Marketing leaders face a paradox: customers demand deeply personalized experiences, yet they are more protective of their data privacy than ever. Data has become “the cornerstone of meaningful customer relationships” – but with privacy regulations tightening and third-party tracking fading out, how can brands responsibly fuel personalization?
Enter zero-party data (ZPD): information that customers intentionally hand over to a brand, often in exchange for better experiences. Unlike the behind-the-scenes data scraping of the past, ZPD is all about transparency and trust.
This report will define zero-party data and how it differs from first-, second, and third-party data. We’ll explore why ZPD is rising to prominence now (think GDPR, the EU’s Digital Markets Act, and the death of the cookie), and outline practical ways to collect it – from preference centers to quizzes and loyalty apps – through clear value exchanges that make customers want to opt in.
Finally, we’ll discuss how composable marketing architectures (modular, interoperable tech stacks) are ideally suited to activate ZPD across channels, better enabling Communication Orchestration at scale.
Zero-party data is a relatively new term (coined by Forrester Research in 2018) for data that a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand.
In other words, it’s information explicitly given by the individual, not inferred or collected secretly. Forrester’s formal definition captures it well: “Zero-party data is that which a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. It can include preference center data, purchase intentions, personal context, and how the individual wants the brand to recognize them.”
In essence, it’s everything a customer tells you about their preferences, needs, and desires – truly the gold standard of customer data because it’s voluntarily and knowingly provided.
To clarify how zero-party data stands apart, let’s briefly define the other types of “party” data in marketing:
First-party data – This is data your company collects directly from customer interactions with your own channels and products. It includes things like website analytics, purchase history, mobile app usage, CRM data, social media engagement, etc. First-party data is observed behavioral or transactional information (often via cookies or tracking pixels) that you gather with the user’s implied consent in the course of doing business. It’s generally reliable and relevant since it comes from actual customer behavior on your properties. However, it’s mostly passively collected. Customers might not always realize what data is being logged, and you often have to analyze or interpret it (e.g. inferring interests from pages visited).
Second-party data – This is essentially someone else’s first-party data that you acquire through a direct partnership or exchange. In a second-party data arrangement, a trusted partner company shares its customer data with you (typically with some agreement in place).
For example, an airline might share booking data with a hotel chain to help offer relevant hotel deals to the traveler – the airline’s customer data becomes second-party data for the hotel. Second-party data can extend your audience insights with data you didn’t collect yourself, and it’s generally more transparent and reliable than broad third-party data because you know its source. Still, customers may not be fully aware that their data is being shared with a partner, so consent and privacy disclosure are important considerations.
Third-party data – This is data aggregated by external sources with no direct connection to the customer or original collecting site. Third-party data often comes from large data brokers, ad networks, or cookies that track users across many websites.
It’s usually sold to marketers as audience segments or lists. Because it’s collected and pooled from various places without a direct relationship, third-party data is increasingly viewed as opaque and privacy-intrusive. Users typically haven’t given explicit consent for this aggregation and may not even know it’s happening.
Moreover, third-party data tends to be less accurate or personalized. It provides broad strokes (e.g. demographics or “likely interests”) that can be hit-or-miss for a given individual. With the modern need for privacy, especially in places such as the EU, the effectiveness of third-party data is plummeting. Browsers like Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies by default; Google Chrome is deprecating them, and laws are restricting behind-the-scenes tracking. In short, the third-party data era is ending, pushing marketers to lean on data sources with clearer consent.
This is probably for the best.
Unlike first-party behavioral data, there’s no need to infer what the customer wants – they’re literally telling you their preferences, intentions, and personal context in their own words. And unlike second- or third-party data, ZPD comes directly from that individual to your brand (no intermediaries or unknown sources). This means zero-party data is not only more accurate and specific (since it’s self-reported), but also inherently privacy-friendly and trust-building. The customer is in control: they decide what to share, and they expect something beneficial in return. ndustry expert described ZPD as a “holy grail” for future marketing because it aligns personalization with consent and customer benefit.
