The RealReal stands at the forefront of luxury and sustainability, redefining luxury consignment with its commitment to authenticity and quality. As a market leader, The RealReal offers a unique blend of product authentication, valuations, and both in-store and online shopping experiences. This commitment has positioned The RealReal as a pioneer in making high-end fashion both sustainable and accessible.

Challenge: finding an easy-to-use compliance tool that supports the online shopping experience

Innovation is the heartbeat of The RealReal, driving its growth and making luxury goods more accessible nationwide. However, with this expansion comes the challenge of navigating the complexities of e-commerce compliance. 

The company needed a sophisticated yet user-friendly tool to address intricate privacy regulations without disrupting the brand’s luxury shopping experience. The focus was on finding a solution that was easy for the legal team to use (read: no coding required!), while satisfying the marketing team's requirements for on-brand, aesthetic consistency.

John Dombrowski, Associate General Counsel for The RealReal, wanted to find a privacy software partner to meet his essential requirements for a successful solution. 

1. Flexible, adaptive compliance across data laws: Ensuring compliance with rapidly-changing data privacy regulations was a top priority. especially given the company's rapid growth. John wanted the ability to convey complex data practices across jurisdictions in an understandable format. This clarity is key for legal compliance, enhancing user trust, and reducing reliance on external legal consultations. “Having a reliable third-party tool for straightforward, accessible documentation is crucial,” said John. “It simplifies understanding for everyone and reduces the need for costly legal interventions — a benefit not offered by every tool out there.”

2. Easy for non-technical stakeholders to use: A critical selection criteria was finding privacy software accessible to attorneys, with an ability to make changes to things like policies and risk coverage without engineering help. The RealReal's legal team, responsible for staying up-to-date on evolving privacy regulations, needed a tool they could manage independently, without constant reliance on IT or other departments. Upon evaluating the Ketch platform, John immediately saw signs of ease-of-use, like WYSIWYG and drag-and-drop builder tools. 

3. On-brand experience for website visitors: For The RealReal, maintaining a high standard of aesthetics on their website was non-negotiable. Any compliance tool had to blend in with the existing design, upholding the premium look and feel that their customers expect. The challenge extended beyond functionality to ensure compliance measures like cookie pop-ups and banners did not detract from the user experience. John was mindful that the tool should not require extensive redesign efforts from the marketing team, reinforcing the need for a solution that could be adapted to The RealReal’s specific branding requirements.

With these top criteria in mind, The RealReal led an RFP process that led to selecting Ketch as the vendor of choice, best suited for their requirements.

Solution: a comprehensive, no-code tool for consent management

The RealReal purchased Ketch consent management as the answer to its privacy needs. The teams wasted no time in kicking off the implementation, relying on the Ketch Customer Success team for hands-on guidance, pre-defined onboarding checklists, and product documentation. 

Ketch consent management provides The RealReal with a centralized interface for policy creation and privacy notice customization. Using customizable policy templates, The RealReal quickly deployed jurisdictionally-aware privacy notices for their customers across multiple locations and geographies. The Ketch policy center includes templates for every major data privacy law, with flexibility to customize according to specific business requirements.

In addition to adaptive regulatory compliance, The Ketch deployment included: 

• No-code deployment and management for legal team stakeholders: Ketch’s no-code platform empowered John and his legal team to directly manage and modify their privacy policies and processes in the Ketch platform with WYSIWYG tools. This flexibility enabled quick, independent adjustments in response to changes in legal requirements or the company’s risk profile.

• Seamless integration with brand aesthetics: The RealReal marketing team was impressed with the customizable branding possibilities for Ketch privacy notices and banners. This capability was crucial for the marketing team, ensuring compliance measures harmonized with the website's design and didn’t take away from the online shopping experience. The ability to adjust visual elements like color schemes to match brand aesthetics without technical help was a standout feature.
• Comprehensive support and documentation: Ketch’s commitment to client support was evident in their direct communication channels, like Slack, which ensured rapid resolution of queries or issues, providing peace of mind and efficient problem-solving. 

“As an attorney, I find Ketch Consent Management invaluable for making necessary privacy risk adjustments quickly and confidently, without needing extensive technical knowledge. This level of control and ease of use is rare in the market.” 

John Dombrowski, Associate General Counsel for Compliance and IP at The RealReal

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Result: peace of mind across company stakeholders

With Ketch consent management, The RealReal has struck a perfect balance: the website remains compliant and aesthetically pleasing, and their legal team is easily managing privacy processes without technical intervention. This harmony has brought peace of mind to various stakeholders within the company, from legal to marketing, and IT. The RealReal team can now access reliable, understandable compliance information quickly, ensuring they're always on top of privacy concerns. 

Said John, “Thank you for making software that lawyers can use. I can make adjustments quickly and confidently within Ketch without needing to speak code.”

John and his team at The RealReal are already planning the next steps in their journey with Ketch. Their sights are set on implementing Ketch DSR automation, a move that will increase their ability to satisfy customer privacy requests in a fast, automated workflow. This addition signifies The RealReal's commitment to continuous improvement in data privacy and user experience, reinforcing its position as a leader in the luxury e-commerce space.

The RealReal's collaboration with Ketch has set a new standard for how legal teams in the e-commerce sector can effectively manage privacy compliance without compromising on brand integrity or user experience. Ketch's solutions prove to be not just tools for compliance but catalysts for enhancing the luxury shopping journey, showcasing the potential of combining sophisticated technology with ease of use for non-technical stakeholders.