# Making the Shift to First-Party Data

Learn how to collect and activate rich actionable data to deliver the right message at the right time.

Some things are hard to let go – like a love of cookies (the web kind). Our panel of experts unpack the strategies you can adopt to drive organic growth while reducing dependence on third-party data.

You’ll discover:

- How to collect and use zero- and first-party data
- Examples of how brands successfully use first-party data in marketing
- How to be best stewards of customer data

## Speakers

#### Nick Chappell
##### Product Owner, 14 West

#### Craig Schinn
##### Co-Founder, Actable

#### Tim Shuvaloff
##### Chief Analytics Officer, DFO Global

#### Mannie Frances
##### Sr. Director, Customer Success, Blueshift

# Making the Shift to First-Party Data: A Webinar Transcript for Marketers

### Why First-Party Data Is the Foundation for Customer-Centric Marketing

**Mannie Frances, Senior Director of Customer Success at Blueshift:**  
Welcome to the final session of the Engage Conference. We’re closing out with a powerful topic—first-party data. Even though it’s foundational, it’s the fuel that keeps the modern marketing flywheel in motion.

### Understanding the Difference Between First-Party and Zero-Party Data for Better Targeting

**Nick Chappell, Product Owner at 14 West:**  
Think of data in two ways:

- **First-party data** is implied behavior—clicks, page views, purchase history.
- **Zero-party data** is explicitly provided—user-submitted preferences or interests.

Here’s a real example: my dog sat on my remote and Netflix started serving teen drama recommendations. That’s what happens when you rely too heavily on implied behavior.

### How First-Party Data Enables Personalization That Drives Repeat Purchases

**Tim Shuvaloff, Chief Analytics Officer at DFO Global:**  
The reason first-party data matters? It directly impacts revenue. With it, we can:

- Trigger personalized campaigns like birthday emails.
- Segment based on purchase intent and behavioral patterns.
- Leverage predictive models to increase ROI.

**Craig Schinn, Co-Founder at Actable:**  
At Actable, we help companies break down data silos and apply first-party insights across all channels. Tools like Blueshift make it easier to unify data and enable personalization at scale.

### Transitioning from Spray-and-Pray Marketing to Precision Engagement in a Privacy-First World

**Mannie Frances:**  
Legacy tactics like batch-and-blast are gone. Modern marketing requires relevance and trust.

**Nick Chappell:**  
It’s not just about collecting data anymore. Respectful, transparent data collection wins trust. Privacy laws like CCPA and GDPR have forced better behavior—but many brands started this shift voluntarily.

**Tim Shuvaloff:**  
Ask yourself: are we collecting data we’ll actually use? Data storage and analysis are costly. Focus on the actionable.

### How Behavioral Segmentation with First-Party Data Improves Customer Lifecycle Marketing

**Tim Shuvaloff:**  
At DFO, we sort users into three groups:

1. No engagement
2. Engaged but didn’t convert
3. Engaged and converted

The goal is to move users into the third group using predictive and prescriptive personalization.

**Nick Chappell:**  
We personalize based on user content engagement—whether they’re interested in retirement strategies or trending stocks. With Blueshift’s catalog studio, we can deliver truly tailored content.

### Connecting First-Party Data to Omnichannel Campaign Execution

**Craig Schinn:**  
Today’s marketers must orchestrate across:

- Email
- SMS and WhatsApp
- In-app messages
- Direct mail
- Web chat

**Tim Shuvaloff:**  
Centralizing data is essential. Our data used to be scattered across Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google. Once we unified it, personalization became seamless.

**Nick Chappell:**  
We overhauled our data model to fit Blueshift. This shift enabled us to go from batch-and-blast to sophisticated, omnichannel engagement.

### How to Begin Your Digital Transformation Using First-Party Customer Data

**Craig Schinn:**  
Transformation starts with:

- Cross-functional collaboration
- Regular data audits
- Clear alignment on goals and use cases

**Tim Shuvaloff:**  
We map ideas using a feasibility vs. value matrix to find low-effort, high-impact wins. For instance, collecting phone numbers unlocked SMS as a high-performing channel.

**Nick Chappell:**  
One of our easiest wins was standardizing content taxonomy. It was a small change that opened big opportunities.

### Staying Compliant While Scaling First-Party Data Collection and Activation

**Craig Schinn:**  
Compliance starts with education. Invest in:

- Role-based data access
- Privacy training
- Preference centers and third-party governance tools

**Tim Shuvaloff:**  
Security is part of compliance. Run third-party data audits regularly. Think like Apple: anticipate privacy changes instead of reacting to them.

**Nick Chappell:**  
Transparency will only become more important. As we approach Web3 and the metaverse, user expectations will rise. Build trust now.

### Expert Advice: Building a Scalable First-Party Data Strategy for the Future

**Craig:**  
Create cross-functional teams to own the full customer data experience.

**Tim:**  
Ask the right questions—if you’re not using it, don’t collect it.

**Nick:**  
Keep testing. Every experiment makes your strategy stronger.

**Mannie:**  
You already have the data. It’s time to activate it.