Remarketing in 2025. Cookieless Retargeting Chatbots: Almost Human?

Companies look for every edge they can have in getting ROI on their marketing.

No one wants to just spend more, companies want to spend very intelligently.

So if you ever feel like your ads are throwing a party but no one’s showing up? You pour money into campaigns, but the right people—the decision-makers, the ones who actually sign the checks—never seem to notice. 

That’s where programmatic advertising flips the game.

And this is our first topic of edition #46 of the VIK’s M.I.X (Marketing Insights Exchange) newsletter.

Then we are gonna talk about how remarketing is going through a hard reset. 

The future belongs to brands that respect privacy while still delivering killer personalization. How companies are gonna do cookieless tracking? 

And then we will talk about chatbot revolution. 

AI continues to evolve, bots will become more intuitive, more efficient, and—who knows—maybe even a little too human. 

So this is what I’ve have for you.

• Remarketing in 2025

• Cookieless Retargeting 

• Chatbots: Almost Human?

Let’s dive in.

Remarketing in 2025

Tech isn’t just about automation. It’s about hitting the bullseye every time—serving your ads only to the right businesses, the right buyers, at the right moment. Let’s break down why B2B marketers swear by it.

1. Laser-Targeting

Forget blasting ads into the void. Programmatic lets you zero in on companies by size, industry, and behavior. If a prospect has been lurking on your site, reading case studies, and checking pricing pages—boom, they get an ad.

Want to go even deeper? Account-Based Advertising (ABA) means you can custom-tailor ads for specific companies based on where they are in the buying process. It’s like rolling out a red carpet that says, “Hey, we know exactly what you need.”

2. Real-Time Optimization

Traditional ads? You set ‘em, pray, and wait. Programmatic? It’s like a pit crew making live adjustments to your campaign while it’s racing down the track.

If something’s flopping—wrong message, wrong audience—you tweak it on the fly. Click-through rates (CTR), conversions, cost per acquisition (CPA)—you’re watching, learning, and adjusting in real time to get the best bang for your buck.

3. Personalization at Scale 

Imagine sending a different, perfectly timed message to each potential buyer without lifting a finger.

With first-party data and AI, your ads can speak directly to each prospect’s interests. One person gets a product demo, another sees a testimonial, and another gets a free trial offer—all based on what stage they’re in. It’s marketing that feels personal, not generic.

4. Omnichannel Reach

Your buyers aren’t just hanging out in one place. They’re scrolling LinkedIn, watching Connected TV, reading blogs, and checking their email.

Programmatic places your ads across all these channels seamlessly—so wherever they go, your brand is right there, showing up like their favorite song on repeat.

5. Spend Smarter, Not Harder

Every marketing dollar should work harder than a coffee-fueled intern. With programmatic, you only pay for impressions that matter—no more throwing cash at unqualified eyeballs.

It also cuts out manual bidding, which means less wasted spend and more budget going toward real buyers.

6. Retargeting

Most B2B buyers don’t convert on the first touch. But just because they didn’t bite doesn’t mean they’re not interested.

Programmatic lets you gently nudge those warm leads with well-placed follow-ups—reminding them why they checked you out in the first place. (Think of it as a friendly, non-creepy reminder, not a desperate ex texting at midnight.)

7. No More Wasting Money on Fake Clicks

Ad fraud is real. Bots are out there, messing with your numbers, wasting your budget, and making it seem like your campaign is working (when it’s not).

The best programmatic platforms come with fraud detection baked in, so your ads land in front of real people, not shady bots.

Cookieless Remarketing

Ever feel like the internet is watching you? One minute, you're checking out a pair of sneakers, and the next, they’re stalking you across every site like a clingy ex. Well, those days are fading fast. 

With privacy laws tightening and third-party cookies crumbling, remarketing is getting a major shake-up.

It’s a new playbook for reaching your audience, one that puts privacy first while still keeping your ads razor-sharp. Let’s break it down.

1. First-Party Data

Forget about sneaky tracking. It’s time to go straight to the source—your own data.

• Direct Data Collection – Instead of third-party cookies, businesses are gathering insights from sign-ups, surveys, and email opt-ins. When users willingly share their info, it’s not just legal—it’s golden.

• CRM Power – Your customer relationship management (CRM) system isn’t just a digital Rolodex. It’s a remarketing machine, helping you segment audiences and hit them with relevant offers at the right time.

2. Server-Side Tracking

Browsers are cracking down on tracking, but server-side tracking plays by a different set of rules.

• More Accurate Data – Unlike traditional tracking, this method collects info directly from your server, avoiding ad blockers and cookie consent pop-ups.

• Conversions API (CAPI) – Big players like Meta, Google Ads, and TikTok now use APIs that track conversions without cookies. That means you can still see what’s working, just with fewer privacy issues.