To put it simply, zero-party data is explicit, customer-supplied data (e.g. “Here are my preferences and needs”), whereas first-party data is implicit, observed data (“We tracked what you clicked”), second-party data is someone else’s first-party data you borrow, and third-party data is a grab-bag of inferred info from outsiders.
Zero-party and strong first-party data are becoming the foundation of modern marketing, as they are far more sustainable in a privacy-first world than any third-party shortcuts.
Zero-party data isn’t an entirely new concept (smart marketers have run surveys and preference centers for ages), but it has taken on new strategic urgency in recent years. Several converging factors explain why ZPD is in the spotlight now:
Around the world – and especially in Europe – data privacy laws have dramatically tightened the rules on data collection and sharing. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) set the tone in 2018 by requiring explicit, informed user consent for personal data processing.
More recently, the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) (effective 2023) imposes even stricter consent requirements, particularly aimed at curbing how Big Tech “gatekeepers” share data across services for advertising. In short, companies now must obtain “freely given, specific, unambiguous” consent for most data uses, and that’s essentially baked into the zero-party data model.
Regulations have made old data practices (like buying third-party lists or dropping tracking cookies without consent) legally perilous, which naturally pushes marketers toward consent-based strategies like ZPD.
The tech ecosystem itself is pulling the plug on opaque data collection. Web browsers are phasing out third-party cookies (In particular, Safari, Firefox, and Chrome), and mobile platforms like iOS now ask users if they want to be tracked across apps.
Most say no.
This cookie apocalypse means the traditional methods of following users around the internet to target ads are going extinct. One analysis noted that as Google axes third-party cookies, “marketers have shifted their focus to zero- and first-party data”. Why? Because first-party and zero-party data remain accessible and reliable, you don’t need to chase users around the web if you can engage them directly.
Zero-party data, in particular, can fill in the insight gaps left by the cookie crumble. Rather than relying on a third-party cookie to guess that a user is interested in, say, hiking gear (because they visited a hiking blog), you could simply ask the user in a quiz or preference form what their hobbies are. When third-party data pipelines are shutting off, ZPD is a lifeline for personalization. It’s no coincidence that industry voices call zero-party data a key to “privacy-first personalization”.
Beyond laws and tech changes, consumers themselves have raised the bar. Years of data scandals and creepy ad targeting have eroded trust. Today’s consumers are more aware of how their data is used, and many don’t appreciate opaque tracking. In fact, 74% of consumers believe companies collect more personal data than they need, and the majority feel companies aren’t transparent about it.
Conversely, customers are willing to share data if they see a fair exchange: studies found 48% of customers are comfortable sharing personal data when it leads to better experiences. The crucial point is they want control over what they share and how it’s used. This is exactly the dynamic zero-party data supports – it “puts the customer in control, ensuring their needs are met without overstepping boundaries”.
Forrester’s analysts have called zero-party data “gold” because when a customer trusts a brand enough to volunteer information, it eliminates guesswork and strengthens the relationship. Marketers are discovering that data transparency can be a competitive advantage. In short, zero-party data satisfies both sides: customers get more relevant content on their own terms, and brands get reliable data with clear permission.
Collecting zero-party data means engaging customers and directly asking for their input, but you have to do it in ways that customers enjoy or find worthwhile. It’s a voluntary exchange, so think of it as offering a fair trade: th customer shares info, and in return they receive some value (better recommendations, useful content, rewards, etc.). Here are some of the most effective methods CMOs can use to gather zero-party data, along with tips on creating a motivating value exchange:
One of the foundational tools for ZPD is a customer preference center. This is typically a page or portal (often as part of an account settings or email subscription management) where users can self-report their interests and communication preferences.
