When the Cookie Crumbles, Where Does That Leave Third-Party Data?

Google will block third-party data collection in Chrome by the end of 2024. If your marketing relies on this, that means you have a year to figure out customer data practices (but you’re not alone!). 

Our research study shows that about half of marketers worry about their organization’s ability to succeed without third-party data. At the same time, nearly three in four marketers believe that company-owned data about customers and prospects is more valuable than ever. It’s clear that the road ahead is paved with first-party data. 

Most of us know we can’t rely on third-party data much longer, but analyzing first-party data to turn insights into action can be challenging. Our research suggests that marketers need more data skills to make the transition away from third-party cookies — about one in three marketers say their organizations don’t have the skills to use customer data effectively.

Now’s the time to take steps toward a first-party data future if you haven’t already because you need to be strategic about data practices and your transition plan.

Implications for Reliant Marketers

Moving from third-party (paid) data to first-party (owned) data is a smart strategy for marketing professionals. Here are five implications you’ll see when the switch happens.

1. You won’t be able to track customers across the internet. Without third-party cookies, you won’t have the same insights about your customers’ movements and behaviors, including purchasing habits, interests and demographics. Retargeting, frequency capping and attribution are all strategies that will be impacted by the change. 
2. Tech stacks will become more complex. Gathering your own data means investing in technologies, data-related tasks and skilled employees. Because there will be more data to manage, you’ll need to spend more time keeping it secure and organized and deriving actionable insights. 
3. Transparency, privacy and consent will lead to customer insights. Consumers are leading data privacy policy changes by asking for more protection and transparency. Privacy legislation is becoming more commonplace, and there’s a lot that’s outside of marketers’ control. Customers today expect a lot from companies — they want to know what you stand for and if they share your values. 
4. Data-forward companies are better positioned to sell. Companies prioritizing first-party data have a competitive advantage when it comes time to attract customers. A company that knows its customers well is a better investment. 
5. There are more opportunities for innovation. Marketers are known for being creative, and with data use evolving, it’s just one more opportunity to capitalize on your innovative mindset.

Despite the implications above, there’s still a lot we don’t know and third-party data going away. Accepting uncertainty is part of moving forward. Some marketers believe Google’s third-party cookie phase-out is driven by profits from shifting advertisers to Google’s first-party cookies options rather than a desire to preserve consumer privacy. One thing you can control? The first-party data you collect.

Transitioning From Third-Party to First-Party

Prioritizing first-party data can help companies become more resilient, agile and strategic about marketing. But you need a roadmap with small, manageable steps to get there. Start with an audit to get a holistic view of your data practices, and answer these questions: 

What customer data do you already gather? 

Over two-thirds of marketers gather basic contact information, such as name, email, phone number and address. Another one in two gathers purchase frequency, purchase history and personal information, such as interests, household income and age. We recommend you only ask your customers what you need and nothing more. For example, if somebody downloads a case study from your website, don’t ask them for their address and phone number. 

Where do you store customer data? 

Our research shows that 70% of marketers store customer data in more than one database (for example, CRM, database software and spreadsheets). Of those who use CRMs, 84% use a single CRM that manages customer data across departments. Keeping your data in one place is best because it reduces redundancies, extra costs and lessens security risks. 

While most are happy with their CRM, the training required to use the system can be frustrating because data management and analysis require skill. Although it can be daunting for your team to take this on, it doesn’t have to be. Take it slow, and start by focusing on the basics of CRM and build from there. You can expand once you become more comfortable with the process. This incremental approach will help you prevent getting overwhelmed, make sure your CRM goals are met and ensure your customers have a positive experience.

Who has access to it? 

Our research shows that about 40% of marketers analyze customer data or use it for their work. About four in five make decisions about data collection. While data can be incredibly valuable in planning marketing campaigns and initiatives, it’s important to keep access on a need-to-know basis. 

Just as every business has important assets and investments, customer data privacy is as essential to any company as money in the bank. Our customers provide us with sensitive information, trusting us not only with their data but also their loyalty. That’s why it’s so important to ensure it’s handled carefully and treat this responsibility with respect. The more people are involved, the higher the risk of an accident or leakage. Keeping customer data secure requires time and attention, but it’ll allow you to provide a higher standard of service to your customers.

How long do you keep customer data? 

Marketers, on average, keep customer data for nine months. In our experience, nine-month-old data is likely already outdated. People move, change jobs and switch their buying habits at a more common rate. 

