How to respect consent in your Tealium EventStream with the Usercentrics CMP

More user data is generated, collected and processed these days via more platforms than ever before. It might seem counterintuitive that the world is moving away from trying to access as much data as possible however it can be done. Instead, the focus is on higher quality data and more strategic use of it, with the direct involvement of the customers and users who supply it.

Third-party data — which has provided the bulk of data powering marketing, advertising, analytics, and more — and the tools used to collect it, are increasingly becoming yesterday’s solutions and technologies. Certainly because changing data protection regulations make it an ever less-viable strategy, but also because there are simply better options now. The evolution of these data strategies is toward zero- and first-party data, better control and systems integrations, and a greater focus on user consent and privacy. Marketers need to pay attention and act sooner rather than later.

Server-side tagging (SST) is a key part of this data strategy and privacy evolution. Companies can expand their integration capabilities across channels — like web, apps, or smart devices — and technologies like data warehouses and customer data platforms (CDP). They also gain more control over cookie usage. As a result, they have access to more consistent data across their customer touchpoints, can improve automation and reduce costs over time.

From a legal perspective, they improve their consent management, have an option for managing adequacy issues like with the Privacy Shield (if relevant), and in the case of audits, there is a single, cohesive source of information.

Whether with client-side or server-side tagging, the key is to collect and deliver data where the company wants it to go. SST creates a single data stream to enable centralized control over data access. With SST, instead of using JavaScript tags, the tag or pixel sends collected data to a first-party tagging server, which then distributes it to various partners or vendors. You decide what servers can access what data. The data itself is also influential, as consent preferences, for example, influence additional systems and platforms that the organization is connected to, controlling cookie usage or preventing some third-parties from accessing more sensitive information.

Tealium is a long-time integration partner of Usercentrics, with extensive experience with both the Usercentrics CMP and server-side tagging. Their Customer Data Platform is a trusted, market-leading solution that connects customer data across online and offline channels to enable businesses to better connect with their customers. They enable powerful, flexible control over marketing technologies and customer data with tag management that puts privacy first.

Tealium EventStream is a data collection and delivery solution that is lightweight and flexible — ideal across platforms. Web, mobile, connected devices and more, anywhere efficiency is critical. Centralize your cloud-based (server-side) data with one central hub. Anyone with assigned control can activate the data that powers better customer experience. (EventStream documentation)

With the Usercentrics Extension, Tealium customers get simplified, fully integrated consent-based control over services, including tags and vendor integrations. Map data processing services to specific tags and better integrate tag management and consent management. Then, only with user consent does data get transmitted to third parties. To simplify implementation, setting up the Usercentrics CMP in Tealium iQ Tag Management can be done with the plug-and-play extension.

For the Tealium SST setup with Usercentrics CMP, some prerequisites are required for implementation:

1. Tealium iQ Tag Management fully set up and configured.
2. Usercentrics Extension implemented for user consent management on the website.
3. Current EventStream setup in combination with the Tealium Collect tag to capture website data.

Note: While the example shown is commonly used, each server-side tagging setup may be unique to individual company needs. The example used in this guide is for educational purposes only and we cannot guarantee completeness or accuracy for individual use cases.

The great thing about the Tealium integration is that forwarding of consent is made as simple and automated as possible, mainly via interactions with the Usercentrics Extension, Collect and EventStream. Once the Usercentrics Extension has been configured in Tealium iQ Tag Management, the data processing services with consent will be automatically added to an array called usercentrics_services_with_consent and included via Collect Tag in each request to EventStream.

The next step is to ensure that only consented data is activated within EventStream. This can be easily achieved by adding a consent condition for your Event Feeds. This only captures events that have the attribute usercentrics_services_with_consent assigned and that contain the respective service for which consent is required. Make sure to use the same names as the data processing services (e.g. “Facebook Pixel”) provided in the Usercentrics Extension and Admin Interface, as the mapping is done via the name of services.

Repeat the process for all your Event Feeds and everything is set up. Users’ consents that are requested on the website get forwarded to EventSteam, ensuring that only consented data is activated.

In a world where technologies, regulations and user expectations are ever-changing, server-side tagging can be an important tool in evolving your data strategy and marketing operations. Get higher quality data and more control over how it’s used. Negate intelligent tracking prevention (ITP) and adblockers. Improve website performance and user experience. Put privacy first to meet legal responsibilities and respect customers’ consent choices.

As the guide illustrates, Tealium helps make consent forwarding as easy and automated as possible with the Usercentrics integration. Data privacy compliance can be complex, but the partnership helps make consent management seamless. With Tealium iQ Tag Management and EventStram, you have powerful tools at your fingertips to take advantage of server-side tagging and embrace the opportunities of first-party data.

Usercentrics embraces collaborations with experienced partners like Tealium that use their knowledge of both server-side tagging and the CMP to enable systems integrations that meet customers’ goals and enable better use of data.

Contact our experts to learn how you can implement server-side tagging for your business.