by Andrea Topini, Strategic Consultant

The use of first-party data (First-Party Data, 1PD) has become essential for brands looking to improve the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and reduce dependence on third-party cookies, which are increasingly restricted by privacy regulations. With 1PD, companies can gain deeper insights into their customers, optimize advertising spend, and increase conversion rates through targeted and personalized strategies.

This article explores how to activate first-party data in three key phases—collection, analysis, and activation—and explains how advanced segmentation models and Artificial Intelligence can enhance targeting and campaign personalization.

Finally, we present concrete application examples and Intarget’s solutions, which cover the entire process—from data acquisition to campaign and content personalization—helping brands transform their data into a competitive advantage.

First-Party Data: A Strategic Asset in Digital Marketing

In today’s digital marketing landscape, leveraging first-party data (1PD) has become a strategic asset for large brands. The increasing inefficacy of third-party cookie-based strategies, limited by updates such as Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) and new privacy regulations, requires companies to shift their approach. To ensure a sustainable competitive advantage, it is essential to build strategies based on proprietary, reliable data that can be activated across all user devices without relying on intermediaries.

Why Activate First-Party Data?

Using first-party data offers key business advantages:

• Higher-Quality Audience: Understanding customer behavior allows brands to create hyper-targeted segments, reducing waste and improving campaign effectiveness. For example, a luxury brand could identify users who viewed high-end handbags in the last 30 days and offer them an exclusive advertising experience.
• Increased Conversion Rate: First-party data enables personalized offers for high-intent users, such as a dedicated email campaign featuring products selected based on their size, purchase preferences, and stock availability.
• Optimized Advertising Spend: Targeting only the most qualified segments lowers customer acquisition costs and improves ROAS. For instance, an electronics brand could activate Google Ads campaigns exclusively for users with a purchase probability above 80%, focusing on brands they have previously bought, thus maximizing investment efficiency.

How Does First-Party Data Activation Work?

First-party data activation follows three key phases:

1. Collection and Transformation

• Integration of CRM data, browsing behaviors, and transactions to build a 360° customer view.
• Normalization and enrichment of user profiles with granular information.
• Creation of predictive signals to anticipate purchase intent and improve targeting precision.

2. Analysis and Modeling

• Implementation of advanced machine learning models to predict user behavior.
• Creation of dynamic audiences based on purchase propensity, churn prediction, and customer lifetime value.

3. Activation and Optimization

• Synchronization with advertising platforms like Google Ads, Meta, and TikTok for more effective targeting.
• Implementation of smart bidding strategies and real-time personalization.
• All shared data is anonymized to ensure compliance with privacy regulations.

Conclusion

Activating first-party data is not just a necessity driven by new regulations but a strategic lever for the future of digital marketing. By intelligently leveraging proprietary data, brands can enhance campaign effectiveness, strengthen customer relationships, and maximize the value generated from every interaction.

Want to discover how to activate your first-party data with AI? Contact us!