How Smart Brands Cracked the Privacy-First Code

Zero-party data strategies deliver 2X higher engagement rates while competitors struggle with cookie deprecation

While most brands scramble to prepare for a cookieless future, a handful of forward-thinking companies have already discovered that zero-party data isn't just a backup plan—it's a competitive advantage waiting to be unlocked. From Honda's 2X higher brand impact to ASICS' transformation from 10% to 50% loyalty member purchases, these success stories share one thing: they stopped guessing what customers want and started asking directly.

The Cookie Crisis That Created an Opportunity

Around 57% of marketers are now putting their bets on zero-party data (ZPD) sources like surveys and social media polls, where customers willingly share their preferences instead of intrusive data collection. Despite Google's recent flip-flopping on third-party cookie deprecation timelines, the fundamental shift toward privacy-first marketing remains inevitable.

More than three-quarters of US programmatic ad buys in 10 industries relied on cookies in Q3 2023, making the transition urgent for most brands. But early adopters are proving that this limitation can become a liberation.

A study by Epsilon found that 70% advertisers believe the deprecation will hinder digital advertising progress. Yet brands like Honda and ASICS tell a different story—one where asking customers directly for their preferences delivers better results than any tracking technology ever could.

Zero-Party Data: Beyond the Forrester Definition

Zero-party data is a term invented by Forrester Research, but it's really quite simple: Data that a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. Unlike the behavioral breadcrumbs that third-party cookies collect, zero-party data comes with something invaluable: explicit consent and genuine intent.

Market leaders unequivocally validate zero party data's significance: 55% of marketers foresee its rise in two years, with 89% integrating user privacy as central to data strategy for campaign success.

Honda's German Success: Proof of Concept in Action

Honda's partnership with mCanvas in Germany provides a textbook example of zero-party data done right. The campaign began with a deceptively simple question distributed across premium publisher sites: "What is more important to you in a hybrid SUV?" Users could choose between "Performance and efficiency" or "Design and efficiency".

This single interaction became the foundation for everything that followed:

The Technical Implementation:

• Interactive polls as initiator with full-screen interstitials

• Animated ad creative with mobile touch-screen sensors

• Personalized retargeting based on declared preferences

• Real-time segmentation for immediate campaign optimization

The Results Speak Volumes:

• 5.1% outbound click-through rate (2.5X above industry benchmarks)

• 2X attention per mille (2,773 aggregate visual attention per 1000 impressions)

• 79.9% viewed rate (1.2X higher than Lumen standards)

• 3.5 seconds view-time per view (2X above Lumen standards)

The brand lift metrics were equally impressive: +130% brand awareness, +175% brand favorability, and +167% purchase intent, all measured by Nielsen. "Honda didn't just lead in key brand metrics — they redefined what's possible when precision targeting and immersive mobile ads work in perfect synergy," noted Jan Gerke, Head of Digital Consulting & Planning at Universal McCann GmbH.

ASICS: The Loyalty Transformation Case Study

While Honda proved zero-party data works for acquisition, ASICS demonstrates its power for retention and loyalty. When the company launched OneASICS, membership and loyalty members accounted for less than 10% of all ASICS purchases. Today, that number is over 50%.

ASICS' Zero-Party Data Strategy:

• Website and email surveys with a 90% completion rate

• Over 45,000 persona variations captured through lifestyle data

• Identity-based discounts for specific communities (first responders, medical professionals)

• Running race sweepstakes offering free entries in exchange for answering specific questions about running lifestyles

Sean reports that the lifetime value of OneASICS members is "significantly higher" compared to non-members, with consistent double-digit growth month over month.

The brand combines zero-party data with first-party data to create what they call a "360-degree view" of customers across all DTC channels, enabling one-to-one content experiences for logged-in users.

The Psychology Behind Voluntary Data Sharing

A 2020 survey by Epsilon and GBH Insights found that 80% of people want personalisation. Plus, Yotpo found that 87% of consumers are "open to brands monitoring details of their activity if it leads to more personalised rewards".

Studies have found that people love answering questions about themselves and, as a result, build a stronger relationship with the businesses they are engaging with. This psychological insight explains why Honda's simple poll question generated such high engagement rates.

Consumers today expect hyper-personalized experiences and want to feel like brands truly understand their needs. Despite privacy restrictions, personalized experiences remain a key factor in consumer decision-making.

The Technical Stack That Enables Success

Modern zero-party data strategies require more than just surveys. Honda's success relied on several integrated components:

Data Collection Platforms:

• Interactive quiz and poll builders

• Mobile-optimized survey tools

• Progressive profiling systems

• Real-time segmentation engines

Activation Technology:

• Dynamic creative optimization

• Cross-device retargeting capabilities

• Personalization engines

• Attribution and measurement platforms

The integration of zero-party and first-party data represents more than just a response to the death of third-party cookies – it's a fundamental shift toward more authentic, trust-based customer relationships.

Beyond Surveys: Creative Collection Methods

The most successful brands go beyond traditional surveys. Ulta Beauty turn zero party data derived from their loyalty programs into a key success factor – in Ulta's case 95% of sales are to loyalty members, giving them a competitive edge.

