Does your healthcare organization have a first-party data plan?

If your healthcare organization isn’t one of the many companies scrambling to gather first-party data from current and future patients, it may be time to start. 

Ever since Google announced that third-party cookies gathered through its Chrome browser would eventually be nixed, marketers across industries have been—or should be—planning a pivot to collecting first-party data instead. 

Although both Safari and Firefox browsers made similar moves previously, the sheer volume of traffic that flows through Chrome makes this a different cookie-less animal altogether. 

And Apple’s recent move to implement new privacy options for iPhone users has only added to the growing challenges marketers face.  

While it’s true that the disappearance of third-party cookies from Chrome isn’t scheduled to take place until late 2023, many companies are taking steps sooner-rather-than-later to be as prepared as possible. 

A cookie-free silver lining

Although there has been a good deal of angst about the deprecation of cookies, some experts believe the new identity solutions emerging may end up making things better. 

Referring to the change as “a reckoning for the advertising industry,” McKinsey & Co experts predict that the third-party data loss “will leave marketers, ad agencies, and the publishing and media vehicles where advertising appears with little or no first-party data (data directly from consumers who consent to sharing it) in the dark about behavioral and demographic insights that currently help them create target audiences and segments.”

Noting that the most effective changes in terms of data solutions will be different for each company, they say “the cornerstone effort” should be focused on creating and sustaining consumer relationships that create “a value exchange, meaning content from or access to publishers and platforms in exchange for personal data, that is based on trust.”

Strategies for a cookieless world

In addition to the silver lining of potentially making things better in the advertising world, the other good news is there are specific steps organizations can take to target an audience without relying on third-party cookie data.

Global consulting firm Gartner recommends certain strategies to help companies make the most of “non-third-party cookie data.” The following provides a snapshot of their recommendations—for more detail, please visit the website

  1. Double down on first-party data collected with consent: “To succeed in the world without cookies, employ a first-party data strategy and refocus on consent-based advertising by obtaining users’ informed consent before collecting their data.” 
  2. Enter direct relationships with large publishers: “Partnering with large and trusted publishers that collect first-party data, from within or outside your industry, can be a solid kickoff strategy to leverage alternate data wellsprings without a major investment.”
  3. Use contextual advertising for nonpersonal targeting: “If consent solutions come up short, marketers can also bet on contextual advertising, particularly for upper-funnel goals such as awareness.” 

How we can help

In its recommendation about entering direct relationships with large publishers, Gartner said “Look for publishing platforms that your targeted users visit and trust for making purchase decisions.” This sentiment aligns with the unique and valuable offering AMG Healthcare Marketing provides, because AL.com is the most read news site in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and all of Alabama, with significant reach in other states as well. 

We have a full range of advertising solutions to drive results for your business. Contact us today. We’d love to help. 

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you adapt to the evolving marketing landscape and ramp up your efforts, please contact us today.

Published On: March 1, 2022

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