Cookie Policy
Last revised 1 July 2026
This policy sets out the cookies and similar technologies Hawthorne Ads Ltd uses on hawthorneads.com. It should be read with our Privacy Policy. Non-essential cookies are set only after you consent, as required by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and the UK GDPR.
1. What we mean by cookies
A cookie is a small text file your browser stores when a site asks it to. Similar technologies include tracking pixels, local storage entries and software development kit identifiers, and this policy covers all of them. Cookies set by us are first party; those set by another organisation whose service appears on our pages are third party. Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser; persistent cookies remain for a stated period.
2. Strictly necessary — set without consent
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| ha_consent | First party | Stores your cookie preferences so we do not ask on every page | 12 months |
| ha_csrf | First party | Protects the enquiry form against cross-site request forgery | Session |
3. Analytics — consent required
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes visitors for aggregate reporting | 24 months |
| _ga_<ID> | Google Analytics 4 | Maintains analytics session state | 24 months |
We run Google Analytics with IP anonymisation on, Google Signals off and data retention set to 14 months.
4. Advertising and measurement — consent required
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _gcl_au | Google Ads | Attributes conversions from our own advertising | 90 days |
| bcookie, li_sugr | Measures our LinkedIn advertising and content performance | Up to 12 months |
We do not use this website to build advertising audiences for our clients. Client campaign measurement happens on the client's own properties, under the client's own notices and consent tooling.
5. Functional — consent required
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC | YouTube | Playback preferences for embedded video, set when you press play | 6 months / session |
Third parties control these names and durations and may change them without notice. We review this table quarterly.
6. Giving and withdrawing consent
On your first visit we ask you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. Rejecting them does not limit any content on this site. To change your choice, clear this site's cookies in your browser and reload the page, and the banner will appear again.
Browser-level controls: Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. To opt out of Google Analytics across all websites, install the official opt-out browser add-on.
7. Global Privacy Control
Where our consent tool detects a Global Privacy Control signal we treat it as a rejection of all non-essential cookies. We do not rely on browser "Do Not Track" headers, since no agreed standard exists for interpreting them.
8. Questions
Email [email protected] or write to Hawthorne Ads Ltd, 19 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DF, United Kingdom.