It’s time to get excited about privacy. That might seem like a strange thing to say, given the different lenses through which privacy has been viewed in the past: a compliance exercise, a hurdle or barrier to business goals and marketing use cases, and even something that is boring. However, those views are short-sighted and overlook the bigger picture. 

We’ve reached a point where consumer expectations for privacy and companies’ need for results are finally aligned and work together in harmony. Leading companies are demonstrating just how powerful privacy can be as a driver of performance, innovation, and growth, while creating a healthier ecosystem for advertisers, media owners, data owners, and consumers. 

Those building their data strategies on privacy are already moving ahead, opening up new opportunities, and positioning themselves for sustainable success in the AI era.

So the question is: why wouldn’t you put privacy at the heart of your strategy?

Privacy is the right thing and the smart thing to do

Not so long ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find mention of privacy anywhere. The industry was careless about how it used data, recklessly sharing it across the ecosystem in the name of performance, without a moment’s thought for consumers.

However, the introduction of the GDPR, CCPA, and CPRA set a global precedent. They put the focus firmly on consumer privacy, with regulators around the world following suit to either update or bring in new legislation. At the start of this year, IAPP stated that 82% of the world’s population is now under the protection of some form of national data privacy legislation. In tandem, the well-documented and infamous cookie saga unfolded, shifting the industry's focus to first-party data and privacy-centric strategies.

The arrival of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and secure data collaboration changed the game, making it possible to connect data without sharing, moving, or commingling it. This breakthrough technology meant marketers could collaborate with one or more parties to deliver marketing use cases while protecting consumer privacy.

The result was a more balanced ecosystem where the needs of every stakeholder are taken into consideration:

• Advertisers can deliver better consumer experiences without giving up control of their data
• Media and data owners can monetize their data without sacrificing control or allowing third parties to benefit from their commercial assets
• Consumers benefit from a fair value exchange and enjoy relevant, personalized experiences while knowing their privacy is prioritized

The landscape has now changed forever. For any CMO seeking to foster stronger customer relationships and lasting brand equity, and any CTO looking for protection and security regarding how customer data is used, privacy is non-negotiable and ethically the right thing to do.

But what about the CEO who demands business growth and the CFO who wants the figures to prove ROI and see the impact of marketing campaigns on the bottom line? Beyond what’s right, this is why privacy is also the smart thing to do.

Embracing privacy drives performance and outcomes

PETs and decentralized technology have now made it possible for marketers to fully embrace privacy without compromise. No longer must they embark on the risky and slow endeavour of sending their hard-earned, valuable data to a third party for matching.

Instead, brands, media owners, retailers, data owners, and media agencies can collaborate seamlessly without ever moving, sharing, or centralizing datasets. Freed from legacy data-matching solutions that stifle performance and innovation, companies can now engage in direct, instant, and transparent data collaboration. 

The impact is richer insights, smarter planning, and faster activation that delivers measurable business impact. The companies that prioritize privacy at the core of their strategy are pulling ahead, proving that privacy not only protects data but also powers better marketing performance and drives real growth.

At InfoSum, we work with pioneering companies that leverage privacy as their competitive advantage to achieve remarkable results.

Brand awareness:

• Ads & Data delivered 2.5x incremental reach across linear and CTV for the beer brand Cristal
• A food delivery brand collaborated with Channel 4 and increased brand awareness by 63%

Consideration:

• An Italian CPG brand leveraging its first-party data across CTV saw a 21% uplift in intention to buy 
• Cristal also saw a 2.8x purchase consideration in its campaign with Ads & Data

Sales/Conversions:

• A CPG brand experienced a 122% sales uplift by collaborating with Channel 4 and retail data provider Nectar
• UK retail bank TSB saw a 31% increase in account applications in its radio campaign with Global

Measurable impact:

• South Australia Tourism Commission was able to quantify the impact of its SBS BVOD campaign, identifying a 42% uplift in visitors to South Australia
• A global fintech was able to measure the incremental impact of its ITVX campaign, with an 18% uplift in app downloads

Cost savings

• A large European telco was able to drive $1M in cost savings by optimizing ad spend and avoiding media wastage
• Collaborating with Axel Springer, Renault achieved a 19% decrease in cost per click and a 15% decrease in cost per action

A word of caution: Choose your technology carefully

True data collaboration is the ability to connect multiple datasets to garner insights from each party and run analyses without requiring any party to share or move data. Hence, a solution that is private and secure.

Yet many platforms use the data collaboration label while relying on centralized models or opaque privacy controls. As InfoSum’s CTO Alistair Bastain warns: “Some platforms promise secure collaboration but fall back on centralized data models or opaque privacy controls. That’s just the same old risks with a new name.”

At InfoSum, we take a privacy-by-default approach, meaning that privacy protection cannot be turned off, either intentionally or accidentally. Our use of decentralized technology and application of multiple PETs ensures there are no privacy trade-offs. As we enter the AI era, that level of trust and control is essential.

Privacy is foundational to growth, now and in the future

In the era of AI, privacy is more critical than ever. AI models thrive on high‑quality data, which is held by leading brands, media owners, retailers, walled gardens, and platforms. PETs enable the secure and responsible connection of this data to power custom AI models, ensuring that data is never shared and every party retains full control of their data at all times. 

With privacy at the core, companies can bring together and access new, unique, diverse datasets, unlocking deeper insights and richer intelligence. With the greater scale of data being utilized and AI identifying relationships and synergies between datasets, companies can move beyond simply knowing who their customers are. It enables them to understand why customers behave the way they do, driving smarter media investment, more effective campaigns, and measurable growth.

The winners of tomorrow are building on privacy today

Privacy has become the launchpad for smarter strategies, stronger partnerships, and faster growth, while simultaneously prioritizing the needs of all industry stakeholders. 

In the AI era, companies that win will utilize privacy as a competitive advantage, using it to unlock opportunities that others can’t reach. The gap between those who value privacy and those who don’t is already widening, and it will only continue to accelerate.

Get excited about what it can unlock for your business, your customers, and your future. Because the companies that lead with privacy today will be the ones defining success tomorrow.