In this new era of privacy, data concerns are at the forefront of consumers’ minds, pushing advertisers to engage their audiences more responsibly than ever before. Because of this, advertisers are having to rethink their approach, and leverage new methods to understand and reach their target audiences.

Enter: Zero-party data, a highly valuable type of data that consumers willingly share. Not readily available, and typically difficult and costly to capture, this data can be leveraged by advertisers to reach their audience in a fully privacy-compliant way.

Ogury is the front-runner in using zero-party data to deliver privacy-safe advertising at scale, enabling performance in contexts without cookies or IDs. Our Personified Advertising approach to targeting is rooted in unique zero-party data. We fuse traditional contextual and semantic targeting methods with our exclusive zero-party data collected and crafted from millions of self-declared customer surveys. This enables us to target personas, not people, resulting in unparalleled audience insights. Our surveys are always on, collecting data across thousands of placements, with a high number of responses providing statistically significant data. Ourstrategic question set helps build our personas and drives a high rate of unincentivized, unbiased responses, while also allowing us to uniquely qualify Audiences on placements and not people.

It is important for the industry to understand the importance of zero-party data to help advertisers thrive in today’s new era of privacy. Delve into the essence of zero-party data, its critical importance in today’s digital ecosystem, and how brands and advertisers can leverage it to deliver their ads without compromising user privacy.

Understanding Zero-Party Data

Zero-party data refers to information that consumers intentionally share with an organization. This information could include preference data, purchase intentions, personal context, and how they wish to be recognized by brands. It’s a transparent and consensual exchange of information, distinguishing it from first-party data collected through interactions, second-party data that’s received secondhand from partners, and third-party data purchased from external sources. 

The Shift Towards Data Privacy

Digital advertising is undergoing a seismic shift, with increasing regulations like GDPR and CCPA and technological changes happening right now like the phasing out of third-party cookies by Google. These changes underscore the need for a more ethical approach to data collection, making zero-party data not just preferable but essential for future-proofing advertising strategies. 

The Strategic Advantage of Zero-Party Data

Zero-party data offers an unmatched level of insight into what consumers want, allowing for more accurate targeting for brands and agencies without breaching consumer privacy. It can be the cornerstone of building lasting customer relationships, enhancing the customer experience, and significantly improving marketing ROI. 

• Building Trust: By asking for information directly, organizations can build trust with consumers, respecting their privacy and committing to using their data ethically. 

• Increased Efficiency: Zero-Party data enables reduced ad spend wastage on disinterested audiences and improves overall campaign effectiveness. 

• Accuracy: Data that comes directly from consumers guarantees accuracy, as other forms, like third-party data, infer consumer preferences and attitudes. Since this data is collected from a single source and with direct consumer input, it is less likely to be outdated or inaccurate. 

Collecting Zero-Party Data

Transparency is the bedrock of collecting zero-party data. It’s essential to communicate with consumers clearly about what data is being collected, why it’s being collected, and how it will be used. This transparency extends to ensuring consumers understand they have control over their data, including the ability to update or delete it. 

But why should consumers share their information? Brands and agencies must offer something of value in return, which could range from recommendations matched to their persona group to exclusive discounts or early access to products. The key is to align the value provided with consumers’ interests and preferences, demonstrating that their data is used to enhance their own experience, not just to serve business interests. This makes it a win-win for both brands and consumers.

Engaging consumers creatively and interactively is crucial for effectively collecting zero-party data. Experiences such as quizzes, polls, preference centers and direct feedback channels encourage sharing. These methods collect data and deepen consumer engagement with a brand, creating a more memorable and enjoyable experience. 

Zero-Party Data in Action

Understanding the concept and strategic value of zero-party data is just the start. The true measure of its efficacy lies in its application – how brands leverage these audience insights to drive marketing success. 

One way Ogury’s zero-party fueled Personified Advertising has helped brands reach audiences is when Nissan United wanted to drive awareness for its new e-POWER technology. To prepare for its new exclusive technology launch, the brand wanted to ensure its ads reached its target audience while gaining insights into the perception of its latest technology in the Spanish market. Ogury’s Surveys helped Nissan United reach the best-performing audience (men aged 45 to 54, with a higher affinity for apps and websites related to hiking and camping, insurance, pre-owned cars, energy and motorcycles) in a secure, fraud-free environment with less than 0.5% invalid traffic. 

Brands like Microsoft trust Ogury’s approach to zero-party data as it reaches their digital objectives while respecting consumer privacy. Michele Fazio, Windows Category Manager, Western Europe – South, shares, “The ability to meet our needs, identify, reach and attract our ideal audience, confirmed Ogury as an important and strategic partner for us, campaign after campaign.” 

The Future is Zero-Party

While shifting towards more ethical data collection can seem daunting, it presents a unique opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves and build more meaningful connections with audiences that matter. In embracing zero-party data, advertisers future-proof their strategies against an ever-tightening regulatory environment and move towards a more sustainable and consumer-friendly digital advertising model.