Marketing Without Cookies: How to Build a First-Party Data Strategy

The Cookie is Crumbling—Here’s What That Means

If you've ever seen an ad follow you around the internet, it's likely the work of third-party cookies. These small text files, stored in a user’s browser, have been used for years to track user behavior across websites and deliver personalized ads. But the days of third-party cookies are quickly coming to an end.

Browsers like Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies by default. Google Chrome, the most widely used browser, plans to phase them out completely by 2025. This change, combined with increasing concerns about data privacy and new regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and CPRA, is reshaping the digital marketing solutions landscape.

“As concerns about online data privacy and security grow, consumers are becoming more aware of their digital footprint and are actively seeking ways to protect it. People want to control how brands use their personal information; Google’s latest announcement is simply the next logical step in addressing these concerns.” — Customer.io, “Advertising Without Cookies: What You Need to Know,” July 2024

For marketers, this marks a major shift. We’re moving from a time of passive data collection to one where transparency, consent, and value exchange are the priorities. At FabCom, a Scottsdale-based full-service marketing agency, we’re helping brands transition by adopting smarter, privacy-first strategies centered around first-party data and cross-channel marketing.

Why First-Party Data is the Foundation of Modern Marketing

First-party data refers to the information that customers willingly share through interactions with your owned channels—like your website, mobile app, CRM, or email campaigns. Since it's directly collected from users, it’s more reliable, ethical, and accurate than third-party data. For example, at FabCom, we go beyond standard contact forms on our clients' webpages to collect user data. We architect and implement what we call “sticky mechanisms.” In essence, these are interactive forms that give the user something in return for the data they’re giving up… in contrast to a standard contact form that simply collects user data. One example of a sticky mechanism is a landing page with a quiz-like interface where the user answers a series of questions that, in the end, gives the user a result. Through this interaction, we collect data on the user that is self-provided.

Why first-party data matters:

• Ownership: You control and own the data.
• Accuracy: It’s more reliable and relevant than data collected from other sources.
• Engagement: Customers trust brands that are transparent about how they use data.
• Compliance: It helps ensure compliance with privacy laws and protects your future marketing efforts.

Common sources of first-party data:

• Email signups and contact forms
• Browsing and purchase behavior on your site
• In-app actions and preferences
• Loyalty program activity
• Survey responses and direct feedback

CDPs: The Backbone of a First-Party Data Strategy

To truly make the most of your first-party data, you need a way to connect all the dots—and that’s where Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) come in. A CDP consolidates customer data from various sources to create comprehensive, real-time profiles that marketers can use for behavioral targeting and cross-channel marketing.

Benefits of CDPs:

• Unify data like website visits, email engagement, purchase history, and CRM records into one customer profile.
• Segment users based on behavior, preferences, or intent.
• Use the data across different marketing channels (web, social, email, SMS, etc.).
• Manage customer consent and privacy preferences.

Email & CRM-Based Targeting: High Trust, High Performance

Email marketing and CRM systems have always relied on first-party data, but they’ve never been more valuable. These platforms allow you to engage with users based on who they are and how they interact with your brand—rather than relying on tracking their behavior across the entire web.

What you can do with CRM + email:

• Send automated emails based on real-time actions (e.g., cart abandonment, downloads, page visits).
• Segment audiences based on their lifecycle stage or past purchases.
• Sync CRM audiences with platforms like Google Ads and Meta to target known users or create lookalike audiences.

Contextual Advertising: Relevance Without Compromise

Contextual advertising is making a strong return as a privacy-respecting alternative to behavior-based targeting. Rather than using user profiles or cookies, contextual advertising places ads based on the actual content of a webpage.

Why contextual advertising works:

• It’s fully compliant with privacy laws—no user tracking required.
• Ads appear alongside content that matches your brand or product category.
• AI and natural language processing improve relevance and precision.
• Ideal for top-of-funnel awareness campaigns.

How to Build a First-Party Data Strategy That Lasts

Moving to a first-party data strategy is more than just a tactical shift—it’s a complete transformation of how you approach marketing. Here’s how to get started:

1. Audit your data ecosystem: Identify the data you already collect and where it lives.
2. Invest in the right tools: Use CDPs and advanced CRM systems to unify and activate your data.
3. Create value-driven exchanges: Offer clear incentives (e.g., exclusive content, loyalty rewards) to encourage users to share their data.
4. Activate across channels: Personalize customer journeys based on real-time data.
5. Stay ahead of privacy expectations: Keep track of changes to privacy laws and browser policies to maintain trust.

A Smarter Future Starts with a First-Party Strategy

The marketing landscape is changing rapidly, but this shift isn’t about losing capabilities—it’s about gaining better, more effective digital marketing solutions. Brands that embrace first-party data will be ahead of the curve: trusted by consumers, more adaptable to change, and more successful in their campaigns.

Curious about what a cookieless future could look like for your brand?

Chat with a full-service marketing agency like FabCom—we’re helping brands across industries design and implement first-party data strategies built to thrive in the privacy-first era through cross-channel marketing and data-driven behavioral targeting.