2021 has undoubtedly been a wild ride for several reasons, but with the new year’s arrival comes the opportunity to reboot and set new priorities. While many New Year’s Resolutions don’t survive the month of January, ensuring you have a clear plan in place can help you reach your goals — be they business or otherwise. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the more pressing considerations publishers should keep top of mind to ensure business success in 2022. Let’s take a look.
First-party data
In 2022, publishers will need to double down on their existing first-party data strategy or explore how to build one. The industry recognizes that email newsletters are a critical channel for implementing a first-party data strategy and can have tangible benefits on your direct-sales program and other areas of your business, such as subscriptions. The proper collection and implementation of first-party data is critical to publishers’ future success and presents a means to creating a truly sustainable business model.
Google gave the industry a reprieve when it delayed third-party cookie deprecation in Chrome to the end of 2023. The delay reduced the urgency to find alternative identifiers, but that doesn’t mean publishers should sit on their hands in the meantime.
Publishers who haven’t should start testing and evaluating alternatives to third-party cookies now while there’s still ample time. Check out our study, produced in partnership with Advertiser Perceptions, for insight on how advertisers will evaluate publisher partners in light of the cookiepocalypse.
Apple’s iOS 15
This September, Apple released iOS 15 and its Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) feature. The new feature automatically loads email content after delivery, leaving email senders with inflated email open and impression rates. What’s more, publishers’ direct-sold programs are affected due to the clouded visibility into engagement and new limits to traditional targeting parameters. Although MPP adoption started slow, publishers should expect to see an increase in the new year (blame Santa and all those new iPhones he dropped off during the holidays).
Instead of focusing on email opens in 2022, publishers should focus on other engagement signals (like clicks) when measuring their email program health and reconsider how direct-sold deals are structured.
Want to learn more about Apple iOS 15 and what it means for you? Check out this explainer from our very own SVP of product marketing & GTM strategy, Jessica Muñoz.
Expanding legislation and regulation
Privacy was a central theme in 2021. The headlines largely centered around probes into major companies, but if you blinked, you might have missed some key announcements.
This year we saw two more digital privacy laws enacted, which will go live in 2023: Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) and Colorado Privacy Act (CPA). Publishers should continue to engage in privacy-first practices and keep an eye on new laws. Changes made by tech giants and state governments continue to pave the way for more privacy legislation.
Happy New Year!
Whatever 2022 holds, we’ll be here living through it with you. Contact us today if you want to learn more about how LiveIntent can help you supercharge your email newsletter program and activate your first-party data in the new year.
