Soapbox: The death of cookies will bring new life to advertising

The death of cookies is a bitter pill for many of us to swallow, but it’s a transition that’s been a long time coming.

Since the beginning of online advertising, the potential to target consumers based on every little behavior meant that the internet wouldn’t just sell people stuff. It would work better than any other channel.

Now, digital marketing has become a victim of its own success. In the right hands, it sells products and creates great experiences. In the wrong hands, it swings elections, spreads misinformation and turns people against each other.

The era of cookies funded an entirely new media landscape – one where there are more aware and engaged users than ever before. A place we’ve never had more accessible tools that let us build better content and user experiences.

Even as the days of targeting consumers come to an end, the goal of better meeting consumers “where they’re at” remains. That means we have two great tasks at hand: telling stories that matter, and using strategies that put the consumer’s real needs front and center throughout.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Robert Ravensbergen

Robert Ravensbergen is a conversational AI evangelist at Automat, having worked in marketing, content and communications with a history of unearthing the latest trends and solutions. An avid reader, writer and lifting enthusiast, Robert graduated from McGill University with a degree in American History and International Relations in 2012.