We know keeping up with customer data can be challenging. That’s why it’s important to have universal formatting for your data that’s used company-wide. Take steps to verify new information, whether it’s by sending a verification email or using a third-party service. Keeping tabs on your data needs to be part of your regular workflow, not just something you do once or twice a year. This will help ensure any incoming data is entered and implemented correctly throughout your system. Plus, you can rest easy knowing your customer data is always up to date.

More Factors to Consider

Your marketing practices, staff and tech stack all help determine what the transition away from third-party data will look like. 

Take stock of how much your marketing initiatives rely on third-party data. Strategies like programmatic media buying; SEO and keyword research; targeting and retargeting ads; audience segmentation; and list buying rely on third-party data. If the bulk of what you do comes from data you pay for, you’re at risk. 

Ask yourself: What internal resources do you have, and will they be assets during the transition? 

If you have team members with data analysis skills or cybersecurity experience, you may be in a better position. Consider investing in data skills education and training for staff so they can learn new ways of understanding customers. 

Your tech stack is also an important factor when considering how well you’ll adapt to the transition. If it’s a well-oiled machine where data is organized, secure and accessible to the right people, you’ll have an easier time with the change. 

To keep your database clean and healthy, you need an accurate understanding of your data policies. Tell customers up front what data is needed and how it‘ll be used. This will help streamline the process and create a more organized database in the long run.

The Future of Marketing

Imagine a future with less generic data, more meaningful audience profiles and trust-based customer relationships. That’s what’s lying on the other side of the transition. You don’t need third-party data to provide engaging, educational or relevant customer experiences. What’s most important is to start the transition now and invest in technologies that make it easier to collect, store, analyze and use your data.

To learn more about the research study, check out our entire Executive Summary. And to explore the data yourself, check it out here.

Privacy Laws Are Affecting Third-Party Data (and Your Marketing)

Do you trust organizations with your personal data? How do you feel about them tracking your activity across the internet via third-party cookies? 

For decades, marketers have relied on the power of third-party data to gain insights into their customers. Without it, many of today’s most common marketing strategies would look completely different or even become obsolete. Some examples include:  

• Programmatic advertising
• SEO and keyword research
• Social media advertising
• Targeting and retargeting ads
• Audience building and segmentation

The shift from third-party data (purchased) to first-party data (business-owned) is happening whether you like it or not. This change comes with novel privacy and security challenges that, if not met head-on, will have dire consequences. In Q3 of 2022, approximately 15 million data records were exposed worldwide due to breaches.  

While 60 percent of global consumers think companies collecting their personal data is fine if that means there will be a better user experience, 90 percent worry their data is not secure. Consumers are right to be concerned — data breaches are common and can have serious side effects, from spam calls and texts to proactively replacing a credit or debit card. In a worst-case scenario, these breaches can lead to identity theft. 

When data breaches occur, they undermine consumer trust and confidence and can also affect business performance. For publicly traded companies, share prices fall an average of 3.5 percent after a breach, and share prices drop an average 15.6 percent three years after a breach. 

We recently conducted a research study to determine how professionals view these changes and how they currently gather and use data. In today’s post, we’ll discuss strategies for protecting yourself from liability and data storage and privacy best practices.

Adapting to New Changes on the Way

Cybersecurity issues are no longer isolated incidents. One recent study found that 53 percent of mid- to large-sized companies have experienced a security breach. Since only 19 percent of respondents said they have complete knowledge of where their data is stored, data storage contributes to security breaches. 

But a company’s size does not protect them from breaches. Small businesses are just as vulnerable as larger ones, especially ransomware and stolen credentials attacks. However, unlike their larger counterparts, it’s common for a data breach to put a small company out of business within a few months due to reputation damage, related costs afterward and diverting resources to resolve the issue. 

As data breaches have become more common and sophisticated in recent years, cybersecurity has become more than just an IT issue. One Gartner study found that 88 percent of boards view it as a business issue that many stakeholders need to address. Consumers are chiming in, too. More than 50 percent believe companies should be forced to adopt mandatory data protection controls after a data breach. 

Consumers, employees and business owners are paying more attention to data privacy and security. In 2022, 35 states and the District of Columbia introduced over 200 consumer privacy bills. And five states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and Utah — have enacted comprehensive consumer privacy protections that have transformed the consumer data landscape.

