Data Monetization with CDPs: Unlocking New Revenue Streams for Retailers and CPG Brands

In today’s digital-first landscape, retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands are sitting on a goldmine of first-party customer data. Yet, many are only scratching the surface of its potential. With the rise of privacy regulations and the decline of third-party cookies, the ability to collect, unify, and activate first-party data has become a strategic imperative—not just for customer engagement, but as a powerful engine for new revenue streams. At the heart of this opportunity is the Customer Data Platform (CDP): a technology that transforms fragmented data into actionable insights and monetizable assets.

The New Data Monetization Imperative

The deprecation of third-party cookies and the tightening of privacy laws have fundamentally shifted the data landscape. Brands that have invested in robust, consent-driven first-party data strategies now enjoy a distinct competitive advantage. This data, when unified and enriched through a CDP, can be leveraged far beyond traditional marketing and personalization. It can be transformed into new products, services, and revenue streams—fueling growth and innovation in an increasingly competitive market.

Key Data Monetization Strategies for Retailers and CPGs

  1. Retail Media Networks
    By leveraging unified customer profiles, retailers can offer high-fidelity audience segments to advertisers, enabling targeted, closed-loop media campaigns both on-site and off-site. This not only drives incremental revenue but also provides advertisers with measurable sales impact, bridging the gap between media spend and real business outcomes.
    Case in Point: A top U.S. grocery chain, with Publicis Sapient’s support, decoupled from “black box” partner technology to regain control over its data and reporting. By building a custom AdTech, MarTech, and commerce stack, the retailer enabled a retail media network projected to generate up to $1 billion in annual revenue, with $350–$400 million from on-site media alone.
  2. Data Marketplaces and Clean Rooms
    Retailers and CPGs can securely share anonymized, aggregated data with partners and advertisers via data marketplaces or clean rooms. This approach enables collaborative insights, joint marketing initiatives, and new monetization models—all while maintaining strict privacy and compliance standards.
    Example: Multinational food and retail groups are building self-service and reporting tools for CPG partners, unlocking new channel growth opportunities and targeting $1 billion in incremental revenue by 2025.
  3. Custom Data Products for Partners
    Brands can package insights, predictive models, and audience segments as data products for suppliers, CPG partners, or even financial services. These products can inform everything from supply chain optimization to joint marketing campaigns, creating value for both the retailer and its ecosystem partners.
  4. Enterprise Optimization and Loyalty Programs
    Beyond external monetization, unified data enables internal optimization—improving supply chain efficiency, inventory management, and customer loyalty programs. These improvements drive cost savings and incremental revenue, further enhancing the business case for CDP investment.

Real-World Impact: Business Metrics That Matter

Privacy, Compliance, and Trust: The Foundation of Sustainable Monetization

As data monetization strategies evolve, so too must the approach to privacy and compliance. Publicis Sapient helps clients embed privacy-by-design principles, ensuring that all data sharing and activation is consent-driven, secure, and fully compliant with global regulations. This includes:

Building Your Data Monetization Roadmap: A Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Define the Business Case
    Identify the most valuable data assets and potential monetization models for your organization. Prioritize use cases based on revenue potential, strategic fit, and compliance requirements.
  2. Design and Build the Solution
    Architect a flexible, scalable CDP that unifies data from all relevant sources—online, offline, loyalty, CRM, IoT, and more. Leverage modular, cloud-native components for rapid deployment and extensibility.
  3. Enable Marketplace Access and Partner Integration
    Connect your data assets to relevant channels, advertisers, and partners through secure APIs, clean rooms, and data marketplaces. Develop self-service tools and reporting capabilities for partners.
  4. Manage and Optimize Operations
    Establish robust governance, measurement, and optimization processes. Continuously refine audience segments, data products, and monetization strategies based on performance and market feedback.
  5. Ensure Privacy and Compliance
    Embed privacy controls, consent management, and transparent data practices at every stage. Stay ahead of evolving regulations and customer expectations.

Why Publicis Sapient?

Publicis Sapient is uniquely positioned to help retailers and CPG brands unlock the full value of their data. With deep expertise in strategy, technology, data, and media, we deliver end-to-end solutions—from vision and business case development to platform build, activation, and ongoing optimization. Our track record includes:

Ready to Unlock New Revenue Streams?

The future of retail and CPG is data-driven, privacy-first, and relentlessly focused on value creation. Brands that invest in robust CDP strategies and data monetization capabilities will be best positioned to thrive in this new era—driving growth, innovation, and sustainable competitive advantage.

Connect with Publicis Sapient to start your data monetization journey and discover how your first-party data can become your next—and best—revenue engine.