When our marketing stack is built entirely on proprietary platforms, what we actually have is access, not ownership. We rely on third-party systems to collect, store, and interpret our customer data. While that may feel convenient, it also means our insights, audience intelligence, and long-term relationships are dependent on external systems that operate on their own terms.

Now consider what happens when one of these platforms increases its prices, removes a feature we rely on, or even discontinues a service altogether. Suddenly, what once felt like a stable system begins to feel fragile. Many marketers are just one unexpected product decision away from a campaign delay, a data gap, or worse. And if we ever try to move our data to another platform, we quickly realize how limited our options are. We may be able to export a list of contacts or segments, but not the valuable behavioral history or interaction data that gives us marketing depth and meaning.

Understanding digital and data sovereignty

This is where the idea of digital sovereignty becomes critical. Digital sovereignty is the belief that individuals, organizations, and even governments should have the authority and ability to control their own digital ecosystems. For marketers, this means choosing how and where data is collected, stored, and processed. It also means having the power to select tools based on values and strategy, rather than being locked into one company’s timeline or pricing model. When we operate with digital sovereignty in mind, we stop being a passive user of technology and start becoming the designer of our own infrastructure.

Connected to this is the principle of data sovereignty, which focuses on the physical location of our data and the legal systems that apply to it. When our marketing platform stores data in a different country from where our customers are based, that data becomes subject to the laws of the hosting country. This can lead to unexpected challenges around compliance, privacy, and governance. With growing regulatory pressure and rising consumer expectations around data protection, marketers can no longer afford to overlook where their data is stored and how it is being managed.

How open source empowers marketers

Open source tools offer a clear and powerful solution. For marketers, open source is no longer just a technical curiosity. It is a strategic decision that allows for independence, innovation, and better alignment with privacy values. By using open source software for marketing automation, analytics, or customer data management, we can host data where it makes sense for our business, shape the tools to fit our exact needs, and choose how and where our tools are hosted, whether by ourselves or through the provider that best fits our needs, with the freedom to change that choice at any time, a flexibility rarely possible with proprietary software.

Open source also gives us transparency and clarity. We can review how the code works, understand exactly what happens with our data, and adapt the software to support our marketing objectives. If a team has a unique requirement, chances are someone else in the open source community has faced the same challenge and already contributed a solution. We gain the benefit of collective intelligence without sacrificing control.

This approach also supports ethical marketing. When we know what our systems are doing with our data, and when we have control over it, we are more likely to build campaigns that respect customer privacy and meet regulatory standards. We are not only protecting a brand but also strengthening trust with the people we are trying to reach.

Choosing digital and data sovereignty is not about rejecting innovation, excluding working with specific countries or avoiding external tools. It is about making sure those tools serve our goals, rather than shaping them. It is about long-term flexibility, sustainable growth, and staying ready for whatever comes next.

In this guide, we’ll break down the four main types of marketing data, explain how each one works, and show you how to use them effectively in your marketing automation campaigns.

What are the four types of marketing data?

Marketing data is typically classified into four categories based on how it’s collected and who controls it:

1. Zero-party data – Information customers intentionally share
2. First-party data – Information you collect directly from customers
3. Second-party data – Information shared by trusted partners
4. Third-party data – Information purchased from external data companies

Let’s explore each type in detail.

Zero-party data: when customers choose to share

Definition

Zero-party data is information that customers intentionally and proactively share with your brand. This is data that people choose to give you, usually in exchange for some value or benefit.

Examples of zero-party data

• Survey responses and feedback forms
• Preference center settings (email frequency, topics of interest)
• Product ratings and reviews
• Quiz results (like “Find your perfect product” quizzes)
• Stated preferences during onboarding

• Communication channel preferences

• Wishlist items
• Account profile information voluntarily provided

Why zero-party data matters

• It often has the highest accuracy, because your customers are giving you the information directly, and often they are telling you exactly what they want

• It usually comes with strong consent signals, because the customers have actively chosen to share this information with you
• It’s usually the best to use for personalization as you’re getting direct insight into customer preferences from them
• It’s usually very privacy-friendly because it’s possible to get clear consent and purpose for data collection directly from the customer at the point of sharing the information

How to collect zero-party data with Mautic

• Create preference centers where contacts can manage their interests

• Use Mautic’s form builder to create surveys and feedback forms to capture information
• Set up progressive profiling to gradually collect information over time
• Build campaigns that provide value while gathering insights

First-party data: Information you collect directly

Definition

First-party data is information you collect directly from your customers through your own channels and touchpoints. You have a direct relationship with the customer and collect this data through your owned platforms.

Examples of first-party data

• Website behaviour and analytics (pages visited, time spent, click patterns)
• Email engagement metrics (opens, clicks, forwards)
• Purchase history and transaction data
• Customer support interaction records
• Mobile app usage data
• Social media engagement on your owned accounts
• Event attendance and participation
• Downloads and content consumption

Why first-party data is valuable

• It’s often of high quality because you’re in control of the collection process

• It’s usually extremely relevant to the customer, because it’s directly related to your business and customers
• It’s usually pretty cost-effective because you connect up all your own systems and don’t therefore need to purchase from external sources
• Usually first-party data is compliant with privacy legislations because you’ve captured the information on your own systems, so you can more easily manage consent and privacy requirements
• First-party data is generally very actionable and can be used to deliver value, because it’s directly tied to customer interactions with your brand

How Mautic helps with first-party data

• Track website visitor behaviour automatically
• Monitor email campaign performance in real-time
• Create detailed contact profiles from multiple touchpoints
• Segment contacts based on their actual behaviour
• Trigger automated campaigns based on specific actions
• Integrate with your other business systems to bring together a centralised overview of your customer

Second-party data: trusted partner information

Definition

Second-party data is essentially someone else’s first-party data that they share with you. This typically happens through partnerships, collaborations, or direct business relationships.