How Marketers Feel About Third-Party Data and Privacy Laws

One in two marketers strongly agrees that data privacy laws make it harder for them to do their jobs. At the same time, 64 percent worry about the privacy of their personal data. We can appreciate enhanced privacy and security protections for our personal data while feeling frustrated in our roles as marketers. 

Add third-party cookies going away in the next few years, and consumer data is more complicated than ever. How resilient you are depends on how your organization treats data and your plan for the future. 

After conducting the research, three distinct attitudinal segments emerged: Independent, Data-Reliant and Concerned respondents. 

If you’re like the Independent marketers from our research, you’re using very little third-party data and feel confident about the quality of your customer data and how you’re managing it. Often, these marketers work for small businesses that know their customers well. As new technology like AI and cloud-based computing becomes universal, you can adopt technology strategically while keeping data privacy best practices in mind.

Data-Reliant marketers lead with strategy and value data. They also rely on third-party data to craft personalized marketing messages to their customers. Because they use third-party data for marketing initiatives, they’re more worried about the future.  

Most marketers we surveyed were in the Concerned segment. These marketers worry about their personal data and think using third-party data is risky. They think third-party data used to target advertisements makes them look like spammers. They know third-party data is going away and believe the best lists are developed in-house. If this sounds like you, put your data practices in place now, not when cookies go away. Start gathering your data today safely and securely.

Protecting Yourself From Liability

Our research shows that 70 percent of marketers use at least two data storage solutions to house data, putting them at risk for data breaches. When your data comes from multiple sources and you store it in different databases, it makes you more vulnerable to attacks. Knowing where your data is and who has access to it at any given time is essential to keeping it safe. Fortunately, following data storage and privacy best practices can eliminate your liability burden. 

1. Data is only as good as the person who enters it. Make sure you have clear guidelines when you ask a customer to enter their data into a form or when you do data entry for your business. 
2. Data can be stored for as long as the consumer allows it. While you might want to keep everything you’ve collected, data can go bad (like milk). When thinking about storing your data, consider giving your customers the ability to request their data be deleted from your database and identifying your business data retention plan.
3. Data should be cleaned constantly. That might seem daunting, but if you are using it on a consistent basis, you want to make sure it’s kept in order. Reflect this in your data retention plan and communicate it to your whole team.
4. Store your data securely. If it’s in an excel file, password protect it. If it’s through a CRM, make sure you know the user policies so you give the right permissions to the right people. If possible, make sure to require two-factor authentication for all users.

As Data Privacy Changes, Change With It

Most marketers know how to duck, bob, and weave when industry changes are out of their control. But we’re all facing dramatic changes in third-party data privacy, security and liability that require a different kind of agility. The more prepared and strategic you are, the easier it is to do your job effectively and efficiently.

Talk with other business owners on how they’re using data. Don’t work through this alone. Use your network to find out how others are dealing with the upcoming changes.

To learn more about the research study, check out our entire Executive Summary. And to explore the data yourself, check it out here.

When Will Your Consumer Data Expire?

These days, following best practices for consumer data is like chasing a moving target. With data privacy laws constantly evolving and consumer data platforms setting individual data retention policies, it’s not easy to know when to use your data. 

Google Analytics, the gold standard for gathering consumer data from websites, has a data retention policy that outlines how long consumer data will be kept before it’s wiped from servers:  

While the retention period and user-activity reset controls cover event and user-level data stored by Google Analytics, certain user-keyed data (such as age, gender, interests) is by default deleted by Google Analytics after six months of inactivity for a given user for a Universal Analytics property or after two months for a Google Analytics 4 property.

The takeaway? The clock is ticking on using your consumer data. 

Even if these changes aren’t taking place, how would you use the information you’ve collected? If you know a customer visited your website twice six months ago and converted once, for example, is that still meaningful information?

We recently conducted a research study to determine how professionals view these changes and how they currently gather and use data. Not only do marketers need to know about platforms’ data retention policies, but they also need to know if and when data is useful for their marketing and sales initiatives. Consumer data is powerful when it’s used right, and timing is everything.

We’ve already shared why our research suggests first-party data is the future and how you can upgrade your tech stack. In today’s blog, we’ll help you get the most out of your consumer data before it’s no longer useful (or disappears from your Google Analytics account).

