For years, Google’s phaseout of third-party cookies in Chrome loomed over the digital advertising industry. Now, that threat has eased, but the lesson remains clear: advertisers who diversified their data strategies are better positioned for long-term success.
While Google's plan to eliminate third-party cookies has changed, privacy-first thinking isn’t going anywhere. Other major browsers, such as Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Brave have found workarounds like blocking third-party cookies by default, giving consumers a choice on how they prefer their information to be used, and public demand for data transparency continues to grow.
Stats show users aren’t universally anti-cookie, though:
Even as cookies stay in play, for now, savvy advertisers are embracing more sustainable, privacy-compliant strategies. Below are five of the best alternatives to third-party cookies that are already powering smarter, safer, and more effective advertising today.
But as regulations like GDPR and CCPA tighten, and user sentiment shifts, third-party cookies are no longer the default solution.
While third-party cookies dominated for years, many adtech platforms and marketers have already transitioned to better, and sometimes more effective, alternatives. These strategies are designed to work with consumer privacy expectations, not against them, and can bring both advertisers and publishers top ROI on their advertising investments.
One of the main differences between data types is where and how the data is collected. First-party data is gathered straight from the source—your customers. Data is collected, sorted, and categorized for targeting whenever they land and interact on owned channels like websites, apps, social platforms, or email. The data is built on a direct relationship with a customer, with user consent, and aligns with global privacy regulations.
First-party data gives advertisers and publishers valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and intent. Advertisers can use this high-quality data to create personalized, cost-effective campaigns that reach engaged users, leading to better performance and ROI.
This data set is highly reliable because it’s:
This data includes purchase history, on-site behavior, CRM data, and engagement across owned platforms. Because the relationship is direct, first-party data is rich, relevant, and trustworthy, which makes it ideal for personalized marketing.
Benefits of first-party data for advertisers:
Ultimately, first-party data helps advertisers deliver more relevant, personalized experiences without relying on third-party sources. By tailoring messaging to users' real interests across owned sites and platforms, brands can drive higher engagement and conversions.
The result: more effective advertising, less wasted spend, and better outcomes for both advertisers and consumers.
Contextual Targeting analyzes the content of a webpage, not the user and not the tracking third-party cookies, to serve relevant ads. Instead of tracking behavior, AI and natural language processing identify contextually aligned ad placements based on:
For example, an ad for hiking boots might appear next to an article about trail recommendations.
Contextual targeting differs from behavioral targeting, which uses visitor information from browsing history over time, like online preferences, profiles, and behaviors. Behavioral targeting requires access to consumers’ data that they may not want to opt-in to give. Contextual advertising operates independently of user personal data and only leverages content information, making it a viable alternative to privacy concerns with third-party data.
Contextual targeting allows advertisers to create personalized ad experiences, enhancing and improving user experience. It’s a scalable and privacy-respecting solution that doesn’t require personal data, and it’s proven to work:
Best of all, contextual ads are brand-safe by design as they only appear in relevant environments.
Blending data from different sources enhances targeting accuracy and eliminates guesswork. Each data type offers more to the customer profile, giving businesses a more holistic audience view and improving the effectiveness of their campaigns. Privacy laws are respected, user concerns addressed, and advertisers and publishers have an opportunity to get back to business, so to speak, connecting with customers and growing revenue.
One of the most effective strategies is blending multiple data sources such as first-party data, contextual signals, and second-party partnerships to build a more complete customer profile.
For example:
Using Data Management Platforms (DMPs) or Content Data Platforms (CDPs), brands can create enriched targeting segments that comply with privacy regulations while driving measurable performance.
Bonus: You’re less reliant on any single data source so you are future-proofing your strategy.
Privacy Sandbox tools include:
While Chrome is holding onto third-party cookies (for now), the Privacy Sandbox continues to evolve. It offers a set of privacy-preserving APIs that aim to serve personalized ads and measure performance without exposing personal data. For more information on Google’s approach read Google’s Privacy Sandbox updates on next steps.
Browsers act as the intermediary, protecting user identity while enabling core advertising functions.
Unified ID 2.0 is an open-source identity solution designed and adopted by some publishers, DSPs, and SSPs alike that does not rely on third-party cookies. The solution replaces cookies with encrypted email addresses or phone numbers, provided through opt-in.
Key benefits:
Advertisers get access to deterministic, privacy-compliant identifiers, publishers achieve better impression monetization without cookies, while users get control over how their data is used. It's another step forward in identity resolution.
In a recent Performance Marketing World feature, Next Millennium CEO Lazar Rubin shared his take on the long and winding road of cookie deprecation and what comes next.
His analysis delves into the future implications for digital advertising in an article, “The future lies in first-party data: Lessons learnt from Google’s 'flip-flopping' decisions” by Reem Makari.
“Simply selling off Ad Manager or AdX to another big player like The Trade Desk won't solve the underlying problem. The real issue is the forced bundling of Google Ad Manager with Ad Exchange,” said Rubin.
“Publishers are essentially being double-charged with no room for negotiation. A better solution? Let publishers use any ad server and plug AdX in as a demand source, just like any other Supply-Side Platform. This would level the playing field, encourage competition, and ultimately reduce publishers' costs.”
Despite Google's latest pivot, the underlying challenge for the industry isn't just about cookies—it’s about fair competition, transparency, and control. And whether or not cookies survive long term, the drive toward privacy-first innovation will continue.
“While Google’s uncertainty caused disruption,” Rubin added, “their current decision finally gives us clarity. This empowers us to plan more precisely, focusing on creating a fair and open market instead of waiting for updates.”
Now that Google will continue to support third-party cookies, brands have a moment to breathe. But the conversation has already shifted. The industry's pivot toward privacy-first solutions isn’t just a contingency plan, but the future.
Like any smart marketing initiative, it comes down to testing, learning, and optimizing based on real results. The key is balancing innovation with user experience to ensure relevance, engagement, and long-term success.
At Next Millennium, we see clarity as crucial for the industry's future, and it's what empowers our mission to build a fair and open market. As the digital advertising world continues to shift and expand, you can trust Next Millennium will be here, translating the conversation into actionable strategies for your benefit and bottom line.
As our CEO Lazar Rubin says: "This isn’t about breaking up companies, but about giving everyone the right to choose the best tools."
A fair market means unbundling and real options, not forced platforms. Our advertising solutions are designed to adapt quickly to evolving standards, whether cookies remain or not. From harnessing first-party data to deploying contextual strategies, or advanced targeting through combined data sets, we give advertisers and publishers the tools to succeed in any data landscape.
Every day with Next Millennium, advertisers and publishers find ways to beat benchmarks and drive revenue. Want to explore privacy-first advertising that drives ROI?