What are Consent Settings?
Consent’s the new currency in the digital world. Recent shifts in privacy and data collection laws mean websites now need to get the explicit thumbs-up before scooping up user data. Enter the trusty cookie banner, powered by a CMP (Consent Management Platform).
A well-implemented cookie banner, managed through a CMP, isn’t just about ticking a box – it’s about building trust through transparent data practices, giving users genuine control and giving them the power to say “nah, not for me.”
Why are Consent Settings an issue for digital marketers?
The impact of respecting those “no’s” can impact the richness and depth of your user data. Less intel on user behaviour might impact the volume and granularity of data you’re used to for laser-focused ad campaigns and boosting those all-important conversions.
If users decline tracking cookies, it becomes difficult to link conversions (like sales or registrations) back to the ads they clicked. This makes it harder for advertisers to optimise their ad spending and measure their ROI accurately.
It’s a shift, and navigating it smartly is the name of the game – a game that Empire9 is getting well-versed in, ensuring our clients have robust 1st party data, and are not overly relying on 3rd party data within their overall marketing efforts.
What are some solutions?
Marketers must navigate data collection regulations while simultaneously maintaining effective and measurable advertising campaigns.
These platforms, like Meta and Google? They’re wicked smart. They’re bringing in “enhanced conversion measurement” tools to help bridge this divide between compliance and granular understanding. One of the ways they do this is through “conversion modelling.”
Basically, they look closely at the data they do have from users who’ve given their consent. By understanding how these users interact with ads and eventually convert (whether that’s buying something or signing up), the platforms can then make smart guesses about what might be happening with users who haven’t consented. It’s like looking at a few complete puzzle pieces and using that to estimate what the rest of the puzzle might look like. This helps us get a better idea of how our campaigns are performing overall, even if we don’t have all the data from every single user.
There are other ways to combat consent settings to build richer consumer data, such as:
- Exploring aggregated and anonymised data.
- Focusing on stronger first-party data strategies.
- Leveraging contextual advertising.
- Building out your direct communications.
- Investing in enhanced measurement tools.
At Empire9, we are implementing CookieYes for a vast majority of our clients who are seeking support with consent management platforms. Their blog has a wealth of knowledge on GDPR Cookie consent and other highly topical information to help inform your team on the importance of consent management.
We are also of course, happy to assist you in your compliance journey. Feel free to contact us with questions about consent management or any other areas you are keen to explore within digital marketing.
The TL; DR on Consent Settings:
Val sums it up perfectly in 4 bullet points:
- Changes in privacy and data collection laws mean you need to be transparent with visitors to your website about the use of cookies on your site. Users need to have the option to accept or reject cookies being used.
- This has a direct impact for advertisers who will have less user and conversion data to optimise and manage digital campaigns.
- The best way to manage user consent is via a Cookie Banner as part of a CMP (Consent Management Platform)
- With less data collection for campaign targeting and optimisation, best practice is to use enhanced conversion management, which uses modelling to fill the gaps in data for users who have opted out. To do this, however, you need to make sure you are compliantly collecting users’ data (bringing you back full circle to consent!)