Innovative Collection Methods:

• ThirdLove built an internal algorithm that uses data gathered from surveys to inform supply chain decisions, such as how to manage inventory of particular sizes

• Shea Moisture runs contests offering $100 off any order in exchange for personal information like email address, zip code and birthday

• The NBA runs an annual quiz asking users about their favorite teams and predicted season outcomes

• Causal collects zero-party data during onboarding, immediately asking new users about their job function, company size, finance tools used, and goals

The Mobile-First Advantage

SMS and push notifications, as well as mobile-app messaging, offering a personal and immediate way to build a connection with your audience while maintaining first-party data. Honda's campaign specifically leveraged mobile's unique advantages:

• Touch interactions create natural engagement opportunities

• App-based experiences don't rely on third-party cookies

• Push notifications enable direct communication with consenting users

• Location data adds contextual relevance when shared willingly

Charlotte Tilbury's collaboration with Snapchat is a great example of this shift to a mobile-first approach. The beauty brand delivered highly personalised engagement by using AR-powered filters for virtual try-ons.

Industry Trends Driving Adoption

Our same research into searches reveal a 133% month-over-month increase in searches for "zero party data collection," highlighting the growing urgency among marketers to implement these strategies.

90% of firms that were surveyed as part of a study by Forrester said that zero party data was a priority for them during this year. 82% of these firms already have this zero party data on hand, but 42% of them are not sure about how they can use it effectively.

This gap between collection and activation represents a massive opportunity for brands that can bridge the technical and strategic challenges.

Privacy Regulations as Accelerator, Not Obstacle

75% of consumers won't buy from brands that violate their privacy, creating both challenge and opportunity. Brands that master transparent data collection can build stronger customer relationships while competitors struggle with diminishing targeting effectiveness.

Since customers provide zero-party data directly and intentionally, it is often more accurate than data inferred from browsing behavior or third-party sources. This accuracy leads to better decision-making and more effective marketing strategies.

Four Strategic Principles From Success Stories

The Honda and ASICS case studies, along with other brand examples, reveal four key strategic principles:

1. Value Exchange Over Data Extraction Don't treat data collection as a necessary evil. Honda's poll provided immediate value by helping users clarify their automotive priorities while gathering targeting insights.

2. Progressive Profiling Over Form Friction ASICS presents different interactive features geared at first-time visitors, such as lookbooks and quizzes, then later presents more detailed preference questions after customers join the loyalty program.

3. Real-Time Personalization Over Batch Processing The most successful implementations enable immediate personalization based on declared preferences, not delayed batch processing.

4. Community Building Over Transaction Focus ASICS offers identity-based discounts to specific customer communities, including first responders and medical professionals, building stronger relationships beyond transactions.

The Tools and Platforms Landscape

Several tools and platforms can help brands collect and manage zero-party data effectively. Popular options include CRM Tools (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho) for managing and analyzing consumer data collected directly from customers.

Additional platform categories gaining traction:

• Interactive content platforms (Jebbit, Typeform)

• Preference management centers

• Customer data platforms (CDPs) with zero-party data modules

• Mobile marketing platforms with built-in survey capabilities

Measuring Success: KPIs That Matter

Sean and his team look at OneASICS membership growth over time, and have seen consistent double-digit growth month over month. But successful zero-party data programs require broader measurement frameworks:

Engagement Metrics:

• Survey completion rates

• Progressive profiling advancement

• Preference update frequency

• Community participation levels

Business Impact Metrics:

• Customer lifetime value differences

• Conversion rate improvements

• Personalization effectiveness scores

• Brand favorability and awareness lifts

The Competitive Landscape Shift

As privacy regulations intensify, position-less marketers will lead efforts to collect and leverage zero-party data — information that customers willingly share. By creating interactive, trust-building experiences, marketers can develop highly targeted campaigns while cultivating transparency and customer loyalty.

"Data is the biggest commodity in the world," says Sahil. "Legislation is trying to balance the power between private individuals and large corporations that collect and use data at scale".

This rebalancing creates advantages for brands willing to invest in direct customer relationships over surveillance-based advertising.

Implementation Roadmap for 2025

Based on the success patterns from Honda, ASICS, and other leading brands, here's a practical implementation approach:

Quarter 1: Foundation Building

• Audit existing data collection touchpoints

• Implement progressive profiling capabilities

• Design value exchange frameworks

• Set up measurement infrastructure

Quarter 2: Testing and Learning

• Launch small-scale interactive data collection campaigns

• Test different value propositions and question formats

• Optimize based on completion rates and data quality

• Begin basic personalization implementations

Quarter 3: Scale and Integration

• Expand successful collection methods across channels

• Integrate zero-party data with existing systems

• Implement real-time personalization capabilities

• Develop community-based targeting approaches

Quarter 4: Advanced Optimization

• Deploy predictive models using combined data sets

• Launch sophisticated retargeting campaigns

• Implement advanced attribution measurement

• Plan expansion into new channels and use cases

The Bottom Line: Ask Instead of Assume

Unfortunately, however, despite the increasing adoption of ZPD collection practices in the context of privacy-aware personalization, the empirical evidence available on the causal impact and value of ZPD is scant to nil. However, the early results from Honda, ASICS, and other pioneering brands provide compelling evidence that zero-party data strategies deliver measurable business impact.

Honda's 2X higher brand impact didn't come from revolutionary technology or massive media budgets. It came from a fundamental shift in approach: asking customers what they want instead of trying to guess based on their digital footprints.

As the digital advertising landscape continues evolving, the brands that thrive will be those that master the art of valuable data exchange. The question isn't whether brands should adopt zero-party data strategies—it's whether they can afford not to.