💡 The Real Reason Google Backtracked On Cookie Deprecation

Happy Wednesday! The theme of today's newsletter: Question everything.

Google says it's backtracking on third-party cookie deprecation. Well, really, why is that?

The FTC announces a ruling and it seems to involve affiliates. Well, what are the implications of this?

Was Vouchergeddon a total cataclysm? Is reporting on GA4 doomed?

And why would an ex-social media manager repeatedly jump into a pig sty?

We're not only asking questions, we're answering them. Let's crack on with the news.

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In today's newsletter:

Pick of the day: The FTC has issued a new ruling regarding product reviews. Affiliate marketing is mentioned frequently throughout the document. With the help of the PMA, we break down what it all means.
Trending: A look at the real reason why Google backtracked on cookie deprecation; and our take on the Huel and Zoe situation.
Top tip of the Week: Useful GA4 reporting hack.

Pick of the day

FTC New Ruling: Are We About to See The Reviewpocalypse?

The FTC has issued a new ruling targeting product reviews. Violations will incur huge fines and much of the document refers to affiliate activity. Should publishers be worried, or not?

Spoiler: Some should be worried! But it won't be on the scale of vouchergeddon – probably.

What's hot on Hello Partner right now

Why Did Google Cancel Cookie Deprecation?
Google’s decision to delay third-party cookie deprecation isn’t a reprieve—it’s a calculated move that will reshape the digital landscape. Find out what’s driving this decision and why it might spell bigger challenges ahead for advertisers and publishers alike.

Moonpull Launches Browser Extension for Affiliate Tracking Insights
Moonpull's new browser extension enables users to assess affiliate tracking accuracy and impacts of consent processes on their own browsers.

The Future is Creator-Driven - Let Us Help You Lead the Way
Our stunning agenda for the first-ever CreatorFest is now live!

What the Huel and Zoe Situation Means for Influencer Marketers
The ASA proves it's not bluffing when it comes to cracking down on creators' undisclosed financial ties to businesses.

Since we're on the topic...

How did vouchergeddon play out? Have any sites recovered?

Carl Hendy shared an interesting update on LinkedIn. "Overnight, Google wiped out millions of pounds in revenue for newspaper publishers," he writes. "I did wonder if any of the impacted websites would recover, but so far, nothing."

A graph shows that the traffic to these pages has completely flat-lined at this point. Even The Sun, which managed to evade penalties at first, has now been tackled down.

Conversely, some coupon sites have found themselves thriving in the aftermath of Vouchergeddon.

We noticed that vouchercodes.co.uk had been performing particularly well in search results and especially in Google's Gemini chat. Indeed, it is ranking well above other coupon sites right now, as Carl Hendy shared to X.

Hotukdeals and Couponfollow arrive in second and third place respectively.

The lesson to all of this?

In the wake of major upheavals, there are always winners and losers. Much like the Ant and the Grasshopper, foresight and preparation are key. Stay vigilant and ready for the next inevitable -geddon, which is likely to revolve around the deprecation of third-party cookies.

Tip of the Week

Stay at the top of your game

A neat hack from Lily Ray.

GA4 is tricky. Its UI is about as intuitive as a Rubik's Cube made of mirrors. If you've ever found yourself screaming, "Why can't you just show me the insights??" There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

For example, it does not show the % breakdown of traffic to your site from each source. But you can just copy & paste a screenshot of the table into ChatGPT or LLM of choice, and ask it to do the calculations for you.

Feasibly, this would work for a number of different insights on the platform. Of course, it would be easier if GA4 just did this for you. But we don't live in a perfect world. At least we have AI friends on our side.

Amusing Affiliates

So a social media marketer lost his job and went to work on a farm. He worked hard, but had one weird quirk: every morning, he would do a belly flop into the hog trough! After a few days, the farmer had enough.

“You city folks sure are strange,” the farmer said. “Why are you always floppin’ headfirst into the pig slop?”

“Sorry, force of habit,” the social media marketer replied. “I’m trying to make an impression in your feed.”