How We Mastered 1st Party User Data Collection & Usage: A Transformative Odyssey

Prologue: The Storm Clouds of a Cookieless Future

As digital marketers, we've always been explorers, charting unknown territories and searching for the next frontier. But when whispers grew into roars about the impending "cookieless" future, it wasn't just a new frontier—it was a seismic shift. We knew we had to prepare. And so, our odyssey began. ?

It has long been clear that the technical and legal limitations on tracking necessitate a fresh approach to data and marketing processes—lest we fall behind in efficiency. In the past we could rely on 3th party cookies to run the digital marketing wheel besides knowing the disadvantages of it regards cookie deletion, cookie blocker, bad quality and fraud issues all for the sake of maximized reach and leads. The whole technical aspects where external managed and GAFA gave us the user insights we dared for. This game is over.

You need quality data to get the best output for marketing campaigns, user insights and the raising need for artificial intelligence and machine learning to cover data gaps or enhancing the user experience.

The Genesis of a Vision

A vision doesn't happen overnight. It's often born out of countless strategy sessions, debates, and, of course, a sprinkle of frustration. For us, that vision was crystal clear: "1st party data, GDPR-compliant, is the new gold." Gone were the days of cookie-dependent strategies; we were setting our sails towards uncharted waters—waters filled with untapped pools of 1st party data.

Understanding our dependencies on 3rd party cookies, especially for targeting & personalization, ad monetization, measurement, and attribution, is crucial. Failure to act could have severe repercussions on both user experience and revenue.

Crossing the Legal Rubicon

Ah, the complexities of legalities! It was a dense fog we had to navigate through. We dissected GDPR guidelines, consulted with legal eagles, and delved into case studies. Finally, we found our lighthouse—a consent framework that was as robust as it was compliant. Our legal team gave us their blessings. We were set to go where few had ventured before.

Only a handful of companies have successfully navigated both legal and technical requirements without compromising customer touchpoints within the user journey. Significant effort was required to uncover these mechanisms and secure approval from our legal team.

The Data Audit Odyssey

Before adding new territories to our map, we had to understand our existing landscape. A comprehensive audit of our data cloud yielded surprising finds—like discovering ancient scrolls in a forgotten language. We found hashed emails that nobody knew existed. They were remnants of past projects, orphaned data with no lineage or history, but invaluable nonetheless.

Having immediate access to existing 1st party data enabled us to swiftly initiate live tests and validate preliminary outcomes. Yet, the actual scope of these hashed emails in relation to our full potential remained uncertain.

Extending the Boundaries

Discovering we already had some data was heartening but not sufficient. We needed more—much more. We wanted hashed emails, postcodes, and phone numbers. It was an ambitious quest, necessitating collaborations across departments. We summoned our product teams, enacted GDPR-compliant processes, and set forth a timeline. The road was arduous, but every milestone achieved was a victory. ?

Articulating the necessity of 1st party data and the risks of not having it is paramount. Although setup and collection require time to reach full potential, perseverance is key—as evidenced by our continued efforts despite initial setbacks.

The Alchemy of Data

Our Customer Data Platform (CDP) was no less than Merlin's magic chamber. We matched consent statuses, added layers of information, and turned raw, isolated data points into rich, actionable insights. It was alchemy at its finest—the transformation of base data into marketing gold.

It is imperative to understand that the collection, transformation, and utilization of 1st party user data necessitate a robust technical solution.

The Customer Data Platform (CDP) that we onboarded in 2021 serves as the cornerstone, enabling us to execute these operations seamlessly and independently. Adding 1st party data to the existing user profiles and instantly being able to use this for marketing campaigns to have a hybrid approach with 3rd party and 1st party data was very effectful.

The Kingdom of Results

When the smoke cleared, our chests swelled with pride. A 10x increase in 1st party user data. A 50% rise in GAFA platform user matching. High-quality data signals that would be the envy of any algorithm. The spoils of our journey were not just for us. They empowered other departments—Performance Marketing, Media Sales, Data Science—to craft their own strategies for market conquest.

For our MarTech team it was always clear that we worked on something big and that the whole company would benefit from it. But for sure it was not clear for us in which extend we would move the needle. The impact was staggering, expanding the range of applications and stakeholder involvement for leveraging 1st party data.

Scrolls of Wisdom

There are pivotal measures to implement for successful outcomes. Besides a very dedicated MarTech team and constant clear communication about the vision and benefits it take the following: ?

1. Educating stakeholders is a continuous journey, not a destination. Challenges are inevitable.

Not all data engineers, developer and other stakeholder will listen and understand the importance of such a journey for the whole company and customers as well.? ?

2. Legal protocols may be tedious but are as essential as a compass in a storm.

There is no playbook how to collect 1st party user data easily if you do not have a registration duty / no need to accept terms & conditions. Sometimes you need to reverse engineer existing role models. The entire concept of user consent is still in its nascent stage and often enterprise legals are not into the nuances and finesses of digital marketing and data topics as they should. This is why it makes still an effort to explain in depth and consistent why it is important to scale 1st party data collection and usage and the extend of possible options. ?

3. Product integration is like fine craftsmanship; it takes skill, patience, and a multi-departmental effort.

To implement a holistic 1st party data strategy is nothing a small team can acomplish without the support of other functions and departments. The scope of 1st party data implementation across various touchpoints significantly influences the overall outcome. Start small, adding them step by step is the only way to get it done.

The Golden Future

Our journey has brought us to an era of unprecedented opportunity. Our 1st party data metrics are not just excellent; they are superb. These metrics are the pillars of future endeavors—ID resolution partnerships, data clean rooms, artificial intelligence and beyond.

Executing this transformation is an arduous undertaking. Do not underestimate it. Have a clear vision first and be concious about the risks not making it happen. This clarity of vision and awareness of risks will galvanize decision-makers to ensure a mutually beneficial transformation.

The Voyage Continues

As we share this tale, we're mindful that the odyssey is ongoing. The digital landscape is ever-changing, but our ship is strong, our compass true, and our crew skilled. With 1st party data as our guiding star, who knows what new worlds we will discover?

What is you experience with the topic - 1st party user data?

Are you already ready to make use of it to the fullest?

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I'm Stephan G?tze - a?MarTech HERO?and I help companies to "Unlock Marketing" providing strategies for Modern Marketing Leaders in the Data-Driven Age.

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