For example, a media site might let users choose topics they’re interested in, or a brand might let a subscriber set the frequency of newsletter emails and the product categories they care about. Preference centers are powerful because they put the customer in the driver’s seat. When a user takes the time to fill out their preferences, they expect the brand to honor them by personalizing content and not sending irrelevant messages. Modern martech stacks are increasingly built to accommodate these preference centers.
This can lead to higher engagement and loyalty, since customers see that their wishes are respected”. CMOs and other marketing leaders should ensure their marketing stack includes a flexible preference center module and promote it to users (“Tell us what you want to hear about!”).
Crucially, explain the benefit: “Update your preferences to get content tailored just for you.” Always highlight the value exchange: the user’s input leads to a better, more customized experience.
Old-fashioned? Think again. Surveys (one-off or periodic) are a direct way to ask customers questions and receive structured data in return. The key is to make them short, relevant, and rewarding. For instance, after a purchase, you might send a survey asking what the customer is interested in next, or what problem they’re trying to solve, thereby gathering zero-party data about future needs or personal context.
On websites, a brief poll asking “What type of traveler are you? (Family, Adventurer, Business)” could yield insights to personalize travel offers. Surveys can also be interactive and fun. Many brands use quizzes (a type of survey) as engagement tools – for example, a beauty brand’s quiz to “Find your perfect skincare routine” doubles as a data capture for preferences and concerns.
Importantly, you should incentivize surveys to boost participation: entry into a prize draw, a discount code, loyalty points, or even just the promise of a personalized recommendation at the end. Users must feel it’s worth their time. When done right, surveys can collect rich zero-party details (needs, intentions, feedback) that you’d never glean from passive data. In fact, marketers often treat ZPD collection like a conversation: each question is a step to get to know the customer better, rather than an interrogation. Keep the tone friendly and the length reasonable.
I'm giving these extra attention, because while they are related to surveys, quizzes in particular turn data collection into a game or helpful tool. BuzzFeed may have made quizzes popular for engagement, but brands have adopted them for personalization.
Examples: a fashion retailer offers a “Style Finder” quiz; a fitness brand has a “Workout Personality” assessment. As customers answer questions, they’re willingly handing over zero-party data about their style, goals, preferences, etc. The payoff for the user is typically a personalized result – “Here’s your recommended product bundle” – which feels tailored because - because it is.
Quizzes are excellent for top-of-funnel engagement, and they also serve as lead-generation when gated by an email capture at the end, for example hiding the results. Make quizzes visually appealing, and reassure users that their results or offers will be better if they answer honestly. The engagement factor of a quiz often makes people forget they’re “sharing data” – it feels more like fun. Just be sure to actually use those answers to personalize the follow-up communications, and do not try to obfuscate the data collection element.
Another staple of zero-party data strategy is offering valuable content or rewards in exchange for information. This is the classic “gated content” approach in B2B marketing (think white papers, e-books, webinars – you fill out a form with your info/interests to download the asset).
In B2C, a similar approach is running contests, sweepstakes, or loyalty campaigns where entry requires answering a few questions or filling a signup form. The user clearly understands they are giving data (contact details, preferences, etc.) to get something: a chance to win, a free resource, or a discount. This approach also appears in modern news sites, which offer a limited number of articles for free before requiring the user to subscribe, either in exchange for data, or a paid subscription.
The key is the perceived value: make sure what you’re offering is compelling enough for the ask. For instance, a home décor retailer might offer a free “Style Guide PDF” but require the user to fill a style profile quiz first – the user gets design tips (value) and the brand learns the user’s décor preferences (zero-party data). Contests can be very effective to quickly build up a zero-party data pool (entries can ask a couple of fun questions along with contact info). Just beware of data quality if the incentive is too high; sometimes people may provide junk answers just to win a prize. To mitigate this, design contest questions that also enhance the user experience. One real-world example: many retail brands run social media contests that ask fans to vote on their favorite styles or submit ideas – not only does this engage the community, it also directly collects preference data that the brand can use in marketing.
