For years, healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers have relied heavily on audience data to target patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Behavioral signals, retargeting, and purchased segments, such as “diabetes intenders” or “cardiology specialists,” promised precision and scale.
And it worked—at least for a while. But the landscape has shifted. Cookies are disappearing. Privacy regulations are tightening. HIPAA and other compliance rules make the use of sensitive health-related data even riskier. Meanwhile, performance teams are questioning whether purely data-driven campaigns are truly delivering incremental results in this environment.
That’s why forward-thinking healthcare brands are rediscovering a powerful complement to data targeting: contextual targeting.
The Challenge with Pure Data Targeting in Healthcare
Relying exclusively on third-party data carries significant risks for healthcare advertisers:
- Shrinking data pools: With third-party cookies fading, the availability of purchased health-related segments is declining fast.
- Compliance challenges: Sensitive health data can raise HIPAA and regulatory red flags, especially when combined with cross-site tracking.
- Retrospective by nature: Behavioral data often reflects past browsing activity, rather than what a patient or provider is currently focused on.
- Wasted impressions: Just because someone once searched for “knee pain” doesn’t mean they’re still seeking treatment options.
The U.S. Reality: One-Third of Traffic Is Already Cookieless
In the United States, over a third of all web traffic (≈35–36%) already defaults to blocking third-party cookies.
That’s because browsers like Safari (≈29% share), Firefox (≈4%), and Brave (≈2.5%) ship with cookie-blocking enabled by default. And on mobile and tablet, it’s even higher—nearly half of U.S. traffic (≈48%) runs on iOS browsers using Safari’s WebKit engine, which blocks third-party cookies outright.
For healthcare marketers, this is critical: a considerable portion of your audience is already out of reach for third-party cookie-based targeting. Any plan that relies exclusively on data segments is missing patients and providers who could benefit from your message.
For years, healthcare brands have purchased third-party segments, such as “oncology researchers” or “diabetes intenders.” These audiences were built from cookies, device IDs, and cross-site tracking.
That model is collapsing. Privacy regulations, browser updates, and compliance frameworks are dismantling the infrastructure that third-party data depends on.
The result:
- Less scale: Many health-related segments are disappearing or too small to activate.
- Lower accuracy: Providers rely on probabilistic models, making it more challenging to confidently reach the right audiences.
- Higher risk and weaker ROI: Utilizing third-party health data entails both compliance risks and a decline in performance.
The Case for Adding Contextual Targeting
Contextual targeting solves for what data can’t—especially in healthcare: it captures the moment of relevance.
Instead of asking, “Who is this user?”, contextual asks, “What is this user engaging with right now?”
- Relevance in real time: Ads for a new migraine treatment appear next to an article on managing migraines.
- Compliance-friendly precision: Contextual doesn’t rely on personally identifiable information, making it HIPAA-safe by design.
- Brand safety and suitability: You control which health environments and content topics your ads appear alongside.
- Incremental reach: Contextual finds patients, caregivers, and providers who may not fit into a purchased segment but are actively researching relevant conditions.
Why Data + Context > Data Alone
The most innovative healthcare campaigns don’t choose between data and context—they combine them:
- Context validates intent: A “cardiologist” segment becomes far more effective when those providers are reading about heart failure treatment guidelines.
- Context expands reach: Purchased data segments may be limited, but contextual unlocks new audiences actively consuming condition-specific content.
- Better outcomes: Campaigns that align messaging with both user profiles and health-related content environments consistently deliver higher engagement and stronger patient/provider actions.
A Healthcare Example in Action
Imagine a pharma brand launching a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
- Data-only approach: You target “RA intenders” or “health-conscious adults” segments. Useful, but limited by cookie restrictions and compliance concerns.
- Adding contextual targeting: Your ads appear alongside:
- Articles on managing joint pain.
- Forums discussing RA treatment options.
- Content about lifestyle adjustments for chronic pain.
This strategy reaches both patients and caregivers actively seeking information—even if they’re not part of a purchased data segment.
The Bottom Line
The future of healthcare advertising isn’t data or context—it’s data and context.
Data targeting will remain essential for precision. But without context, healthcare campaigns risk wasted spend, regulatory risk, and missed opportunities. By layering contextual targeting into your plan, you:
- Future-proof campaigns against privacy and regulatory shifts.
- Expand reach beyond shrinking, risky third-party data pools.
- Drive higher relevance, attention, and patient/provider engagement.
With over a third of U.S. traffic—and nearly half of U.S. mobile—already cookieless, the time to act is now. The most effective healthcare brands aren’t waiting—they’re adding contextual targeting into every plan to ensure campaigns perform in a privacy-first, compliance-first world.
