Coca-Cola pushes for ‘unified’ online identity amid growing cookie pressure

Coca-Cola, as a global brand, wants to grow its first-party data and invest in an industry-wide unified audience ID in anticipation of a move beyond third-party cookie tracking and has united with a multitude of agency and adtech experts at ATS Singapore on Monday in calling for the industry to agree on a common ‘identity’ for online audiences. This move hopes to bring greater consistency to media planning and protect the future of the open internet.

Coca-Cola needs to figure out a unified solution across the whole landscape. They wish to invest strategically and create a common solution which will help industry in value exchange and drive efficiency. Such an initiative cannot be led by one adtech vendor or publisher and has to be a group coming together.

The company is also looking for ways to grow its first party data, such as gleaning mobile IDs from apps that interact with its vending machines. The erosion of the cookie is placing greater emphasis on mobile device IDs, which is a particularly strong tracking tool in APAC where smartphone penetration is rapidly on the rise. As the value placed on mobile device IDs increases, it is important for brands to own that data rather than outsource it to an agency or technology provider. Owning the mobile device IDs is one key part of Coca-Cola’s strategy locally.