Loyalty or membership programs are a goldmine for zero-party data, because loyal customers are often eager to share more if it means better rewards or recognition. Many companies now use loyalty program sign-up forms or profile completion prompts to gather detailed customer data.
One of the most famous examples is Sephora’s Beauty Insider loyalty program, which encourages members to fill out a beauty profile (skin type, product interests, etc.) in exchange for more personalized product recommendations and loyalty points.
If data collection is clearly connected to the loyalty incentive, customers see a clear reason to provide information – they know “the more you tell us, the more we can customize your perks.” If your brand has a loyalty app or portal, consider adding interactive elements like personalization surveys, style quizzes, or preference sliders within the app. Not only does this enrich the user’s profile with ZPD, it also makes them feel heard.
Mobile apps especially offer creative ways to ask for data progressively. For instance, a fitness app might unlock a personalized workout plan if the user inputs their goals and fitness level (that input is ZPD). Remember to communicate the benefit: e.g. “Set your preferences to get offers tailored to you” or “Tell us about yourself to earn 50 bonus points and special deals.” This frames data sharing as part of the loyalty value loop.
Lastly, don’t overlook simply asking customers for feedback or suggestions in a conversational manner. Whether through customer service interactions, on-site chatbots, or community forums, customers often volunteer valuable insights (what they like, dislike, wish you offered) - which is zero-party data when tied to their profile.
For example, a chatbot could ask a browsing customer “Looking for something particular? Tell us and we’ll help”. Then, the customer’s input request (e.g., I need a gift for my 5-year-old) is immediately used to assist them, but it’s also data you now have about that customer’s context.
Similarly, post-purchase feedback forms like “What occasion were you buying for?” can capture intent data. The key is to integrate these touchpoints so that the data doesn’t sit in a silo. (We’ll talk about that in the next section on composable tech.)
In all the methods above, success hinges on the perceived value exchange for the customer. Zero-party data by definition is a two-way street; you’re asking the customer to invest some effort or information, so you must reward that investment. This could be instant gratification (an offer, a piece of content, a more personalized experience) or cumulative (better service over time, points in a program).
Make the exchange clear: for example, label your forms or surveys with copy like “Tell us your preferences to get personalized updates” or “Share your interests to unlock your custom dashboard.”
Also, trust must be maintained by using data responsibly. If a customer shares their birthday for a reward, be sure to actually send a birthday perk. If they indicate they’re interested in Topic A and not Topic B, tailor your messaging accordingly. Misusing or ignoring zero-party data is a fast way to break trust. Conversely, when customers see that sharing data leads to tangible benefits (like magically relevant content or surprisingly spot-on recommendations), they’re more likely to continue sharing and engaging. Over time, this creates a virtuous cycle of loyalty – the customer feels understood and valued, and the brand earns more insight to keep improving personalization.
One more consideration: respect frequency and volume. Don’t bombard your audience with lengthy forms at every turn. A smart approach is progressive profiling – gradually collect bits of zero-party data over multiple touchpoints, rather than one giant questionnaire. For instance, ask one or two new questions at each login or in each email preference center visit, building the profile step by step. This feels less onerous for the user, yet it accumulates rich data over time.
In summary, the tactics for collecting zero-party data are varied – from preference centers and loyalty apps to surveys, quizzes, gated content, and more – but all share a common principle: create a win-win scenario. The customer gives data knowingly, and in return receives personalized value. Design your campaigns and digital experiences with that principle at the core. When done right, customers will happily tell you a lot about themselves, because it directly enhances their experience (and they retain a sense of control). It’s marketing with the customer rather than at them.
So you’ve started collecting zero-party data – what now? The next step is to activate those rich customer insights across all your marketing channels: email, web, mobile, ads, in-store, you name it. This is where a composable marketing architecture becomes your strategic ally. In simple terms, a composable architecture means building your marketing tech stack out of modular, interoperable components (think of LEGO blocks) rather than relying on one giant, monolithic suite.