Examples of second-party data

• Customer insights from strategic business partners
• Data from co-marketing campaigns with other companies
• Industry consortium or association member data

• Supplier or distributor customer information
• Event partner attendee lists
• Joint venture customer data

• Affiliate partner insights

When second-party data makes sense

• Second-party data helps you to expand your reach by having access to new, relevant audiences
• It can help you with filling data gaps by providing you with the information you can’t collect directly
• Business relationships can be strengthened by sharing data between partners
• Second-party data is often of higher quality than third-party data, and you often have more say in the format that you receive it in
• It’s often easier to maintain compliance because there’s a clearer consent chain than third-party sources, but remember that you’ll still need to have a data processing agreement in place with any partner you share data with

Using second-party data responsibly

• Ensure clear consent from the original data source

• Verify data sharing agreements are in place
• Understand how the data was originally collected
• Apply the same privacy standards as your first-party data
• Be transparent with customers about data sources

Third-party data: external commercial data

Definition

Third-party data is information collected by companies with no direct relationship to your customers. This data is typically aggregated from multiple sources and sold commercially to marketers.

Examples of third-party data

• Purchased email lists and databases
• Data broker customer profiles
• Social media platform advertising audiences
• Market research company demographics
• Credit bureau information
• Location data from mobile apps (although this could be first party, if you own the apps)
• Browsing behaviour from ad networks
• Lifestyle and interest segments from data vendors

The challenges with third-party data

• There’s generally decreasing availability of third-party data streams because privacy regulations are limiting access
• Quite often there are quality concerns – the lists may be outdated or inaccurate, which can do more harm than good
• Sometimes there are consent issues – it might be unclear how the data was obtained, and whether the person giving consent knew that their data could be sold for this purpose
• There’s often ongoing costs for using third-party data which can be expensive
• Sometimes the dataset can be too generic, which means it’s less relevant to your specific business niche or customer interests
• There are sometimes compliance risks because it’s quite difficult to verify privacy compliance and whether correct consenting methods were used
• There can be very large fines if you’re found to be improperly using third-party data sources

Why we recommend focusing elsewhere

While third-party data has been popular in marketing, recent privacy regulations (like GDPR) and changing technology (like the phase-out of third-party cookies) are making it less viable. 

Most successful marketing automation strategies now focus on zero-party and first-party data instead.

The data quality and value hierarchy

From a marketing automation perspective, here’s how these data types rank in terms of value and reliability:

Here’s a handy quick-reference table of the main advantages and challenges

Practical applications in marketing automation

Getting started: focus on first-party data

If you’re new to marketing automation, start by maximizing your first-party data collection:

1. Set up proper tracking (using a consent system) on your website and campaigns
2. Create valuable content that encourages engagement
3. Use progressive profiling to gradually learn more about contacts
4. Monitor email engagement to understand preferences
5. Track customer journey stages to improve targeting

Level up: add zero-party data collection

Once you have first-party data systems working well, enhance them with zero-party data:

1. Build preference centers where customers can share more than just their consent, but they can tell you about their interests
2. Create helpful surveys that provide value to participants and enable you to shape the way you communicate with the customer
3. Develop interactive content like quizzes and assessments which encourage people to share relevant information with you
4. Offer personalization options in exchange for the customer setting their preferences
and telling you more about themselves
5. Ask for feedback regularly to improve experiences

Advanced: strategic second-party partnerships

For more advanced marketers, consider second-party data partnerships if you need them:

1. Identify complementary businesses that serve similar audiences
2. Develop data sharing agreements with clear privacy protections
3. Create joint campaigns that benefit both parties
4. Share insights while protecting individual privacy
5. Maintain transparency with your audience about partnerships

Frequently asked questions

Q: Which type of data should beginners focus on?

A: Start with first-party data collection through your website, emails, and customer interactions. This provides the foundation for effective marketing automation.

Q: Is third-party data still useful?

A: Third-party data is becoming less viable due to privacy regulations and technology changes. Focus on zero-party and first-party data for better compliance and results.

Q: How can I collect zero-party data without being intrusive?

A: Offer clear value in exchange for information. Use preference centers, helpful surveys, and interactive content that benefits your audience.

Q: What’s the difference between zero-party and first-party data?

A: Zero-party data is what customers intentionally tell you (surveys, preferences). First-party data includes both what they tell you and what you observe about their behaviour (website visits, email opens).

Q: How does Mautic handle different data types?

A: Mautic is designed primarily for first-party and zero-party data collection through forms, preference centers, behaviour tracking, and campaign automation – all while maintaining user privacy and control.

Conclusion

Understanding the four types of marketing data helps you make informed decisions about your marketing automation strategy. Focus on building strong zero-party and first-party data collection systems first, as these provide the best combination of quality, compliance, and customer value.

Remember: the goal isn’t to collect as much data as possible – it’s to collect the right data that helps you serve your customers better while respecting their privacy and preferences.