How Media Ad Sales Teams Are Reorganizing for Third-Party Cookie Deprecation

Navigating the post-cookie landscape with the right tools and strategies 

In the ever-evolving digital advertising landscape, few developments have garnered as much attention and speculation as Google’s impending deprecation of third-party cookies in Chrome. After years of anticipation and delays, this long-discussed shift is finally becoming a reality. This is a pivotal moment for media companies that require strategic adaptation to maintain competitiveness and relevance. Marketers have known this was coming for some time, and after a slow start, most surveyed in a new study said they felt prepared for the first wave of deprecation. 

Yet, as Google moves forward with phasing out third-party cookies completely, media ad sales teams must proactively—and holistically—reevaluate their approaches and reallocate resources to navigate this new world. 

At Boostr, we work with top-performing and high-growth media companies around the globe, giving us a front-row seat to observe how Sales teams are adapting to the changes.

Here are five key strategies we’ve observed sales teams pursuing in response to deprecation:

1. Emphasis on first-party data utilization.

Third-party cookie data has traditionally fueled audience targeting and tracking across the web. With its impending loss, ad Sales teams are doubling down on harnessing the power of their first-party data. 

That entails leveraging direct relationships with audiences to collect valuable insights and preferences. As such, we’ve noticed media companies investing more heavily in technology and infrastructure to gather, manage, and activate their data effectively. This is a critical piece of the post-cookie puzzle. By prioritizing first-party data, Sales teams can maintain a deep understanding of audience behaviors and preferences without relying on external tracking mechanisms. It’s empowering and creates sustainability, giving our Sales teams the confidence and capability to navigate this new landscape. 

2. Expansion of audience insight work

In preparation for the demise of third-party cookies, Sales teams are ramping up their efforts to gather audience insights. This involves thorough user demographics, behaviors, and interests analyses to develop robust audience profiles and incentivize individual users to share more information. 

These insights are crucial to targeting and allow publishers to better understand their audiences and effectively personalize advertising solutions. Additionally, investing in audience insights enables ad Sales teams to uncover new opportunities for segmentation and targeting, enhancing the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns in a cookieless environment. This information can also help publishers create products that align with their customers’ needs and desires. Letting first-party audience insights inform product development can be a win-win, allowing publishers to deliver better user experiences that drive the higher engagement advertisers seek. 

3. Investment in first-party data analysis tools

Sales leaders need to invest in advanced analytics tools and technologies to extract actionable insights from their first-party data. These tools enable teams to analyze sophisticated data and uncover patterns, trends, and correlations within their audience data. By leveraging cutting-edge analytics, media companies can derive valuable insights from audience behavior, preferences, and purchasing intent. 

Products like Boostr’s combined OMS and CRM offer reporting tools designed for media companies, allowing teams across the organization to turn their data into insights that drive strategy. These insights can be significant for sales teams, empowered to deliver more targeted and impactful advertising campaigns. Sales teams can also use this information to identify more opportunities for upsells and cross-sells, which support NRR—a critical predictor of growth— and drive better results for advertisers and publishers alike.

4. Collaboration with ad tech partners

Sales teams have a hard job. They must oversee numerous accounts, analyze complex stats, prepare in-depth reports, and interface with clients and colleagues, bringing the correct data to every conversation. Given these demands, it’s essential to give Sales access to ad tech tools so they can do their work more effectively. 

Sales teams increasingly collaborate with ad tech partners on analytics, reporting,  segmentation, targeting, and measurement. Together, they are identifying and implementing innovative technologies to help maintain advertising effectiveness and accountability post-cookie. Ad tech partners offer solutions such as contextual targeting, which matches ads to web page content, or identity resolution tools that enable cross-device tracking without third-party cookies. By partnering with ad tech providers, Sales teams are introduced to a new world of possibilities to refine their work and more easily navigate the complexities of the digital advertising landscape. 

5. Diversification of revenue streams

McKinsey & Co. research suggests that publishers risk losing as much as $10 billion in revenue from third-party cookie loss. Media companies must diversify their revenue streams beyond traditional display advertising. 

This diversification may involve expanding into native advertising, sponsored content, influencer partnerships, and other formats. Savvy media companies are also exploring new monetization avenues, including subscription models, membership programs, and e-commerce integrations, to reduce reliance on advertising revenue alone. By diversifying revenue streams, Sales teams can offset disruptions, offer partners more advertising options, and boost their companies’ bottom lines. Simultaneously, the organization as a whole can evolve to meet ever-changing demands. 

How Sales teams can win—no matter what happens in the industry

Surviving third-party cookie deprecation requires publishers to establish resilient Sales teams. New strategies and tools like those outlined above will empower Sales to create revenue, innovate, and better serve advertisers, creating a more sustainable future. 

Today’s business environment demands that publishers cultivate the right capabilities to thrive. The deprecation of third-party cookies is an opportunity to rethink the status quo and create media businesses that will succeed and prosper regardless of changing market conditions. 

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Start a conversation today about how Boostr can support your Sales team’s resilience. Let’s talk. 

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