Marketers Weigh in on Expiration Dates

Our research shows the average marketer believes consumer data is good for nine months. Nearly one in five say six months is when this data expires, and one in three marketers keep data from 1-3 years before they think it needs a refresh. 

If you’re in the group that thinks you can use consumer data for 1-3 years, it’s important to consider your sales cycle. Sales cycles can take weeks to a year or more depending on the industry, product, service and audience. Real-time, responsive data is essential to understanding what’s happening at every stage of the cycle and making informed decisions. Having a strategic mindset is key, especially with your consumer data. 

Consider the average length of a marketing campaign. How effective can your marketing be if you use data from nine months ago to inform your campaign strategy?

Challenges arise and become harder to overcome without data that integrates into your sales and marketing initiatives. If this sounds familiar, know you’re not alone.  

About one in three marketers face data-related challenges, including having the skills necessary to use data effectively and working with multiple siloed data sources. Fortunately, solving data challenges can be simple if you know where to gather data, what to gather, and when to use data.

When to Refresh Consumer Data

Knowing how long your data is good for all depends on your data source. 

Social media can be a great source of first-party data for marketers transitioning away from paid third-party options. Shares, likes and comments can give you deep insights into your audience, but refreshing social media data every nine months isn’t useful because it’s one of the fastest-moving data targets. Instead, aim to refresh your data every 30-60 days. By engaging your audience with whitepapers and contests, you can entice them to fill out a form so you can collect contact details. 

Email is another source of reliable data that you should utilize during the transition away from third-party data. Knowing open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and other email engagement data points can help you understand your audience better. We recommend hitting your list once a month. 

Additionally, make sure you are segmenting your list as well. If you have inactive contacts, move them to a re-engagement campaign. If they aren’t engaged, they could be hurting your overall deliverability.

Pulling data from your website is a must to understand consumers’ journeys in a post-third-party data world. A CDP platform allows you to store information such as names, addresses and demographics, plus behavioral data like purchase history and unique page visits — all of which can inform sales and marketing strategies. Once your tech stack is working seamlessly, revisit this data at least every quarter (if not more).

You can utilize many different consumer data sources, but the data retention strategy varies. Use consumer engagement frequency to gauge how often you should look at the data yourself. For example, most customers use social media daily but may only visit your website once or twice a month.

Best Practices for Using and Storing Consumer Data

It’s often a challenge to make meaning of all this data and synthesize it into one hub. Our research shows that to help, about two in three marketers use a CRM, database software or spreadsheets to store and organize customer data. 

If you have 100 to 200 contacts, doing this manually might be time-consuming, but it’s also low-cost. On the other hand, a high quantity of data leaves room for human error, which could make the data unusable. When you have more contacts, you may consider a service like Zapier or all-in-one solutions like HubSpot to sync data back and forth. This also takes out the risk of human error.

Mastering First-Party Data

Transitioning from dependence on third-party data to creating your own first-party data takes time. Be patient with this process, and remember that taking small steps over time is better than doing nothing or trying one giant leap when it’s too late. 

As we’ve mentioned before, it’s common for marketers to lack data skills or have knowledge gaps. Consider hiring a data specialist to make the transition easier and keep your marketing and sales departments agile during changing times. 

 To learn more about the research study, check out our entire Executive Summary. And to explore the data yourself, check it out here.

Defining your terms – what is customer data, exactly?

First, what is first-party data?

What is third-party data?

So, what’s the difference between first-party and third-party data types?

Alright, now let’s talk about zero-party customer data

Using your data – analyzing and interpreting your findings to make better marketing decisions

How often do you find yourself asking these sorts of questions about your customer data?

• What happened on the last call with this client?
• I wonder what opportunities are available for this client.
• What’s the client’s phone number for a quick check-in call?

Each of these questions can be answered using customer data—if you collected that customer data, stored it effectively, and are able to activate it. Read on to learn more about the importance of collecting customer data, and to identify the customer data management solution that is the best fit for your needs.

Why You Should Be Collecting First-Party Data

Customer data is essential for understanding who your current customers are, strengthening your relationships with those customers, and identifying new customers to grow your business. Businesses may choose to collect first-party data on their customers, purchase third-party data, or some combination of the two strategies.

What is the difference between first and third-party data?

Simply put, first-party (or 1P) data is information that your business has collected on your customers, while third-party (or 3P) data are large data sets identifying customer trends that your company can purchase for use. These large data sets are created using third-party cookies that collect behavior across the Internet. Although many businesses have relied on third-party data in the past, there’s good reason to move away from third-party data and double-down on first-party data.

