Streamworks Blog
As a marketer, you must stay on top of trends and have strategies to keep current. Marketing teams must adapt to evolving marketing data privacy requirements and address consumer concerns about how their information is collected and used.
The data privacy realm is no exception, and digital marketing strategies are increasingly shaped by data privacy trends. Here are three data protection and privacy trends you must be aware of and a few marketing strategy ideas to help you address them.
Increased consumer privacy concerns
Data privacy awareness has gained traction over the last decade. For instance, Big Tech’s abuse of user data is old news. Pair that with consumer sentiment regarding the safety and privacy of their data, and you can predict where this trend is headed. Protecting user privacy has become a top priority for both consumers and businesses, as addressing user privacy concerns is essential for building trust and meeting regulatory requirements.
Consider these statistics:
• 95% of Americans are concerned about companies collecting and selling their personal information
• 66% of consumers want more privacy laws
• 52% of Americans decided not to use a product or service due to privacy concerns
Restoring confidence in your target audience will be challenging, but trust is everything. Start with this:
• Minimize the data you're acquiring and be transparent about it.
• Let them know what you're collecting (and not collecting) and why.
• Show them how you protect their data, and always allow them to manage it, including deleting it and opting out.
Consent management: Navigating permissions in a privacy-first world
As data privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) reshape the digital marketing landscape, consent management has become a cornerstone of data protection. These privacy regulations require businesses to obtain explicit consent from consumers before collecting, processing, or sharing their personal information. This means marketers must rethink how they approach permissions—not just as a legal requirement, but as a vital part of building consumer trust.
Managing consent isn’t just about ticking a box. It’s about giving users real control over their data and ensuring your business is compliant with evolving data privacy regulations. A consent management platform (CMP) can help streamline the process, making it easier to track, store, and honor consumer preferences across all your digital touchpoints. By prioritizing consent management, you not only meet the requirements of the consumer privacy act CCPA and data protection regulation GDPR, but also demonstrate your commitment to consumer privacy and ethical data practices.
Why consent is more than a checkbox
In today’s privacy-conscious environment, consent is far more than a simple checkbox on a website. Consumers expect transparency about how their personal information is collected, used, and shared. To meet these expectations—and comply with data privacy laws—businesses must clearly explain their data collection practices in plain language.
This means outlining exactly what types of consumer data you collect, why you collect it, and who will have access to the personal information collected. Providing this level of detail not only fulfills legal obligations, but also helps build trust with your audience. When consumers understand your data practices and feel confident that their privacy is respected, they’re more likely to engage with your brand and share their information willingly.
How to streamline consent across channels
With consumers interacting with brands across websites, mobile apps, and social media, managing consent can quickly become complex. The solution? Centralize your consent management. By implementing a consent management platform, you can create a unified framework for collecting, storing, and updating consumer preferences—no matter where the interaction takes place.
A centralized approach ensures that your business remains compliant with data privacy regulations and privacy laws, while also making it easier for consumers to manage their choices. Use clear, consistent language in your consent requests, and always provide straightforward options for opting out or changing preferences. Streamlining consent in this way not only reduces the risk of non-compliance, but also enhances the customer experience and strengthens your reputation as a privacy-first brand.
More states are passing privacy laws
Although the United States has a handful of data privacy laws, there isn’t a comprehensive U.S. federal privacy law similar to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In the absence of federal law, at least five states have enacted their own laws, with California passing two. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was the first (effective 2020) and most well-known, but here’s a rundown of the others, with undoubtedly more on the way:
• California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) - effective January 1, 2023
• Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) - effective January 1, 2023
• Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) - effective July 1, 2023
• Connecticut Act Concerning Personal Data Privacy and Online Monitoring - effective July 1, 2023
• Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA) - effective December 31, 2023
These laws have many things in common such as how they define personal information, consumer’s data rights, and privacy notice requirements. Privacy compliance and data compliance are essential for businesses operating in these states to ensure they meet legal obligations and maintain consumer trust. Non-compliance with these regulations can result in significant financial penalties. The California Privacy Protection Agency is the dedicated authority responsible for enforcing California's privacy laws. Some of these laws specifically address the protection of children's personal information, such as requirements under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Consumer protection laws are a driving force behind the creation and enforcement of these privacy regulations.
The takeaway? The trend to protect consumer data is not only the right thing to do; it’s the law in many states now, with more to come.
Google Chrome - no more third-party cookies
When Google announced in 2020 its path toward making third-party cookies obsolete, some thought it marked a “major shake-up“ in digital marketing. Since the announcement, Google has delayed its plans until late 2023 to allow more time for developing and testing alternatives to third-party cookies.
Cookies are small information files sent to your browser from websites you visit. They help customize the user experience (dark mode, anyone?) or store session data like your login credentials. Those are good examples of first-party cookies.
Third-party cookies, on the other hand, are created by websites other than the ones you visit. Third-party cookies track you across multiple sites, send you targeted ads, and can compromise your privacy. Due to increasing privacy regulations and browser restrictions, third party tracking and the use of third party data are being phased out, making these methods less viable for marketers.
As a result, first party data, first party data collection, and first party data strategies have become essential alternatives. Marketers now need a comprehensive first party data strategy to collect and manage data directly from their own channels, ensuring privacy compliance and building stronger customer relationships. Contextual advertising is also seeing a resurgence as a privacy-friendly alternative to behavioral tracking, targeting users based on the content they are viewing rather than their browsing history. Targeted advertising is being reshaped by these changes, as marketers must adapt to new ways of reaching audiences without relying on third-party cookies.
Data minimization is now a best practice, with organizations encouraged to collect only the data necessary for marketing purposes. Data sharing between companies is increasingly managed through data clean rooms, which enable privacy-safe collaboration and analysis. App Tracking Transparency, introduced by Apple, has further limited data collection by requiring user consent for tracking across apps, impacting how marketers gather and use data.
Protecting sensitive information such as location data and browsing history is critical in modern marketing data practices. Aligning ads with user interests while respecting privacy is key to maintaining trust and effectiveness. Marketing data security is more important than ever to prevent data breaches and protect the integrity of marketing campaigns.
Time will tell what the extinction of third-party cookies means for the digital marketing world, but one thing’s for sure: have a strategy to prepare for the change.
For example, do you need to fine-tune your SEO? How’s your content marketing? Do you need to take a more dynamic approach to content without access to third-party cookies? Consider creating more valuable and engaging web content and social media posts.
Conclusion
As the cliché goes, change is the only constant, and in our digital marketing world, we must navigate and embrace it as part of the gig. Know the latest privacy, technology, and marketing trends and take proactive steps to take advantage of such trends.
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