A survey of 200 U.S. senior decision makers fielded in December 2020 found 60% believe the future of advertising relies on multiple, interoperable ID solutions, whereas 22% think only one is necessary, and 7% say no identity solution is necessary in the future. Ten percent think only walled gardens will be necessary.

Data company Lotame released the findings from its report — Beyond the Cookie: The Future of Advertising for Marketers & Publishers — to estimate the number of companies that have plans for life without third-party cookies.  

Some 66% of those marketers believe that while contextual targeting is useful, it cannot solely replace audience targeting. Twelve percent of marketers said they have zero confidence in contextual targeting as a replacement, but it appears that publishers do not agree.

Some 69% of publishers are confident their contextual targeting can replace audience targeting when third-party cookies disappear.

Only 38% of publishers are looking for an alternative for the potential loss of third-party tracking, with 16% using more contextual and intent data in the meantime while they search for a longer-term solution. 

Although they are leaning toward contextual targeting, 93% of publishers report using supplemental data with their first-party data.

Some 64% say they use survey and panel data, while 58% use marketer data, 40% use second-party data from other publishers, and 40% use third-party data from reputable vendors. About 31% of publishers admit they need help finding quality data partners.

The data also shows that 27% of marketers and publishers have decided to use an identity graph, while 46% continue to look for a partner. Of those, 23% want to settle on one within the next six months, while 23% will give themselves one year.

About 17% said budget is a key barrier to onboarding this type of a solution.