Personalization: First, and perhaps most importantly, first-party data tells you about *your* actual customers. Third-party data sets will give you lots of information, but that information will be very general, rather than specifically describing your true customer base. The quantity of third-party data enables you to spot broad market trends and test whether these trends apply to your business. However, the specificity of first-party data enables you to generate insights that are based on your actual customers.

First party data can help you confirm (or identify in the first place) the characteristics of your target audience—what do your customers have in common? Are there any surprising characteristics that can guide future marketing? Which factors predict whether someone will be a good customer or a great customer? How are customers finding you? How are they navigating your website? Relying on third-party data means you miss the opportunity for these personalized insights on your customers and how they are interacting with your business.

Quality: When purchasing third-party data, you will likely have to guess at which characteristics best define your target audience and hope that the data you’ve purchased will give you insights into your customers. You must also trust that the data you’ve purchased is high-quality and accurate. With first-party data, you will know exactly how the data was collected, when it was collected, and why it was collected. Knowing this enables you to accurately evaluate the quality of the data you are using.

Longevity: Have you heard of the cookie apocalypse? Third-party data relies on cookies, and cookies are going away. Eventually, Apple and Google will block third-party cookies entirely in their browsers, but even before they do this, changes in how cookies are implemented are already affecting the usefulness of third-party data. As more individuals opt-out of cookies, the data being collected is increasingly incomplete and the risk of bias in the data set increases substantially. We recommend starting with the following steps sooner rather than later so your organization can begin adapting to the new data landscape:

1. Review all internal systems that use customer data.
2. Format data so it’ll be the same for all databases.
3. Verify that all data is current and relevant.
4. Create connections between all data sources so that they stay up-to-date and in sync.

Where do I Store Customer Data?

The type of customer data you collect, the amount of data you collect, the purpose of that data, and the amount you can spend on customer data management all play an important role in determining what the best customer data management solution will be for you.

Spreadsheets (GoogleSheets, Excel, etc.)

Storing customer data in spreadsheets is a low-cost (often free) option for small to mid-sized businesses that aren’t collecting and storing vast amounts of information. If your business has not yet made the move to centralize and digitize your customer data, building a spreadsheet with customer information could be a great first step! Some questions you might ask yourself to determine whether you would benefit from using spreadsheets to manage your customer data include:

Would the data be more centralized and more accessible if it were entered into a shared spreadsheet?

How much data needs to be entered? Do we have the time to manually enter the data that we have collected so far?

How often does the data need to be updated? Since spreadsheets rely on manual data entry, data sets that constantly change can be very time consuming to keep updated as a spreadsheet.

How many people would be entering data / updating the file? How often would people be working in the file simultaneously? As more people work with a spreadsheet, the risk of introducing errors and/or breaking formulas increases substantially. Spreadsheets work best when only a small number of people are working in the file, and when there is low likelihood of multiple people working in the file at the same time.

How much data total is being stored? Spreadsheets can easily store contact information for a couple thousand customers, but if you have 10,000+ customers, you will start to notice a slowdown in run time in the spreadsheet file.

If your business needs to take the first step towards digitizing your customer data, spreadsheets could be a great low-cost solution. However, as your customer database grows and your business evolves to rely more on insights from customer data, you will likely need to invest in a specialized software solution like a CRM.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

For businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets, a CRM might be the solution to your needs. In addition to storing all of the data that you might keep in a spreadsheet (e.g. contact information, name of sales team member assigned to client, date of last contact, etc.), CRMs can help you store information that doesn’t fit well in spreadsheets. Most CRMs support logging client notes after calls and meetings, attaching files, and even integrating email communication into the client’s record.

CRMs are also ideal tools for really studying your client pipeline. What opportunities are you currently monitoring? When was the last contact date? Who is due for another touch by the sales team? If you’ve found yourself losing track of client information or losing a prospective client by letting your timeline stretch out too long, investing in a CRM is likely to pay off.

Customer Data Platforms (CDPs)

CDPs are ideal for businesses with high levels of data maturity. In most cases, this means that the business is collecting a large amount of first-party data on their customers from multiple sources—data that ranges from customer contact information to customer behavior on their websites. It also means that the business has already implemented a CRM and is now ready to connect their CRM with other data sources.

