Soapbox: Does the demise of third-party cookies mean we’re back to the future?

The ad tech ecosystem is all atwitter over Google’s decision to eliminate third-party cookies from Chrome.

It’s bad news for those who monetize ads on sites with content of questionable value, often authored by automation. It’s also bad news for the ad tech industry that has taken 40% off the top by facilitating buying on those sites.

Oh, and it’s also bad news for agencies that will find media buying in a cookie-less world more costly less efficient. Who knows? Maybe buying media will become a creative profession again.

The winners? Brands and publishers.

Brands win because they’ll know their messages are appearing on sites publishing brand-friendly editorial and attracting quality audiences. They’ll spend more time being creative and less trying to verify that people actually engaged with their messaging.

Content publishers that invest in quality editorial in a brand-safe environment will also win in attracting loyal and engaged readers. Programmatic buying of inventory through marketplaces is likely to play a role, but the days of blindly buying low-cost inventory on low-rent sites may be ending.

Am I just nostalgic for the good old days? Or is this truly Back to the Future?

Soapbox is a special feature for marketers in our community to share their observations and opinions about our industry. You can submit your own here.

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

About The Author

Chris Elwell

Chris Elwell is CEO at Third Door Media, the leading provider of content and marketing solutions for digital marketers and the digital marketing industry. TDM websites and events – MarTech Today, MarTech Conference, Marketing Land, Search Engine Land, Search Marketing Expo, and Digital Marketing Depot – provide analysis and practical advice that helps digital marketers do their jobs more effectively. Chris has more than 30 years digital media and marketing experience in management, product development, marketing and editorial positions. Before founding Third Door Media, Chris was Vice President & General Manager of JupiterWeb, the online publishing division of what was then Jupitermedia Corporation (NASDAQ: JUPM). In that role, he was responsible for sales, marketing, editorial and production of JupiterWebs more than 100 websites.