Each component (CMS, CRM, CDP, email platform, analytics tool, social media, etc.) is connected via APIs and can be swapped or reconfigured as needed. This modern approach offers agility and flexibility, and it’s perfectly suited for leveraging zero-party data, which often needs to flow quickly to many touchpoints.
Zero-party data is most powerful when it informs every interaction with the customer. For example, if a customer tells you in a preference center that they'd rather receive “text messages over emails” and are interested in Product Category X but not Y. You want all your engagement systems to know that, so the next SMS campaign includes them, but the next email blast for Category Y excludes them, and your website home page highlights Category X when they visit.
Achieving this level of coordinated personalization requires systems to talk to each other in real time or near real time. Monolithic marketing suites can struggle with this if that particular preference field isn’t shared across modules or if integrating a new data source (like a quiz tool) is difficult. In contrast, a composable architecture, centered often around a customer data platform (CDP) or unified data layer, allows you to plug in various data sources and immediately propagate those insights to all execution channels.
Consider the composable philosophy: "systems and tools are built with individual components that can be connected to create more complex systems”. In a marketing context, this means you might use one best-in-class tool for on-site personalization, another for email automation, another for mobile push notifications – but all are tied into a common customer profile database.
Zero-party data, being explicit and structured, can be ingested into that profile and trigger rules in each tool.
A composable stack could work like this: Your survey/quiz platform collects ZPD -> sends it to your central profile store (CDP) -> the CDP updates the single customer view and triggers an event -> your email marketing service (one component) pulls the updated preference to personalize the next email, while simultaneously your web personalization engine (another component) adjusts what that user sees on the homepage, and your ad platform (another component) builds a custom audience excluding that user from irrelevant ads.
All these “blocks” work in concert because they are integrated via APIs and share data in a unified way. In essence, a composable architecture “enables businesses to integrate data and systems that deliver a seamless customer experience” across channels.
Another big advantage is agility. Marketing trends and technologies evolve quickly, and consumer expectations change too. A composable stack lets you respond rapidly – “assembling and reassembling components as needed”.
If a new interactive AI-powered polling tool comes out that could capture great zero-party data, a composable architecture makes it easier to integrate that tool into your stack via an API, feed the data into your CDP, and start using it in campaigns without overhauling everything or switching to a new all-in-one vendor.
Traditional all-in-one suites might lock you into their built-in capabilities, which could be slow to adapt. As Greg Kihlstrom noted in CMSWire, a "composable marketing technology architecture offers a promising solution by allowing businesses to become more agile, resilient, and customer-focused.” When it comes to using ZPD, that agility means you can continuously refine how you collect and act on customer-provided data. If customers suddenly care about a new preference (say, sustainability attributes of products), you can quickly add a field or a survey question and push that info to all touchpoints.
A core element of making ZPD useful is having a unified profile for each customer (often called a “360-degree view of the customer”). Composable stacks usually achieve this via a central customer data platform or data warehouse that aggregates data from all sources. ZPD should be a prominent part of that profile.
In fact, achieving true personalization across channels requires breaking down silos – your email system, ad system, website CMS, etc., all need to reference the same understanding of the customer. A composable ecosystem facilitates this by design. With a composable approach, all components plug into the single customer profile rather than each having its own separate database of customer info.
This means the preference a customer shares in a mobile app (ZPD) could instantly update in the profile that your call center agent sees, or the content management system uses for the website. The result of this is a consistent, context-aware experience.
Imagine a customer fills out a survey indicating they’re base their purchasing decisions on the sustainability or eco-friendliness of products. In a well-integrated stack, that zero-party data might trigger an automated workflow that: adds a “green interest” tag to the profile, which in turn updates the segmentation in your email tool so that the customer starts receiving the eco-friendly product newsletter instead of the generic one, and also informs the web personalization module to show them sustainability content on their next visit.
