Exclusive research definitively shifts the narrative around consent data, revealing it as a pivotal driver of digital growth rather than merely a compliance burden.

Transcend, the privacy infrastructure company that helps the world’s greatest brands unlock growth, today announced the release of a new research report, Hidden in Plain Sight: How Enterprises are Driving Revenue, Trust, and Digital Transformation Through Integrated Consent and Preference Management.

For CIOs, Digital Executives, and Privacy Leaders, the study findings are clear: consent and preference management are no longer just about compliance. They’re now central building blocks to powering AI, personalization, and customer trust. However, there’s a significant gap between the strategic importance placed on consent and preference management and the practical challenges of implementation.

Key findings from the 2025 report include:

• 100% of 265 executive respondents said consented data enhances their organization’s ability to launch new products and services.

• More than half of executives reported being highly reliant on consented data for digital innovation initiatives like personalized marketing, product development, and AI.

• More than 70% of executives said they struggle to proliferate communication preferences across the organization’s entire data ecosystem.

• Two-thirds of executives reported difficulties creating personalized experiences that align with consumers’ communication preferences, despite the importance of this data in achieving strategic goals.

The research demonstrates the evolution of consent and preferences. When the first privacy regulations emerged, consent and preference management were owned squarely by risk and compliance teams. As cookie banners appeared on websites, marketing got involved—but mostly as a partner to privacy to ensure performance quality. Today, with data personalization driving growth, the research proves that consent and permissions are now central to enterprise digital strategy, forming foundational infrastructure for Global 2000 companies.

“Collecting consumer consent and preferences is just the tip of the iceberg. The real opportunity lies in how businesses operationalize permissioned data for their growth strategies,” said Ben Brook, CEO and Co-founder of Transcend. “With the right infrastructure, companies are harnessing data more effectively to deliver personalized, relevant experiences at scale—while ensuring compliance and building deeper trust with their customers.”

Additionally, these findings come at a time when AI-driven personalization is a growing priority across industries. According to McKinsey, faster-growing companies derive 40% more revenue from personalization compared to their slower-growing peers.¹ Similarly, Forrester reports that marketing strategies informed by customer preferences lead to measurable improvements across multiple metrics, including acquisition costs (–83%), customer satisfaction (+78%), brand awareness (+75%), and conversions (+73%).²

“Privacy and security teams are often cited as key blockers to AI adoption, largely due to strict data usage regulations,” said Ryan O’Leary, Research Director for Privacy and Legal Technology at IDC. “Enterprises that invest in robust consent and preference management systems are better positioned to address those concerns while enabling responsible AI use.”

Beyond new revenue streams and AI innovation, the report found that integrated consent and preference data translates to positive strategic outcomes across the enterprise, with respondents highlighting its ability to:

• Personalize user experiences (66%)
• Build customer loyalty and trust (65%)
• Improve data quality (60%), and
• Increase marketing opt-ins (49%)

These findings further underscore how integrated consent and preference strategies are now critical for enterprise competitive advantage.

Hidden in Plain Sight: How Enterprises are Driving Revenue, Trust, and Digital Transformation Through Integrated Consent and Preference Management reinforces an urgent message: enterprises that approach integrated consent and preference management as a strategic capability—not just a compliance requirement—are better equipped to achieve long-term growth and drive AI innovation.

To complete this report, Transcend partnered with research firm UserEvidence to conduct an independent market survey of 265 privacy, security, and marketing leaders. Respondents were from the Forbes’ Global 2000s with a strong presence in the United States. Almost all respondents held executive or leadership roles: 36% had C-suite titles, 42% were directors or managers, and 8% held VP titles.

Download the full report, Hidden in Plain Sight: How Enterprises are Driving Revenue, Trust, and Digital Transformation Through Integrated Consent and Preference Management, for more exclusive insights.

About Transcend

Transcend is the privacy infrastructure that unleashes growth for the world’s leading brands. By automating data and consumer preference governance at the systems layer, Transcend helps companies unlock AI, personalized experiences, and growth with speed and confidence.

Transcend replaces the patchwork of manual tools with a unified, efficient, and secure governance platform. From consent and preference management, privacy requests, AI governance, assessments, and risk mitigation, Transcend operationalizes modern privacy across every system and user touchpoint.

Recognized for rapid growth and innovation, in 2024 Transcend was named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™, one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and LegalTech’s Data Solution of the Year. Founded in 2017 by Ben Brook (CEO) and Mike Farrell (CTO), Transcend is based in California’s Bay Area.

¹: “The Value of Getting Personalization Right—or Wrong—Is Multiplying.” 2021. McKinsey & Company. November 12, 2021. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-value-of-getting-personalization-right-or-wrong-is-multiplying.

²Acoustic. 2024. “Forrester Study: Strengthen Customer Retention and Engagement With Behavioral Data.” April 2, 2024. https://www.acoustic.com/reports/forrester-study-strengthen-customer-retention-and-engagement-with-behavioral-data.

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"Collecting consumer consent and preferences is just the tip of the iceberg. The real opportunity lies in how businesses operationalize permissioned data for their growth strategies."