Email marketing in the spotlight due to the abolition of third-party cookies

There has been much discussion about the developments concerning privacy and third-party cookies. Due to regulations designed to protect consumer privacy, browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox are becoming increasingly strict. Some fear the end of (legally) collecting and utilizing consumer data. However, email marketing offers a solution. What is happening, and how does email marketing address this issue?

What's going on?

European regulations mandate that advertising platforms collecting data must adhere to rules and respect user privacy. Consumers do not want to be followed by ads. Since 2021, platforms are required to have explicit consent from consumers to collect and sell data. Technological developments also play a role: browsers are becoming stricter in accepting third-party cookies, making it legally and technically more challenging to collect data.

With third-party cookies, companies can link traffic from different websites. This allows showing ads based on internet behavior on unrelated websites. For example, if you search for an item in an online store and read the weather forecast on a different site the next day, you might see ads related to your search on the weather site. It's not a coincidence that the vacation you looked at yesterday suddenly appears on Facebook. Various developments aim to stop this.

Firstly, the sale of such data is being more strictly regulated: enforcement is being carried out, and companies that violate privacy rules are being fined (Enforcement tracker, 2024). Additionally, it is becoming technologically harder to collect this kind of data: developers of browsers like Google and Firefox have extensive plans to stop supporting third-party cookies.

What now?

Third-party cookies have been very beneficial for advertisers and entrepreneurs. People who visit your website and show interest in a product but don't buy it could still be reached with ads on other sites. This advantage is disappearing due to developments with third-party cookies. Therefore, there is a need for other ways to communicate with your visitors, even when they leave your website. Collecting data about your visitors needs to be done differently. This is where email marketing comes in.

Email marketing software is used to send personalized marketing campaigns to a selected audience. This requires an email address, so the first step is to encourage the consumer to leave their email address. When you have permission from your consumer to send newsletters and campaigns via email, you are compliant with privacy regulations. With Copernica, you can legally collect and use data and advertise in a personalized manner.

Email marketing allows you to continually reach your visitors in a very personal way. It does pose a challenge: you need to entice your visitors to leave their email addresses. You do this with a lead generation campaign to expand your email database. Subsequently, you enrich your profiles with a profile enrichment campaign so you can send relevant emails. For more tips, check out our article on how to start with email marketing.

In short, while data collection via third-party cookies may be coming to an end, this does not mean the end of data collection altogether. The power of email marketing goes beyond merely complying with privacy legislation. It offers companies the opportunity to build a direct and lasting relationship with customers. Through targeted and relevant email campaigns, you can increase engagement and strengthen customer loyalty. Additionally, email marketing provides the opportunity to gain detailed insights into your customers' behavior and preferences, which can further optimize your marketing strategies.

Finally, email marketing offers flexibility and scalability. Whether you are a small business just starting with email campaigns or a large enterprise with complex marketing needs, email marketing can be tailored to your specific requirements and goals. With Copernica, you can easily start and scale up as you grow while continuing to comply with all relevant privacy rules.

So, if you haven't started with email marketing yet, now is the time to make the switch. View the challenges around third-party cookies as an opportunity to renew and improve your marketing strategies and leverage the power of email.