Cookies, AI and primary data: a paradigm shift for the future of customer engagement

Google decided to keep Internet cookies active, ending a discussion that has already lasted for just over five years. Over that time, many solutions were designed to ensure the proper functioning of advertising and marketing structures within organizations, the safe navigation of users and the experience of consumers, who travel on the internet and are impacted by marketing and advertising actions based on this tertiary data for years.

Despite these efforts from various fronts, and the end of the issue of the end of cookies, the really satisfactory solution for all sides did not arise from cookies, but from the adoption of the collection of primary data (the first-party data) by various organizations. Primary data is essentially something provided by the user himself. That is, it is more reliable, more detailed and provided by his own will, with the user knowing what he is or is not informing about himself to each organization. With data collected directly from consumers, not only marketing and advertising actions have gained a new life, but other tools have been able and continue to gain space to develop.

This is the case of generative AIs applied to conversational contexts, something that basically represents one of the essential vertices of customer engagement today. Training an AI is extremely complex, but doing so with lower quality data is much more complicated and can continue to generate noise that negatively impact the user experience.

The truth is that currently keeping cookies is not a decision that will impact both companies that are already more committed to creating superior customer experiences, nor those that want to create and train truly revolutionary AI models to assist in their communications.

The combination of AI and the context of engagement and use of primary data are central issues in a true reformulation of the paradigm of communications between brands and consumers. The supposed end of cookies accelerated this, which is positive, and even if cookies remain, it has already been found that it is necessary to change, prioritizing higher quality data.

Only 16% of companies strongly agree that they have the data they need to understand their customers, and only 19% of them strongly agree that they have a comprehensive profile of their customers (Twilio Customer Engagement Report 2024). This data gap should not be treated lightly, and we are at a time when there is opportunity to deal with it in a way that will forever transform marketing and advertising.

It may be that, initially at least, collecting primary data is something that increases costs and is a more arduous task. It is really a complex job, which takes time. Despite this, the current scenario proves that we need this restructuring. Third-party cookies will continue to exist, but companies that respect more and more the user experience will become those with real differentials, with the most well-trained and efficient AIs and those that can say “ respect your data” 100% with certainty and customer approval This is the main focus of this relationship.

This behavior will become, increasingly, an important differential, until it is understood as the real way to compete in the market. That is why my advice to organizations is: start investing in collecting primary data, invest in training your AIs with them and focus on the customer. This will determine your future and your survival in a time that is no longer as far away as it may seem.