Kroger, Yahoo partnership enables marketers to reduce reliance on third-party cookies

Kroger Precision Marketing, Kroger’s retail media network, has partnered with Yahoo Advertising to enable advertisers using Yahoo’s DSP to leverage Kroger’s first-party data to reach a more targeted audience.

Why it matters: Even though Google has delayed cookie deprecation once again, marketers need to be prepared for a post-cookie world. Partnerships like these enable advertisers to continue to accurately target their campaigns without having to rely on third-party cookies.

• Over three-quarters (77.0%) of US marketing and advertising professionals have begun to use first-party data as a solution to cookie loss, according to a November 2023 survey by Basis Technologies.
• But more than a third (37%) of US brands and agencies are worried about having enough first-party data for targeting and activation, per a November 2023 report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

“Our collaboration with Kroger highlights the critical importance of first-party data in a cookieless world,” said Mike Brunick, senior vice president, head of commerce media at Yahoo. “By integrating their retail data into our DSP, we can scale the impact of that data and deliver better results. This is ultimately beneficial for both retailers and advertisers.”

This partnership will also help advertisers more effectively optimize and measure their campaigns.

• Performance measurement is the most important factor in retail media budget allocations according to 56% of US consumer packaged goods manufacturers, per a December 2023 survey from Skai and Path to Purchase Institute.
• "Advertisers on average see 6.5x higher return on ad spend when using our precision audiences,” said Cara Pratt, senior vice president of Kroger Precision Marketing. “By expanding our availability through the Yahoo DSP, we’re delivering even more meaningful messages and measurable brand impact.”

This was originally featured in the Retail Media Weekly newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.