21 FEBRUARY 2024

Right at the end of 2023, there were some very important updates in the world of digital marketing related to the use of digital data.

We’ve summarized what’s changed and what needs to be done to comply with Google’s new guidelines.

Consent Mode: what it is and what are the benefits of this tool?

First, let’s understand what Consent Mode is. It is a Google tool that allows us to send data to Google Analytics and Google Ads while respecting user preferences in a simple and effective way.

Compared to other methods used on platforms like Meta or TikTok, Consent Mode is a great way to respect user consent because it allows us to send so-called modeled data based on the behavior of similar users. Instead of completely blocking the sending of information every time the user chooses not to be profiled via our cookie banner, we can decide to send anonymized data to Google.

This data is called cookieless because it doesn’t contain personal or identifying information about the individual user.

However, sensitive information is not lost: thanks to Consent Mode, we can estimate the data lost in this first phase based on the data of those who have agreed to be profiled!

Google says that, on average, Consent Mode can recover about 65% of the ad-click-to-conversion paths (between the click on the ad and the conversion) that are lost due to the user’s cookie consent choices.

This is therefore the great advantage of Consent Mode, without its use all this information would be lost.

Why is everyone talking about Consent Mode and what happens from March 2024?

Consent Mode is a new feature that Google is requiring advertisers in the European Economic Area to use on Google Ads.
This is due to the recent Digital Markets Act (DMA), the new regulatory framework stipulated by the European Union, which aims to limit the market power of large digital platforms (Meta, Amazon, Google, etc.), to guarantee fair competition between digital operators. This was formalized and approved in September 2023, with a 6 month grace period.

Precisely for this reason, starting from March 6, 2024, Google will require the use of consent mode so that Google Ads tags work correctly. By doing so, Google will be able to verify that users’ choices have been respected and that there is a process for verifying the information sent.

What does this mean for advertisers? Without its adoption, we would no longer be able to exploit many fundamental functions, including:

• Google Ads conversions and the very useful Enhanced Conversions (i.e. sending encrypted emails to Google to improve conversion measurement)
• Remarketing Audiences, also by entering data from first-party customers acquired through CRM activities
• The use of GA4 data to feed Google Ads audiences

What is Consent Mode v2?

So, here’s the deal with Consent Mode v2. Google made it mandatory, but they also gave it a little upgrade. Now, you can get more specific about the levels of consent users express.

If you’re hearing about additional consent states, that’s because there are two new parameters added to the default ones (ad_analytics and ad_storage). These new parameters let you specify exactly what data gets sent. Here’s the breakdown:

• ad_user_data: This lets you decide if you want to read and send emails for a particular user, and use that info for enhanced conversions.
• ad_personalization: With this one, you can decide if you can use user data to create remarketing audiences.

Consequently, it will be possible to make more targeted choices and activate these features not for all users who have accepted profiling cookies, but only in certain contexts (in some specific countries for example).

Consent Mode: what to do in the coming months?

To avoid a significant decrease in the quality and quantity of data collected, which would limit the ability to create effective campaigns, it is essential to prepare and implement Google Consent Mode by March 6, 2024.

If it has already been implemented, make sure it is updated to the new version and that each parameter is sent correctly.

It will then be essential to monitor how other players such as Meta and TikTok are acting, first and foremost, to adapt to the increasingly stringent regulations linked to the Digital Markets Act. This will allow us to quickly identify any new mandatory features that need to be implemented.