Where next with first-party data and privacy?

Navigating privacy issues with first party data is a hot topic right now, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau New Zealand recently held an event to discuss this crucial issue.

The panel discussion was moderated by Qassem Naim, the Data, Privacy & Measurement Council Chair for IAB New Zealand.

He spoke to StopPress about what brands should be thinking about when it comes to data and privacy.

Q: What practical things should brands and marketers be thinking about when it comes to privacy and consent?

Stakeholder management and alignment. Educate so you can take the right parts of the business on the journey. Privacy and consent aren’t just a marketing or analytics problem any more – core business is converging around these foundations and having a shared understanding and ambition is crucial. 

Data quality and hygiene. Hand in hand with evolutions in privacy and consent has come the democratisation of AI, but you’ll only be able to realise the benefits where you have the data in place to inform the solutions.

Being pragmatic and prioritising. There are so many potential implications to consider, but many are outside your control. Which will affect you the most? What consents are being captured? Are those permissions being synced and consolidated across service, marketing and sales? Where will your website or media measurement be most affected? How can you mitigate these?

Q: What is the biggest disruption you can see on the horizon in the next 12 months?

Tech ecosystem getting a shake up. There’s a new era of customer technology being ushered in – in nearly equal parts, thanks to privacy and AI. Similar to when data management platforms (DMPs) quietly faded away, replaced by customer data platforms (CDPs). Changes to cookies and identity management are breaking old measurement and advertising solutions. Meanwhile AI is making custom solutions far more attainable for businesses of all sizes. What Martech Tribe refers to as the “long tail” of solutions is growing faster than ever before. 

Q: What is currently being done to address first-party data needs?

Cleaning house. Reviewing data governance and flows, ensuring tagging and tracking are complete. Investing in clean rooms and encouraging registration to enrich first-party data. Hygiene factors that were easy to ignore before are now increasingly important.

Enhanced customer transparency. Businesses are becoming more upfront and transparent with the customer data they hold as well as empowering their customers to manage and update it. This helps mitigate risks and benefits customer value management by ensuring the most up-to-date and accurate data.

Connecting disparate teams within a business. Now a shared responsibility, clients, agencies and publishers are all bolstering internal team capabilities and connecting dots to align around the customer. More training and development to upskill internal teams and reduce reliance on partners.

Q. What are your tips for optimising data while delivering on customers’ privacy expectations?

Consider the customer, not the compliance. A compliance-led approach is painful for employees and a disservice to customers. Whether something is legal matters less than whether it’s something your customers would appreciate. It’s also more energising for employees to work towards excellence in customer experience, as opposed to complying with regulatory requirements. Of course, consider regulations, but remember they are the minimum, not the standard. 

Define your guidelines, and then update them. With the complexities of this space, it’s important to give your teams simple frameworks to guide their activities and give them clarity. But remember these aren’t set in stone, they should be constantly challenged, revisited and evolved in step with the ecosystem which is still developing rapidly.    

Keep talking about it. Head in the sand is the worst thing you can do. Don’t let a lack of understanding or complexity dissuade you from broaching these topics. Use the tools and resources around you to help yourself and your teams learn and grow. Similar to AI right now, winning in this space is engaging and coming on the journey – it’s still early so you’re not late to the party.

Q. What is the most exciting development you can see on the horizon?

First party data future is now. While a lot of people are concerned about the changes, it’s exciting that the first-party data management and solutions are developing more quickly as a result. When it was easy, most were happy to outsource all their data management and measurement to third-party pixels and platforms. Now, without that option, businesses and advertisers have to take more ownership of these solutions – which will benefit the industry in the long term and grow competency across the board.

The IAB New Zealand Navigating First Party Data & Digital Privacy was held on 20 June at the NZME iHeart Lounge.

Panel moderator:
Qassem Naim, Chair IAB New Zealand Data, Privacy & Measurement Council. Director Team Circle.

Panel:
Andy Wylie, Head of Data & Analytics NZME
Craig Whitaker, Head of Google Marketing Platform, Google
Emily Isle, Chief Digital Officer, MBM
Jenny Cheng, Data Intelligence Consultant & Chapter Lead Spark NZ
Sonja Begley, Chief Legal Officer & Group Privacy Officer Les Mills International
Trent Wooster, NZ Country Lead, Strategic Partnerships Manager XPON

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