Marketers: Never Forget About Your Old Friend, Tag Management

Sav Khetan

January 9, 2024

AI, machine learning, data privacy, and data clean rooms and lake houses – these are some of the buzziest topics at the moment, swarming headlines. But as third-party cookie deprecation accelerates the need for first- and zero-party data strategies, there’s a technology that enables them take-off, coming back into the spotlight.

Behold: tag management!

But, we know them already – and although tag management has been around for over a decade, you simply cannot have a successful data strategy without it. Let’s explore why you need to revisit your tag management strategy today.

The backbone of all data-driven strategies

What do data clean rooms, machine learning, AI, and other emerging tech have in common? They are fueled by first-party data.

First-party data is consented data that comes from your customers – and is your goldmine. But once you earn the trust, collecting this data isn’t always the easiest feat, especially without a strong tag management system in place. Tags ensure that the right interaction data is collected, managed, and activated consistently. They are your best weapon against inconsistent customer experiences, and the organizational tools to keep you at the top of your first-party game.

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Tag management for privacy and data governance

Ultimately, a successful tag management system is the foundation for your data collection and governance initiatives. Tags are the mechanism for enforcing and honoring consent in web and mobile experiences. The tag management system ensures that only the consented tags are collecting data. The rest are shut-off, ensuring compliance with each interaction.

When considering your strategy, remember to consider mobile, IoT, and all connected devices with front-end experiences. This will ensure that consented data is collected at every interaction, while providing controls for compliance.

Tag management for attribution and measurement

One of the biggest challenges facing marketers amid data deprecation is attribution and measurement. Setting the right data standards and rules via tags, accelerates the implementation of a holistic view of the customer throughout the journey. Getting this bigger picture gives context and accuracy to measurement and provides the connectivity for attribution. This is a key milestone on the path to real-time strategies delivering in the moment experiences.

Tag management for flexibility

In order to remain agile in today’s ever-evolving marketing landscape, marketers need to adopt new tools quickly, act in real time, and have deeper visibility across channels. Tag management is the solution behind all of these challenges; as it helps marketers implement new technologies seamlessly. Whether you are changing vendors, leveraging complex industry tools, or actively using many types of marketing solutions, a tag manager can streamline your efforts through a centralized controller for your data layer and tag setup.

LLCool J said it best – “Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.”

Tag managers have been delivering value for over 15 years. While cookies are going away and the move to server-side seems inevitable, the faithful tag continues to be the primary mechanism for collecting consented first-party customer data. Your tag manager is the unsung hero of your first-party data collection toolkit. The friend that never leaves your side.

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