Rising cookie opt-out? Volkswagen Belgium revs up data with Consent Mode

Volkswagen Belgium's marketing team faced a frustrating situation. Despite positive sales figures, their marketing reports indicated declining performance. The culprit? A growing number of users opting out of marketing cookies, creating a data gap that hindered their ability to track user behavior and optimize campaigns. Cookie consent rates had dropped 20% within two years for some brands, significantly impacting conversion tracking and year-over-year comparisons.

To address this challenge, Volkswagen Belgium implemented Google's advanced consent mode on a single brand initially. This innovative feature utilizes AI to send anonymized signals even when users decline cookies. This meant basic website interactions, like page views, were still logged anonymously in their analytics platform.

Google updates Consent Mode with Two New Parameters

The update includes two new parameters, which will give website owners more flexibility in how they manage user consent.

PPC LandLuís Daniel Rijo

Data collection increased by 15% to 40% across different brands

The impact of advanced consent mode was significant. Data collection increased by 15% to 40% across different brands, effectively closing the gap created by declining cookie acceptance. This newfound data richness translated into several key benefits:

• Data-Driven Decisions: With a more complete picture of user behavior, the marketing team could now make data-driven decisions regarding campaign optimization, resource allocation, and content creation.
• Campaign Optimization: Access to additional data allowed for better optimization of advertising platforms like Google Ads and DV360, leading to more effective campaigns and improved return on ad spend (ROAS).
• Demonstrable ROI: By accurately measuring the impact of campaigns, the marketing team could effectively demonstrate the value they deliver to the organization.

Volkswagen Belgium's success story highlights the power of advanced consent mode. By embracing this solution, they were able to bridge the data gap caused by declining cookie usage and gain a clearer understanding of user behavior.