The debate about third-party cookies has run for years, and Google’s plans for Chrome have changed more than once. Safari and Firefox already block third-party tracking cookies by default. Either way, the practical conclusion for a marketer is the same: rent less of your customer understanding from ad platforms, and own more of it yourself.
Know which kind of data you have
First-party data is what you learn through your own interactions: orders, site behaviour, service conversations and email engagement. Zero-party data is what customers tell you on purpose: preferences, occasions and what they’re shopping for. A page visit and a stated preference are different kinds of evidence, so treat them differently.
Only ask what you’ll use
Every extra question at signup or checkout costs you some customers. So the test is simple: will the answer change what we show or send this person? In gifting, asking whether someone is buying for a friend or for a business can change the products, quantities and delivery options that matter. If the answer changes nothing, don’t ask.
Segments beat blasts
At Active Safety, the same business sold to walk-in retail customers, online shoppers and B2B accounts through sales representatives. They needed different messages, and segmentation is what made that possible. The data was the relationship, written down.
Keep the record clean
Data is only useful if people trust it. Label what’s observed, what’s declared and what’s inferred. Keep preferences current and suppression lists working. Before anything goes out, check who you’re messaging and the rules for doing so; in Canada, that includes the consent requirements of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).
Judge it by the experience
List size is a vanity number. The real measure is whether customers receive more relevant messages and a better buying experience, and whether that shows up in repeat purchases.