Hospitality Marketing in the Cookie-Less Future

Isaac Gerstenzang, Vice President Digital Marketing & CRM, Atlantis Paradise Island, HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board Member 

It’s no secret that the cookie-less world is coming. And while it may still be a few years off, the impact it will have on hospitality marketing is already being felt. The HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board recently met to discuss the looming cookie-less world.  

Three key takeaways from our discussion:  

  1. Explore technology such as CAPI and fingerprinting.  
  1. Content will be paramount – including copy, photos and video.  
  1. Build a good brand technology stack and CRM and find partners that have cookie-less solutions.  

Cookies to Cookie-Less 

Cookies have been the backbone of online advertising for years, providing a seemingly endless stream of data that has allowed marketers to target ads with great precision. But the days of cookies are numbered, thanks to a combination of new privacy regulations (like GDPR) and companies and technologies to manage cookies that are making it harder and harder for marketers to track consumers online. 

The result is a cookie-less world in which hospitality marketers will no longer be able to rely on cookies to track consumers and deliver targeted ads. This new world will require a new approach to marketing, one that is focused on building relationships with consumers instead of simply driving conversions based off of digital habits. 

CAPI and Fingerprinting 

One solution that has been introduced by META is their  Conversions API (CAPI). CAPI is a way for marketers to track the performance of their marketing campaigns without the use of cookies. Instead, it uses a combination of data points to create a unique record of each person. This is important because it means that marketers can still track the performance of their campaigns, even if they are unable to use cookies. 

Another solution that is being explored is fingerprinting. This is a way of tracking consumers by combining user data based on device characteristics and behavior. However, it is important to note that neither of these solutions is perfect. They both have their own challenges and limitations. The cookie-less world will have a major impact on hospitality marketing. It is important for marketers to start exploring new solutions now, before it is too late. 

Content will be king in the cookie-less world, as marketers will need to find new ways to deliver value engage with consumers in a personalized way through their first party data that they collected through a robust CRM program. And while the loss of cookies may seem like a death nail for hospitality marketing, it doesn’t have to be. By investing in the right CRM Strategies, technologies and partnering with the right agencies, hospitality marketers can succeed in the cookie-less world. 

Further reader:  

 


Categories: Marketing, Internet & Social Media
Insight Type: Articles