How Does Google’s Cookie Announcement Affect Healthcare?

// By Jared Johnson //

A recent announcement by Google to change how personalized advertising works in its Chrome web browser has the digital marketing world up in arms, but healthcare marketers might have less reason to worry, according to industry insiders.

In January, Google declared its plan to phase out support for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser by the year 2022. The announcement has led many digital marketers to panic because digital ads depend on cookies for targeting, and Chrome has significant market share. But healthcare digital marketers already have to play by stricter rules, so the implications seem to be less for them than the digital world at large.

Jeff Steblea, director of sales for Eruptr

“People are afraid of change, so I understand some measure of panic, but especially for healthcare marketers, I don’t see a reason to,” says Jeff Steblea, director of sales for Eruptr. “This space shifts constantly — this isn’t the first big change and it will hardly be the last.”

“It’s understandable to feel worried about this announcement, but I wouldn’t recommend hitting the panic button,” says Alex Membrillo, CEO of Cardinal Digital Marketing. “Google’s Chrome team is just looking for a different way to do things. As we always have, we’ll find a way to deliver value to our providers and their patients. The digital landscape is constantly changing, so this feeling shouldn’t be foreign to digital marketers. Their intentions are good, but change is always hard.”

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