Cookies
browser identifiersCookies are small files stored in the browser that let a site remember a visitor: their login, cart and settings, but also advertising and measurement identifiers. In marketing, cookies are the traditional backbone of tracking.
Good to know
The split follows ownership: first-party cookies are set by the site itself for its own operation, third-party cookies by an outside service to follow the visitor across sites. Browsers restrict the latter heavily, which has weakened traditional ad tracking.
In Finland non-essential cookies require prior consent: measurement and advertising cookies may be set only after acceptance, and declining must be as easy as accepting. The consequence for marketing: part of the data is always missing, and the gap is patched with modelling and first-party data.
IN PRACTICE
Cookies in marketing’s daily work
Measurement
GA4 and other analytics tools recognise a returning visitor by cookie. Without consent, sessions fragment.
Advertising
Pixels and retargeting lean on cookies. Restrictions have raised server-side tracking alongside.
Consent management
The cookie banner and consent mode tie tracking to the user’s choice. Without the wiring, the banner is decoration.
PITFALLS
Two cookie mistakes
The banner blocks nothing
If tags fire before consent, the banner is an unlawful facade. The wiring is tested, not assumed.
The decliners vanish from the maths
Part of conversions always goes unmeasured. Reports note the numbers are an undercount so channels are not executed on false grounds.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between first and third party cookies?+
A first-party cookie is set by the site itself for its own use, a third-party one by an outside service to follow visitors across sites. The restrictions hit the latter.
Does analytics need consent?+
In Finland yes: per the regulator’s guidance, ordinary visitor measurement requires prior consent. Only cookies essential to operation are exempt.
What does cookie loss mean for marketing?+
Retargeting audiences shrink, attribution paths break and platforms model the missing. The value of first-party data and logged-in audiences grows to match.
How many people accept cookies?+
On Finnish sites typically 60–90 % depending on the banner and its design. A clear, fair banner raises acceptance more than dark patterns.
What replaces third-party cookies?+
A combination: first-party data, server-side tracking, platforms’ logged-in audiences and contextual targeting. No single replacement is coming.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
