Second only to data sharing practices, consumers claimed data minimization practices as the second-most concerning data practice among retailers. Data minimization means asking only for as much data as is needed. Consumers are leery of retailers who ask for large amounts of data, especially before establishing a relationship.

Delivering contextual consent experiences—asking for specific data in the context of the buyer journey, gradually—is a great way to humanize your customer relationships.

To comply with modern privacy regulations (like CCPA/CPRA in California), collecting consent preferences from your customers is only half of the consent and preference management equation. The second half is enforcing those preferences. Are you reflecting people’s privacy choices across your data systems and apps, ensuring their preferences are respected everywhere?

Smart, privacy-centric brands will stop making hollow customer promises, and shift to creating collection and usage strategies that respect people’s choices everywhere.