Changes in consumer privacy in the digital marketing environment are forcing firms to fundamentally rethink their data-driven marketing tactics.
Consumers are becoming more conscious of the importance of their personal information. Simultaneously, tech titans and authorities worldwide are cracking down on the gathering, storage, and sale of consumer data. In addition to Apple's well-publicized privacy-focused software updates, Google intends to phase out third-party cookies on both Chrome and Android next year in an effort to prevent consumer tracking.
The loss of access to large amounts of third-party data has complicated everything from ad targeting to attribution for advertisers, who have long relied on user-level tracking techniques.
A rising number of businesses are responding by using novel strategies to get consumers to provide their personal information. This can take the shape of first-party data, or information a business obtains directly from its clients, or even zero-party data, or details a client voluntarily provides to a business. Consumers are receiving innovative new rewards from brands in return for their important data.
The leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) and restaurant businesses are profiled here, along with some creative first- and zero-party data collecting methodologies they have employed. We discuss how these strategies may have helped these companies survive the post-cookie era.
For the win, use game-based incentive programmes
Brands are coming up with strategies to engage consumers in order to obtain first- and zero-party data. For a membership sign-up, email address, or phone number, you might receive a range of incentives, such as discounts or entry into sweepstakes.
Some companies, on the other hand, are thinking outside the box and developing fresh strategies, including ones that combine gamification, loyalty rewards, personalised marketing, and unique product offerings.
For instance, in January, the sandwich company Jimmy John's started distributing its first "Achievement badges" to its "Freaky Fast Rewards Members." Even though the company has offered rewards since 2019, the addition of badges makes using the Jimmy John's app more enjoyable and encourages members to return.
One badge, dubbed "The Gauntlet," which was introduced earlier this year, gave a special, limited-edition beanbag chair to the first 100 members who ordered every sandwich on the menu.
Low-cal workouts drive conversions
Halo Top, a brand of low-calorie ice cream owned by Wells, has another gamified strategy.
And CPG firms like Halo Top that frequently market and sell largely via retail channels as opposed to direct-to-consumer are especially well-served by acquiring first- and zero-party data. As stated by Adam Fish, director of omnichannel strategy at Wells, "Gaining first-party data scale for CPG brands is challenging because we don't own the transaction; however, first-party data helps brands best understand their consumer and build long-term data durability."
The 'No Work Workouts' campaign, launched by Halo Top last month, encourages people to take pauses from their usual workout routines to partake in enjoyable, low-effort calorie-burning hobbies, such playing air guitar or watching scary movies.
"For those consumers who give consent, we can ingest first-party data into our audience segments," says Fish. He continues by saying that the company has witnessed a notable increase in conversions since switching from using third-party data collection to a variety of data sources a few years ago.
