By Shane O’Neill, CMO
Third-Party Cookies Are Crumbling. Here’s What Jewelers Should Do About It.
Well, it’s official. The third-party cookie—the thing marketers have used for years to stalk (err… “retarget”) you across the internet—is on its deathbed. Google Chrome, which most of the world uses to browse the web, is finally pulling the plug. Safari and Firefox already did it. Now, with Chrome’s shift, we’re looking at the end of an era in digital advertising.
If you’ve been leaning on cookies for precision targeting—especially for things like retargeting ads—brace yourself. Your old playbook? It’s toast. But here’s the upside: this is your chance to get way better at marketing.
What Does This Really Mean?
Third-party cookies allowed advertisers to track user behavior across websites and serve them hyper-targeted ads (think of those creepy ads that follow you after you look at a pair of shoes—or in your case, a 2-carat diamond). Without them, brands will lose some of that easy tracking ability.
Translation: The “set-it-and-forget-it” style of advertising is done. Now, it’s time to get serious about first-party and zero-party data—data your customers willingly give you and trust you with.
First-Party and Zero-Party Data: Your New Secret Weapons
-
First-party data: This is all the stuff you own—email addresses, purchase history, in-store preferences, loyalty club info. It’s gold, and it’s yours.
-
Zero-party data: This is the fun stuff. It’s what your customers choose to tell you—like their favorite jewelry style, ring size, or even anniversary dates—through quizzes, forms, or surveys.
The brands that win in this cookieless future? They’ll be the ones that actually know their customers.
What Jewelers Need to Do Right Now
-
Beef Up Your Email List
Email is officially back (as if it ever left). Give customers a reason to hand over that email address: exclusive offers, insider access, maybe even a free jewelry care guide. -
Make Loyalty Programs Irresistible
VIP clubs and loyalty programs aren’t just good for repeat business—they’re the perfect way to gather valuable customer data while making them feel like insiders. -
Add Interactive Tools
Think style quizzes like “Find Your Engagement Ring Personality” or “What’s Your Jewelry Style?” It’s a win-win: you learn about your customers, and they feel understood. -
Upgrade Your Tracking Game
Platforms like Google and Meta now push server-side tracking—basically, smarter, privacy-friendly tracking that doesn’t rely on cookies. If you’re not looking into it, you’re behind. -
Lean into Context
Contextual advertising (targeting based on the content someone’s looking at) is making a comeback. A bride-to-be scrolling through wedding blogs? Yeah, she’s your audience.
Bottom Line
Cookies may be crumbling, but digital marketing isn’t going anywhere. It’s just getting smarter—and more human. Jewelers who invest in real, first-party relationships (instead of anonymous tracking) will be the ones who thrive.
The question is, will you?
Take your marketing to the next level. Contact us.
