In conversation with Tejinder GilI, General Manager, The Trade Desk 

Google’s recent decision to phase out third-party cookies has sparked conversation among marketers, prompting a shift in digital advertising strategies. This move, driven by concerns over data privacy and ethics, is set to reshape the advertising landscape. As advertisers seek new avenues for delivering tailored content and measuring campaign success, solutions like Unified ID 2.0 and contextual targeting have gained traction. In light of these shifts, we interviewed Tejinder Gill to discuss the industry’s response to the removal of third-party cookies and the importance of first-party data and AI-driven strategies in enhancing consumer trust and delivering personalized content without compromising privacy,

Agency Reporter- How is the industry responding to the impending removal of third-party cookies, given their crucial role in digital advertising targeting?

Tejinder Gill- Cookies were never designed for advanced digital advertising tracking. They operate only in browser environments and are absent from the fastest-growing parts of the internet. As consumers shift towards OTT, music streaming, and online gaming, forward-thinking advertisers and publishers recognize that this moment presents an opportunity to create a better, upgraded internet.

In a cookie-free era, we will be shifting towards an ‘opt-in’ internet. As an example, cookies don’t exist in OTT platforms. All new-age platforms like OTT, CTV, Audio and PDOOH are independent of cookies. Advertisers should look at shifting their digital strategies towards these platforms. Instead, OTT viewers are authenticated and logged in, almost always via an email address or phone number. Where authenticated, logged-in audiences are available, advertisers are increasingly placing an increased premium as they have a clear sense of who they are reaching. 

Marketers, their agencies and their adtech partners are developing new identity technologies that safeguard consumer information and provide more consumer control. The Trade Desk is at the forefront of adopting new identity and authentication tools, including Unified ID 2.0, facilitating advertisers in reaching relevant audiences across all digital advertising channels. Meanwhile, tools like OpenPass offer a streamlined way for publishers to authenticate users and maintain control.

Agency Reporter- With the impending phasing out of third-party cookies, how is The Trade Desk preparing advertisers for this shift towards more privacy-centric approaches?

Tejinder Gill- The digital landscape today is rapidly being outpaced by newer forms of digital advertising on the open internet where consumers are spending more of their time. While cookies may have supported digital advertising for almost thirty years, they are not present in the most popular media channels that Indian users consume. Research shows that we spend a majority (52%) of our digital media time on the open internet – watching OTT video streaming, music streaming, gaming and on mobile apps.

Some of the best contents we enjoy comes from the open internet, and almost all of this is funded by advertising. As an industry, we need to do a better job of communicating the value exchange of the open internet, which is receiving free premium content in exchange for relevant advertising.

We realized long ago that we needed a new approach to identity –  one that gives users the power to decide how their data is used but also maintains the vital value exchange of the internet. As such, The Trade Desk spearheaded the development of Unified ID 2.0, an industry solution that reflects the contemporary digital marketplace, and advertisers’ need for a new approach that helps them manage campaigns and frequency, and measure across multiple digital marketing channels. 

This work was never really a response to cookies specifically – but rather, a collective recognition that the evolution of digital marketing requires a new approach to cross-channel management and measurement – so that we can improve the experience for consumers, advertisers and publishers. 

Agency Reporter- Could you elaborate on how Unified ID 2.0 fits into this new paradigm of advertising without third-party cookies? How does it address the challenges and maintain user privacy?

Tejinder Gill- Unified ID 2.0 is a new approach to identity that is adopted by the industry – the ID is safe and reliable, provides better transparency and control, and works across platforms. It empowers consumers through a privacy-conscious identifier linked to encrypted email addresses.

And the core of Unified ID 2.0 is that it puts the consumer in the driver’s seat. With this approach, Unified ID 2.0 will help preserve the value exchange of free content in return for relevant advertising in a way that helps advertisers drive precision, publishers drives revenue growth and provides more protection and control than ever for the consumer’s privacy.

This open-source identity framework has swiftly gained traction across the industry. Countless leading companies have joined this initiative including Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Criteo and Nielsen, The Washington Post and more.

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Agency Reporter- Could you discuss how the industry’s shift towards first-party data and AI-driven strategies will enhance consumer trust in digital advertising practices? How can advertisers strike a balance between delivering personalized content to users and respecting their privacy in a cookieless environment?

Tejinder Gill- Marketers should be considering the role of data and privacy in a cookie-free world, the potential of building authenticated audiences using new identity approaches and campaign optimisation with an omnichannel strategy.

Forward-looking marketers are approaching the next era of digital advertising by bolstering their first-party data. First-party data can enhance a marketing strategy, increase effective targeting, reduce wasted spend and improve the consumer experience — with access to more relevant ads, without sacrificing privacy.

While first-party data is a great starting point for advertising in the post-cookie era, it’s not enough on its own to enable state-of-the-art targeting and attribution. When you combine first-party data with relevant third-party data, you get a result that’s worth more than the sum of the parts.

Industry solutions like Unified ID 2.0 are helping marketers drive holistic, omnichannel campaigns that reach consumers in a privacy-conscious way across the open internet. With Unified ID 2.0, brands can start with authenticated first-party data and enrich that with third-party data to find the right relevant audience.

For example, pharmaceutical companies can benefit from weather data found on The Trade Desk’s marketplace. With this rich data source, marketers can combine existing customer data with third-party audiences of those affected by skin breakouts in warmer areas or people suffering from skin irritation in dry and cold areas.