Zero-Party Data, First-Party Data, Second and Third-Party Data: marketers and strategists are increasingly dealing with a lot of data and information on users, and if the ultimate goal remains the possibility of creating a truly “tailor-made” customer experience, increasingly stringent privacy regulations and the definitive deprecation of third-party cookies announced by Google by 2025, represent a constant challenge that cannot be avoided.
Data collected directly from one’s own audience and in one’s own properties, the so-called first-party data, thus become a gold mine, but often the information ‘observed’ and deduced from browsing and purchasing behaviour is not enough to know one’s own users in depth; to do so, one must also use the data they choose to share intentionally or proactively.
Researchers at Forrester Research were the first to categorise this particular type of data under the term Zero-Party Data, thus distinguishing it in the magnum sea of First Party Data.
Zero-Party Data: what are they and what are the benefits of using them?
The term “Zero-Party Data” is used to define all data and information collected within the brand’s corporate properties, but released voluntarily by users.
It is precisely this last point that is the most relevant: it is not information deduced, as anticipated, from purchasing or browsing behaviour, but on the contrary, it is information that users provide in a direct and conscious way through answers to surveys, forms or participation in prize competitions
In the era of personalisation of the customer experience, users are ready and willing to share data and information in exchange for personalised and valuable customer experiences, provided that these are managed in total transparency and security.
Only in this way can companies and brands create strong and lasting relationships with their users and customers.
Underlying all this is a real exchange of value, the element that governs every relationship, a “do ut des”: the user releases data and information in exchange for something valuable, which, let us not forget, must always be perceived as such.
But what are the advantages of using zero-party data in your strategy?
Let us analyse them in detail:
- zero-party data are accurate and qualitatively more valuable than any other type of data collected on users;
- it is shared directly by stakeholders so it can provide interesting details about how they wish to be solicited and engaged with the brand;
- are often already available to brands and often only need to be enhanced;
- they are certainly GDPR compliant as they are collected from secure sources and in secure ways.
A marketing strategy involving the use of zero-party data, combined with other marketing strategies, offers brands and companies the opportunity to create strong relationships with their audience, with a view to building loyalty.
Zero-Party Data and customisation: how to collect data and create your strategy
Engagement and creativity are certainly the key aspects of an effective user data collection strategy: the more engaged users feel, the more easily they will tell something about themselves.
From inviting users to complete their profile on eCommerce channels, to loyalty cards at the point of sale, there are many tools that can be deployed:
- profiling forms;
- surveys;
- prize competitions;
- loyalty cards;
- post-purchase surveys;
- web content personalisation and premium content for registered users.
Let us not forget that the activities and methods chosen for data collection must be an integral part of the marketing strategy. It is important that the information collected is functional to the objectives one intends to achieve with a view to personalising the user’s customer experience and therefore contribute to defining a complete profile.
Customisation and zero-party data: harness the power of Blendee
Among the basic engines that Blendee offers for profiling its audience is “Form & Survey“. It allows the collection of data and information to be customised on the basis of the browsing context and therefore allows the right information to be requested at the right time, making the user more geared to release it.
Customisable according to the user’s segment and contextualised to collect information relevant to the browsing context, Blendee’s forms are quick and easy to configure thanks to an intuitive and user-friendly editor.
From simple newsletter subscription forms with often only one field to more complex step forms and even surveys: with Blendee’s engine, it is also possible to deploy progressive profiling activities that allow data and information to be collected several times during the different phases of the customer journey.
We have anticipated how in a strategy that focuses on the collection of zero-party data, the creativity and engagement aspect plays a fundamental role.
Blendee makes it possible to integrate gamification activities within one’s marketing strategies thanks to APPs, based on the engine just illustrated above, that integrate gaming mechanics and game-design elements.
Let’s imagine that we want to collect more data and information on a user, we might consider engaging him/her with a prize competition or a sort of wheel of fortune that invites him/her to release data and information in exchange for prizes and possible discount codes.
Gamification activities represent an interesting aspect to exploit for data collection as they not only engage the user but also stimulate him to perform actions by acting on motivating levers that are beyond rational control and therefore contribute to strengthening the relationship between brand and consumer.
