them, and people learned more about me. My personal brand word was “trust!” I find when there is trust in the workplace, it builds the comfort to work and speak up especially when you have a new idea. – Chandani Patel, Staff Accountant

I loved meeting people in other roles and hearing about their work experience. My word was “authenticity.” I feel like with advertising authenticity is important. Telling stories in a way that resonates is important to me in my work, and it was cool to talk with folks in other disciplines who also shared that same value! – Alexa Caruso, Junior Art Director

Now that you know a little more about personal branding and why it is important, it’s your turn! What word describes your personal brand?

Watch for details on our next Women’s Networking evening. If you aren’t on the invite list please reach out to Ashley Campbell. 

Sources:

1. What’s the Point of a Personal Brand? – Harvard Business Review
2. A New Approach to Building Your Personal Brand – Harvard Business Review
3. Find Your Voice, Communicate Your Value: How to Build a Personal Brand as a Woman – LinkedIn
4. How Women Can Develop and Promote Their Personal Brand – Harvard Business Review 

Sports tourism is booming! More and more people are embarking on once-in-a-lifetime trips to attend major sporting events. From the F1 race to Wimbledon, The Masters, the COPA, or the Paris Olympics—take your pick! With the Paris Olympics in full swing, we’re diving into the profiles of those flocking to this grand and historic event. 

From die-hard sports fans, who are invested in every second of the action, to casual fans hoping to spot a celebrity or two, learn more about attendees of the Olympics!

Chris Watts, Media Technology Specialist

This past week’s news that Google will be keeping third-party cookies around might have broken the internet, but don’t worry— that’s about all it did to the web. After years of preparation and significant investment in cookie alternatives, the decision to keep third-party cookies alive has raised many questions about the future and renewed some ongoing concerns. 

While the immediate impact of this decision may seem minimal, let’s take a closer look at what this means for the future of privacy, advertising, and the digital marketing industry.

The Cookie Conundrum and Google’s Privacy Sandbox: A Closer Look at Third-Party Cookies

Lest we forget the original plan to deprecate cookies was driven by a desire to address privacy concerns. However, that sentiment was quickly lost as the industry came up with potential workarounds. Enter unique alternative IDs, identity graphs, and Google’s own Privacy Sandbox. Exactly as it sounds, the Sandbox is a fenced-in area with kids, or the marketing industry, playing with Google coined sandbox tools. These tools or “proposals” are aimed to replace the separate functions of the cookie and offer privacy-focused solutions for personalized advertising while minimizing data collection.

While the Sandbox and other alternatives do aim to give consumers more control over their privacy, the reality is that we are simply shifting our trust from one entity to another. Instead of rethinking data collection, we are merely transferring it to a corporation, which may end up holding as much, if not more, information as entities do now. Furthermore, by using tools that link online identifiers with personal information, we are, in fact, reducing privacy rather than enhancing it.

Shifting away from third-party cookies or adopting alternative technologies may appear to be a step forward, but it doesn’t address the fundamental issue. The real challenge lies in improving consumer choice alongside the handling of data. We need to find a way to give consumers genuine preference control over their privacy while still meeting the demands of effective and efficient marketing.

Navigating Industry Whiplash & The Road Ahead

I feel a mix of empathy and pragmatism about this situation. On one hand, companies have invested significant time, money, and resources into new processes that may now be adjusted or ultimately abandoned. However, it seems that few advertisers had fully embraced these new methods, partly due to skepticism about the deprecation actually happening. This period has been a valuable testing ground, forcing the industry to look within itself and explore alternative solutions, while bolstering the focus on consumer privacy. With enhanced understanding of our own internal processes, we as brands have a real opportunity to improve transparency and build trust with our consumers.

Food for thought – With consumer privacy in mind, we need to remind ourselves that brand awareness is not always positive. As a consumer there have been plenty of times that the same ads have popped up everywhere I go, and it’s actually turned me away from a brand or product. When a consumer is doing their everyday browsing, we need to think of both new and current places that they’re being presented with the choice. This is apparent in consent banners, which allow consumers to opt in/reject all third-party cookies. But even so, the choice is incomprehensible to the average consumer.