The customer immediately experiences that omnichannel relevance, which reinforces the value of the data they provided. From the brand perspective, you’re orchestrating messages across touchpoints in sync with the customer’s stated preferences. It’s worth noting that many journey orchestration and personalization engines thrive on real-time data inputs; feeding them with zero-party data (via a composable integration) can significantly enhance their effectiveness.
(Note that omnichannel relevance and Communication Orchestration in this context are not the same. )
A composable stack also means you’re not tied to a single vendor’s idea of customer data. If better tools emerge or if you need to scale in new ways, you can swap components. This is important as the “zero-party data platform” landscape is itself evolving – new solutions for interactive preference collection or consent management might come up.
With composability, integrating new preference center software or an analytics AI that mines ZPD for insights is relatively straightforward.. This freedom means you can always use the best-in-class tool for each function, which is critical as personalized marketing becomes more sophisticated.
Let’s illustrate with a brief scenario.
Suppose you run a modular marketing stack that includes: a headless CMS for your website, a marketing automation platform for email/SMS, a separate survey tool for ZPD capture, a loyalty platform, and a CDP at the center.
A new customer signs up through a gated quiz on your site (using the survey tool) to find their ideal product; they provide their preferences (zero-party data) and email. That data is immediately sent to the CDP and perhaps to the loyalty platform, creating a profile. Your email system pulls from the CDP to send a welcome email that dynamically populates with content matching the preferences they gave (instead of a one-size-fits-all welcome).
When the customer next visits the website, the headless CMS queries the profile and serves personalized homepage banners reflecting the customer’s interests. Meanwhile, if the customer also opted for SMS, your automation tool might trigger a text with a special offer on their favorite category. All these personalized outputs stem from the initial zero-party data capture, and the composable integration made it seamless. If any component wasn’t talking to the others, this orchestration would fall apart. Just imagine if the website didn’t know about the preferences gathered by the quiz. It would show generic content, likely missing an opportunity!
Thus, composable architecture ensures zero-party data doesn’t sit in a silo, but rather becomes a shared asset fueling personalization everywhere. It also allows you to scale this approach. If you suddenly gain a million new zero-party data records (say via a viral campaign), your decoupled architecture can handle it by scaling the data store or swapping in more robust tools, without collapsing your whole stack.
For a CMO, this means faster innovation and the ability to meet customer needs individually at scale, all while staying on the right side of privacy. In a composable world, you can truly say that your marketing is both high-tech and high-trust.
Zero-party data represents a powerful shift in the marketer<->customer relationship. This shift means truly listening to the customer’s own voice rather than merely watching their behavior from the shadows. In an era defined by privacy regulations and customer experience expectations, ZPD offers a strategic sweet spot that permits better personalization that is at once more respectful, more accurate, and more impactful.
But to unlock its full potential, marketing leaders must pair their zero-party data strategy with the right technology and architecture. Composable marketing stacks provide the agility, integration, and customer-centric focus needed to make sense of self-reported data and inject those insights into every campaign and touchpoint. The payoff is huge: deeper customer trust, higher engagement, and marketing that feels like a service to the customer, not an intrusion.
As a CMO or senior marketer, now is the time to champion zero-party data initiatives within your team. Build preference centers, launch interactive campaigns, and break down data silos! The brands that succeed in this privacy-first arena will be those that genuinely understand their customers and can adapt to change rapidly.
To explore how zero-party data, composable tech, and modern marketing strategy come together in practice, we invite you to join us at the Entirely Summit 2025 in Lisbon! This premier event will bring together industry leaders and innovators to share real-world insights on leveraging ZPD for personalized marketing at scale, orchestrating customer communications across channels, and building agile tech stacks that drive growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to future-proof your marketing strategy in a privacy-first world. Secure your spot at Entirely Summit 2025 and discover how to turn zero-party data into your competitive advantage. We’ll see you there!