The digital landscape really is an ever-evolving beast, one which we have a decreasing level of control over. There’s been plenty of talk about the death of the third party cookie, led by Google and its efforts to sure up privacy in its Chrome browser. Here in Australia, Chrome is the leading browser on desktops with 64.5% of Aussies using it. Apple’s Safari, meanwhile, commands 16% market share.

So it caught our attention when Apple slipped in an update to Safari at its recent Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) that could have wide-reaching implications for the industry.

According to updates announced at the WWDC, the browser looks set to block a tool many of us rely on regularly to run our businesses: Google Analytics. Search Engine Journal reports, “Apple is touting Safari’s privacy features as a major selling point of the new browser.”

If this goes ahead, the industry benchmark for measuring performance would be compromised overnight.

While Google Analytics is not alone – the updated Safari looks to be blocking other trackers on desktop including DoubleClick, Amazon, and Optimizely – if Apple is to go ahead and block Google Analytics, the result will be a significant loss of visibility on who is visiting websites and what they are engaging with. This will have a flow-on effect to path-to-purchase disrupting optimisation. I mean, imagine not being able to watch your customers’ in-store behaviour and only seeing them when they arrive at the checkout?

In today’s increasingly digital world, the last thing we want is less understanding of what is working with our digital investment, particularly on our own websites. 

As the tech giants continue to go head to head, it seems anything is fair game. There’s no end to the shifting of the goalposts making it necessary for marketers and agencies to have contingency plans in place to avoid being caught in the crosshairs of the battling giants.

So how can you prepare for these unknown changes? In the case of the demise of third-party cookies, some pundits reckon there will be a solution well before 2022 rolls around but since Big Sur is due out in November, it’s worth investigating your options if you’re a Google Analytics user.

Consider adding a Customer Data Platform (CDP) to your tech stack. This will help join first-party data to create audiences and it’s not reliant on web activity alone.

Consider this as another opportunity to hone your focus on first-party data. This shift will keep you in the driver’s seat and not the tech giants.