3. Privacy-Focused APIs

Google isn’t ditching tracking entirely—they’re just making it less creepy.

• Topics API – Instead of tracking individuals, Google now sorts users into broad categories based on their browsing habits. You still get targeted ads, but without following people around like a digital stalker.

• Attribution API – Want to measure ad performance without collecting personal data? This tool makes it happen, helping you fine-tune campaigns while keeping things ethical.

4. Contextual Advertising

What if you could target people based on what they’re reading right now instead of where they’ve been? That’s contextual advertising.

• Relevance Without Tracking – Ads match the content, not the user. If someone is reading about luxury watches, they see watch ads—no cookies needed.

5. AI & Machine Learning

Forget chasing users around. AI can now predict what they’ll want before they even realize it.

• Behavior Prediction – AI crunches the numbers to spot patterns in user behavior, helping you retarget people without tracking them.

• Dynamic Personalization – Machine learning tweaks ad content in real-time based on user engagement. No cookies, just smart ads that adapt on the fly.

6. Landing Page Retargeting

Who needs cookies when your landing page can do the tracking for you?

• How It Works – If someone visits a product page or downloads a free guide, they’ve already shown interest. Use custom audiences to retarget these visitors through email, social media, or paid ads.

7. Trust is the New Currency

Users are tired of feeling spied on. Give them control, and they’ll stick around.

• Consent Management – Be upfront. Clear, transparent opt-in options build trust and keep you on the right side of GDPR and CCPA.

• Zero-Party Data – Instead of snooping, just ask users what they want. Polls, quizzes, and preference centers help personalize marketing without overstepping boundaries.

8. Diversify 

Relying on one remarketing channel? That’s risky. Smart marketers are spreading their bets.

• Email Marketing – Still one of the best ways to nurture and retarget leads without relying on third-party cookies.

• Social Media Engagement – Organic content, community-building, and first-party data collection make platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook powerful remarketing tools.

• Offline Touchpoints – QR codes, SMS, direct mail—don’t sleep on old-school tactics that drive online conversions.

Chatbots: Almost Human?

Remember when chatbots were just clunky pop-ups that barely understood what you were asking? 

Chatbots in 2025 are sharper, more human-like, and—dare I say—borderline psychic. 

They’re changing the game, not just answering FAQs but handling real conversations, solving problems, and even processing payments. Here’s how they’re evolving:

1. Chatbots That Actually Get You

With advanced NLP (Natural Language Processing), chatbots don’t just understand words—they get the meaning behind them. They recognize sarcasm, detect frustration, and even adjust their tone. Feeling annoyed? Your chatbot might apologize. Cracking a joke? It just might laugh back.

And let’s talk voice tech—ChatGPT’s new voice mode and Google’s Gemini are pushing chatbots into full-blown, human-like conversation. Soon, chatting with a bot may feel as natural as calling a friend.

2. Bots With Feelings (Well, Almost)

We’re not saying chatbots have emotions, but they’re learning how to read yours. With sentiment analysis, bots now detect stress, anger, or excitement and respond accordingly. This makes a huge difference in customer service and healthcare, where empathy matters.

3. No Code? No Problem.

Once upon a time, building a chatbot meant hiring developers. Now, platforms like Kommunicate let businesses create sophisticated bots without touching a single line of code. Just drag, drop, and boom—you’ve got a working chatbot.

4. Bots That Do the Heavy Lifting

Need to book a flight, schedule a meeting, or automate customer support? Chatbots powered by conversational AI handle these tasks like pros. They streamline workflows so humans can focus on the bigger picture.

5. Hyper-Personalization (Without the Creep Factor)

Forget generic chatbot replies. AI-driven bots now predict what you need before you even ask. They remember past interactions, analyze behavior, and serve up personalized recommendations—without feeling invasive.

6. Chatbots That Take Payments

E-commerce is getting a major upgrade. Bots can now process payments, transfer funds, and handle transactions securely—no need to leave the chat. And with cybersecurity tighter than ever, your money is in safe hands.

7. Blockchain for Extra Security

Speaking of security, blockchain-powered chatbots are now a thing. They bring transparency and trust to industries like banking and healthcare, ensuring that sensitive data stays locked down.

8. Chatbots That Speak Your Language

Whether you’re chatting in English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Swahili, today’s chatbots translate on the fly with stunning accuracy. This makes them a game-changer for global businesses.

9. Always Learning, Always Improving

Chatbots are no longer stuck in rigid scripts. Thanks to machine learning, they adapt in real-time based on conversations. The more you chat, the smarter they get.

10. Bots That Watch Your Back Online

Brands are using AI-powered social media bots to track mentions, spot bad reviews, and step in before things go south. Reputation management just got way easier.

That’s a wrap for edition #46.

But before I bid adieu, it's time for a quick ritual. Show some love with a thumbs up if you found this edition insightful. 

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