Hidden in Plain Sight—New exclusive research from Transcend

The following is an excerpt from ‘Hidden in Plain Sight: How Enterprises are Driving Revenue, Trust, and Digital Transformation Through Integrated Consent and Preference Management’.

The report, commissioned in partnership with UserEvidence, outlines findings from a survey of over 265 privacy, security, and marketing professionals. It explores how collecting consented consumer data that accurately reflects user preferences and intent impacts enterprises’ ability to pursue new revenue streams, personalize content at scale, and drive innovation across AI and other technologies.

Download the full report here.

From compliance to revenue: The true value of consent and preference data

Initially driven by regulatory compliance requirements such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), consent and preference management has evolved far beyond its compliance roots. Today, it plays a critical role in driving enterprise success.

Survey data shows that enterprises now view consent data as a valuable asset, not just for compliance, but also for achieving broader strategic goals. Enterprises rely on user consent data to enable personalized customer experiences (66% of respondents), enhance consumer trust and loyalty (65%), improve data quality and integrity for analytics (60%), and increase opt-ins for marketing and engagement (49%).

These objectives are more than aspirational. They have a direct and measurable effect on bottom-line performance, including a significant impact on goals like customer retention. Research from Bain & Company notes that in financial services, a 5% increase in customer retention produces a more than 25% increase in profit.

Survey results also indicate that clean, consented consumer data is foundational to AI innovation—with 100% of respondents noting it has a positive impact on their organization’s ability to successfully pursue AI initiatives.

This aligns with findings from the McKinsey Quarterly report, Unlocking the Next Frontier of Personalized Marketing, which describes the future of personalization as AI-driven. Enabled by technologies such as generative content and AI-powered audience segmentation, these innovations allow brands to deliver deeply tailored experiences at scale.

Enterprises that achieve scalable personalization effectively stand to see significant gains. According to another McKinsey report, Next in Personalization, companies with faster growth derive 40% more revenue from personalization than their slower-growing peers. But to unlock this potential, enterprises need high-quality, ethically sourced data on consumers’ consent choices and communication preferences.

Beyond unlocking revenue and driving AI innovation, consent management has become an integral piece of enterprise operations. 99% of respondents consider it important to collect and proliferate consumer consent choices across data systems, tools, and consumer-facing touch points.

When organizations provide clear, user-friendly mechanisms for consumers to manage their communication preferences, the benefits multiply. 100% of respondents report that their consent management process has a positive impact on building trusted, long-term relationships with consumers.

Survey data also points to a consensus on the broader strategic value of collecting accurate data about user communication preferences. 77% of organizations say their primary goal is to strengthen customer trust and loyalty, 63% use it to enrich analytics data quality, and 58% leverage it for customer experience personalization.

These survey findings align with industry research. Forrester’s 2024 report, Strengthen Customer Retention and Engagement with Behavioral Data, found that key outcomes improve when businesses use customer preference data to inform marketing campaigns: 83% of respondents saw reduced customer acquisition costs, 78% reported higher customer satisfaction, 75% noted increased brand awareness, and 73% achieved better conversion rates.

The data is clear: consent and preference management have become a cornerstone of enterprise growth. No longer a compliance afterthought, it’s now essential infrastructure—driving ROI, enabling innovation, and fostering lasting customer relationships.