I ask the question – How do we include the consent banner as part of the consumer journey? Not only with the intention of more consumers hopefully “accepting all”, but for that split second when someone appreciates being clearly presented with the choice and told what accepting cookies will mean for their future browsing experience and relationship with the brand. This is a very powerful first step towards brand trust.

Conclusion: The Evolving Landscape of Third-Party Cookies and Privacy

The industry will continue to evolve and adapt, regardless of what Google does next. But like in any fable, the lessons learned along the way were not in vain. We’re back to tackling privacy concerns head on, with consumers. Which seems a lot more straightforward. And when we look at that – it should never have been just about third-party cookies, but any 1:1 identifier. And that discussion still needs to be had.

But for the few early adopters that created truly privacy-first approaches (as opposed to the slew of cookie workarounds we saw) – congrats. You saw the forest through the trees and have something that’s actually future proof. And for agencies and advertisers, remember that no policy or software update can take away research and understanding of your customers, your media investments, and your business results.

By focusing on assessing performance against real business results – be it correlating results over a long period of time, test and learns, or more sophisticated data science models, you will be able to continue to evolve and stay successful amidst the ever-changing industry.

Grace Alimo, Paid Social Media Assistant

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen some drastic changes in X, Instagram, and LinkedIn that will not only change the way we consume social media, but also change the way we advertise on the platform. It’s important to stay informed about these rapid changes on platforms to make sure your social media strategy is modern, adaptable, and high-performing. Here are the top three social media updates you need to know. 

X Is Now Allowing Explicit Sexual Content… WHAT!?

As of June 2024, X allowed “not safe for work” content, putting advertiser and client brand safety at risk. A recent Variety feature shares a statement from X in its updated usage policies: “You may share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior, provided it’s properly labeled and not prominently displayed.” This raised alarms for both consumers and advertisers who don’t want their ads next to sexually explicit content. As advertisers, brand safety is a table-stake and thus an important consideration. X has released that they will support advertisements near these types of explicit posts. However, the platform also offers controls to avoid appearing next to this type of content if you are worried about brand safety. So, check your campaigns to ensure these controls are applied!

Instagram Is Rolling out Unskippable Ads… 

Instagram is now testing ad breaks, which force users to stop and watch an ad for 3-5 seconds, which will be disruptive for users. PRWeek recently polled 525 people on LinkedIn to see how consumers would react to these unskippable ads. 51% of users said they would delete the app, 7% said they would pay to have the ads go away, and 41% said they would just live with the unskippable ads. While only time will tell if these poll results hold true, we do expect this to be an unfavorable update that’s bound to frustrate some users. On the contrary, if adapted, this could be great for advertisers to leverage, as the average watch time per video on social media is :01 second. Unskippable ads could allow for better attention by utilizing the longer time for more messaging.

LinkedIn Adds New Premium Video Ad Placements and AI

LinkedIn is launching a new program called “The Wire,” which allows advertisers to purchase 3 to 15-second-long pre-roll ads on trusted publisher content on the LinkedIn platform itself. When users watch a video on LinkedIn from one of the trusted publishers, they will be forced to watch an ad first. LinkedIn has connected with the following companies: Barron’s, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Forbes, MarketWatch, NBCUniversal, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, and more. This is exciting because advertisers are now able to place advertisements on reliable, brand-safe company videos from publishers that have a large audience.

LinkedIn is also rolling out AI integrations. These Automated “Accelerate” Ad Campaigns will enable marketers to use generative AI for their campaign creative. This is comparable to the Meta Advantage Plus campaign which allows Meta to automatically generate AI campaigns rather than manually building them. These AI features enable your entire campaign creation process to be automatic, saving valuable time for advertisers. This will allow LinkedIn’s algorithm to find users to connect with your brand and drive better performance with your campaign. However, when using AI campaigns, advertisers lose some control of specific targeting. This can be alarming for advertisers as we always want to be more intentional about what ads are being served to specific users at the correct moment. We use AI sparingly, in controlled instances throughout campaigns to improve performance without changing our targeting or brand message.