How Will GDPR/CCPA Affect Inbound Marketing?

Digital Marketing has long been centered around the third-party cookie.  Leveraging log level data so that marketers can build customer specific paths.  With the implementation of Europe’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), the industry is undergoing a seismic shift to align with new regulations that are expected to become common globally.  In response, Apple and Google are both in the process of phasing out third-party cookies in response to these new measures.

With the elimination of third-party cookies, traditional outbound marketing will become more cumbersome and intrusive without the ability to track a customer’s journey using log level data tags (Figure 1).  Companies will be forced to rely on often overlooked first-party cookies from direct interaction by customers with their website.  Therefore, we are truly entering the golden age of inbound marketing because to track customer behaviors, companies must be driving prospects to their website by providing rich and engaging content.  Without effective inbound marketing, companies will be unable to leverage data to drive action insight to take corrective action in response to consumers trends.  Taking note of this fact, please take the necessary time to learn and engage with the course material in ISM 7505 so that you can become and asset to your organization and help grow your career!