Privacy-First Email Marketing & Zero-Party Data: What Marketers Need to Know in 2026
Understand the difference between zero-party and first-party data, and how privacy-first consent supports better email and CRM marketing.
Privacy expectations have shifted. Regulators are clearer, inbox providers are stricter, and audiences are more aware of how their data is used. For email marketers, that creates both pressure and opportunity.
The pressure is clear. There is less tolerance for vague consent, hidden tracking, or collecting more data than is necessary. The opportunity lies in building stronger, more transparent relationships by using data that people knowingly and willingly share.
That is where zero-party data comes in.
This article explores the difference between zero-party and first-party data, why that distinction matters, and how email teams can gather permissioned data in ways that genuinely build trust, not just meet compliance requirements.
Zero-party vs first-party data: understanding the difference
First-party data includes information collected directly through customer behaviour and interactions, such as website visits, email engagement, purchase history, or app usage.
Zero-party data is different. It refers to information a customer intentionally and proactively shares with a brand. This can include preferences, interests, or purchase intentions. The distinction is widely recognised in marketing and data strategy. Epsilon, for example, defines zero-party data as data that customers knowingly and explicitly provide, compared to first-party data gathered through observed interactions.
The difference is not about who owns the data, as both types are collected directly. It is about intent and transparency.
Zero-party data is:
- Voluntarily shared
- Explicitly provided for a clear purpose
- Easy for the individual to understand at the point of collection
First-party data is:
- Observed through behaviour
- Often inferred rather than clearly stated
- More dependent on tracking technologies
Neither is better by default. However, in a privacy-first environment, zero-party data offers clarity and reassurance that inferred data alone cannot provide.
Why privacy-first email marketing depends on permissioned data
Privacy-first email marketing is not about collecting as little data as possible. It is about collecting the right data, for clear reasons, with genuine consent.
Email marketing already operates within a permission-based framework. Under GDPR and UK PECR, businesses must obtain clear, specific and informed consent for marketing communications. As expectations rise, how that consent is earned and respected matters more than ever.
Zero-party data supports this approach because it aligns closely with established privacy principles:
- Transparency: people understand what they are sharing and why
- Purpose limitation: data is collected for a specific, explained use
- Control: individuals can update or withdraw their preferences
Creative, compliant ways to gather zero-party data
Collecting zero-party data does not need to be intrusive. In practice, the most effective approaches are often straightforward, provided the value exchange is clear and easy to understand.
Preference centres that go beyond the basics:
Preference centres give subscribers control over their email experience. Alongside frequency and channel choices, they can be used to capture content interests, product categories, or changing needs over time. Used well, they offer a transparent way to collect preference data while improving relevance for the subscriber.
Interactive surveys and polls:
Short surveys and polls can also play a useful role when they are clearly optional and easy to complete. When brands acknowledge and act on the feedback they receive, it reinforces why sharing information is worthwhile in the first place.
A clear value exchange:
Zero-party data depends on clarity. People are more willing to share preferences when they understand how that information will be used and what they will gain in return, whether that is more relevant content or fewer irrelevant emails.
Email consent strategies that build trust, not just compliance
Compliance sets the baseline, but trust is built through clarity and consistency over time.
Be precise at the point of sign-up:
Vague phrases such as marketing updates give people very little to go on. Clear explanations of what you will send, how often you will send it, and why you are collecting their data help people make informed choices and reduce disengagement later.
Make preference management easy:
A privacy-first approach accepts that preferences change. Making it simple to unsubscribe, adjust frequency, or update interests shows respect for your audience and confidence in the value of your emails.
Use data in ways people expect:
Consent does not give free rein to use data however you choose. Even when permission exists, data use should feel predictable and relevant. Consent-based marketing plays a central role in building trust and supporting sustained engagement over time.
The future of email is built on trust
Privacy-first email marketing is not a short-term reaction to regulation or platform change. It reflects a broader shift in how brands and audiences relate to one another.
Zero-party data does not replace first-party data. It strengthens it. By combining behavioural insight with openly shared preferences, marketers can create email programmes that are more relevant, more resilient, and more respectful.
The brands that succeed will be those that treat data not as something to extract, but as something to earn through transparency, choice and trust, built over time.
Want to build a more trusted email programme?
Zero-party and first-party data should make your email and CRM more relevant, not more complex. When used well, they help you send the right messages, to the right people, at the right time.
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