A CDP is a major investment, and successful implementation requires buy-in across the business—not just with your marketing team. A CDP is designed to combine customer data from multiple sources to achieve a single customer view (SCV): insight into who the customer is, how they interact with your business, their purchase history, when they are most likely to open emails, etc. However, unless you already have these data streams up and running, the CDP will not be able to offer this 360-degree customer view.

Make Sure You Have Customer Data Management

Big or small, you should have a central database for customer data management. You will have a more comprehensive understanding of your customer when your data is organized. This will help you align your marketing message, automate, and make your customer service more efficient. With well-maintained and fully integrated data management, you will cut down on data silos and increase cross-departmental collaboration.

Step 1: Map your data

1. What personally identifiable information (PII) is my company collecting and storing?
2. Why are we collecting and storing PII and other data? Who is asking for it?
3. Where is it stored? Is the data centralized or siloed (stored in multiple, disconnected locations)? 
4. How are we using the data that we are collecting and storing? Where is it sent? Who is accessing it?

Step 2: Centralize your data 

1. Only collecting the information needed
2. Securely storying it
3. Limiting access to the data to those who need to work with it.

• Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM): track all your customer data so that you can retain, build, and develop strong customer relationships.
• Data management platform (DMP): used in advertising to store and activate third party data.
• Customer Data Platform (CDP): used to route data sources into one central location.

Step 3: Clean your data

1. Irrelevant data removed (this includes outliers).
2. The data has been de-duplicated.
3. The data stored in a consistent format (think of phone numbers: What are you using to separate the numbers? The formatting should be consistent for every phone number you are storing!)
4. Missing data filled in where possible.
5. Data validated (this step involves checking the stored data for accuracy).

Step 4: Find the pulse of your data

Removing Third-Party Data Creates Risks and Opportunities

In our previous blog post (and this one, too!), we shared findings from our research study on how professionals are collecting and using third-party data. Three different segments come out of this as respondents had different feelings about the new changes in third-party data availability. They also had different attitudes based on their age and the size of the organizations they work for.

In a landscape changing so much with new technology and ways to collect personal data, it can affect organizations a lot. With lawmakers taking strides to protect people’s privacy, there’s a growing demand for more personalized and relevant marketing messages. As a result, there are risks and opportunities for organizations of all sizes and types.

Different Organizations, Differing Opinions

After looking at the research about third-party data, we found that organizations feel very differently about using data they collect from customers and third-party sources.

The shift from third-party data (purchased information) to first-party data (business-owned) is happening whether people agree with it or not. We found that respondents who don’t rely heavily on third-party data don’t think this shift will affect them, but the ones who are more reliant on data worry about losing access to the information, which impacts their marketing. Across all segments—Independent, Data-Reliant, and Concerned respondents—many of them worry about the effects on privacy and reputation that third-party data presents, but don’t know what other options they have.

What you and your organization think about third-party data, as well as how much you use it, will definitely affect the decisions you’ll need to make in the future. Here are our tips for what to do:

Plan for the Inevitable

Whether it’s because of new laws and rules or cultural pressures people have about privacy and security, it’s only a matter of time before access to third-party data goes down. 

Every organization using this type of data, regardless of size, needs to plan for the inevitable. Start by asking yourself these questions:

• What third-party data is your organization using now? Which activities rely on this data?
• How can you manage employee expectations around data? Who in your organization is responsible for activities that will be the most affected? Have they thought about the impact of these changes on their work? Have they created a new approach?
• How much does your organization gather its own information from customers and prospects? Are there ways you can increase that?
• How can you manage customer expectations around data? If they currently expect highly relevant and personalized messages from you, how will that change? Will they provide you with direct insight into their needs and what they like to replace the third-party data you’re using now?

Your Third-Party Data Action Plan

Since shifting from third-party data to first-party data is a matter of when, not if, we recommend starting with the following steps sooner rather than later so your organization can have a smooth transition:

1. Review all internal systems that use customer data.
2. Format data so it’ll be the same for all databases.
3. Verify all data so that it’s current and relevant.
4. Create connections between all data sources so that they stay up-to-date and are in sync.

Stay tuned for future blog posts that go into more detail on this data, from data collection, usage and storage to marketing activities, effectiveness and ad targeting. We have the insights, and strategic advice to help you and your organization adapt to this ever-changing landscape.

To learn more about the research study, check out our entire executive summary here. And to explore the data yourself, check it out here.