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Hotwire Headlines #36

Are marketers ready for the end of cookies?

This week, we explore the dependency of Australian websites and marketers on cookies ahead of Google’s phase out, Reddit setting up shop in Australia, and the results from Telstra and Roy Morgan’s Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020 revealing the current state of the local digital divide.

81% of Australia’s top websites still using third-party cookies

New research has revealed a significant dependency on third-party cookies across Australia’s top websites, with 81 of Australia’s top 100 most-visited sites setting cookies in a third-party context. The study, which was conducted as a joint research project by DMPG, ObservePoint, and Similarweb, also revealed that the significant dependency on third-party cookies was broadly consistent across the Australian, US, and UK markets.

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Why the end of cookies is everyone’s problem and how to build a bullet-proof first-party strategy

In late June, Google announced the delay in the phase-out of third-party cookies, bowing to pressure from the industry and regulators to provide more time to adapt to the change. However, it also seems that even for a global giant like Google, the feat to eliminate third-party cookies by 2022 was proving too ambitious. Businesses might have slightly more time until the end of third-party cookies from Google Chrome, but now is not the time to delay taking action. The issue transcends the marketing department and requires a bullet-proof first-party strategy to solve.

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Reddit opens office in Sydney

Online news aggregation and discussion website Reddit has expanded its business to Australia, home to its fourth largest user base which continues to grow at 40% every year. Reddit’s new Australian team launches with locally-based community, engineering and sales staff, and will be headed up by country manager David Ray who joins from WooliesX.

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Understanding the Olympian effort behind Tokyo 2020’s urgent digital transformation

While Olympics fanatics mourned the restriction of international visitors at Tokyo 2020, the IOC’s director of digital engagement Christopher Carroll was brainstorming how to connect people around the globe to the Games through their favored devices. As part of The Drum’s Sports Marketing Deep Dive, he delves into the “Olympics-sized task“ of completing a multi-year project within a year.

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Bridging the digital divide in 2021

One of the lasting legacies of 2020 will be the boost it gave to digitalisation projects in Australia, as consumer flocked to the Internet to buy groceries, order food and entertain themselves. Yet according to Telstra and Roy Morgan’s Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020, despite the explosive growth of digital, as many as 2.5 million Australians remain offline. This finding puts a hard boundary around the audience for purely digital brands and services. But it also represents a potential opportunity for those brands that strive to reach across this digital divide. CMO explores how brands are navigating the line.

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