Unlike behavioural ads, contextual ads don't need 3rd-party cookies to work their magic: Priti Murthy

New Delhi: It’s been close to a month since Google’s latest plot twist in the never-ending saga of third-party cookies in Chrome. 

For four years, advertisers prepared themselves for the demise of third-party cookies, but Google eventually decided to put control in the hands of consumers by introducing a system that allows users to make informed choices about online tracking.  

Since then, the ad world has been buzzing with a cocktail of cautious optimism and scepticism. Some advertisers are toasting to the unexpected lifeline for cookies, while others are biting their nails over the feasibility of Google’s proposed consent system. 

For Priti Murthy, President at GroupM Nexus India, which she dubs the "engine driving centre of excellence with a lens of full-funnel performance," Google's latest move is a blessing in disguise. Why? Because at long last, a decision has been made, and savvy marketers have already cooked up ecosystems that don’t rely on third-party cookies. 

She explained, "Google's decision won't impact GroupM clients because we've spent years developing an ecosystem that thrives without cookies. While Google is putting tracking choices in consumers' hands, we've observed that about 60-65% of them eventually opt out anyway." 

"The journey of building first-party cookies has already started, so there's no need to panic," she added. 

But should advertisers be upset with Google for causing so much worry and preparation for a cookie-less future? 

Murthy responded, "It's been fantastic for years as we've tested and learned so much about measuring, capturing, and understanding audience sizing better. Organisations need to do more testing and learning with first-party data. Plus, Meta and Google are providing the ecosystems to build safe rooms for us to test, learn, and incubate first-party data, so all that is available." 

Further in the freewheeling chat with BestMediaInfo.com, she went on to speak about the importance of contextual advertising because, unlike behavioural advertising, contextual advertising doesn't need third-party cookies to work its magic. Instead, it cleverly places ads in the middle of content that users are already into and engaging with. It's like finding the perfect snack in the middle of your favourite TV show! 

Murthy said, “The final piece of the full funnel strategy is contextual targeting—without it, the funnel's incomplete. Platforms like Meta make this seamless. For instance, for one of our auto clients, we churn out 4,000 creatives a month for every location and dealer, ensuring ads pop up amid the content users are already diving into. Thanks to tech, we keep everything spot-on and relevant.”

In the realm of contextual advertising, data and AI are like secret agents in the world of marketing, sneaking in to help brands hit the bullseye with their ads. Murthy put it this way: “We’re using data in so many ways without even realising it. We create a media plan, decide which groups to target, craft the right message, drill down to geo-level targeting, and then sprinkle in some contextual ad tech. 

For instance, if it’s raining today, you might get a Chaayos ad for a cosy cup of tea or an Uber ad suggesting a ride to avoid the downpour. That’s contextual targeting at its finest—addressing the mood and moment of the individual you’re aiming to reach. 

Behind the scenes, all of this is set up and ready to roll. What you see is the ad tailored just for you, but what you don’t see is the AI and data working their magic behind the curtain.” 

Murthy insists that to truly master contextual advertising, brands must ditch outdated practices. “The old-school approach of multiple levels of approvals just doesn’t cut it here. Contextual ads are all about instant responses, rapid decision-making, and quick reactions. If you get stuck in a cycle of slow approvals, you’ll miss the moment and end up stuck in stagnation.”