A must-read book for 2025’s leaders, providing actionable advice on how to compound business growth in a privacy-first world
As AI reshapes the marketing landscape, one element is proving to be the make-or-break factor: data. Specifically, first-party data—the kind companies collect directly from their customers—is quickly becoming the critical foundation for any successful AI initiative. In “First-Party Data Activation: Modernize Your Marketing Data Platform,“ co-authored by GrowthLoop Co-Founder David H. Joosten, a marketing and data strategy expert, readers will find a tactical, jargon-free guide to modernizing their data infrastructure in a privacy-first, AI-powered world.
“Everyone’s racing to adopt AI, but most teams are skipping the most important step: building a solid first-party data foundation,” said Joosten, whose contributions draw on his experience at Google and co-founding GrowthLoop. “This book is about helping marketing and technology leaders connect the dots between data strategy, privacy expectations, and AI to deliver lasting compound growth. Because if you don’t get your data house in order, AI can’t deliver its full value.”
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The book walks readers through how to:
Transition away from relying on cookies and third-party tracking tools
Modernize marketing technology with data lakehouses and composable CDPs
Build privacy-compliant data collection strategies
Hyper-personalize messaging using generative AI and data clean rooms
Embed transparency, consent, and data ethics in the marketing process
Accelerate marketing operations to unlock compounding growth
… all with real-world examples from brands like Indeed, NASCAR, and Google Chrome for Enterprise.
“‘First-Party Data Activation’ is a strategic playbook for activating first-party data across your marketing stack, combining clarity, architecture, and AI to future-proof your marketing,” said Jim Lecinski, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
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Structured in three parts, “First-Party Data Activation” begins by laying out foundational principles, such as how marketing and privacy expectations have evolved, and how to drive organization-wide change to adapt. The second section details how to build the right infrastructure, including identity resolution and data architecture frameworks. The final section explores where the field is headed next, covering tools like generative AI and clean rooms that are reshaping how marketers engage customers at scale.
Joosten joined the project as a reviewer at the invitation of publisher Manning, but quickly became a full co-author, contributing chapters on marketing data lakehouses, change management, identity resolution, and AI for marketing acceleration. Alongside original co-authors Alina D. Magauova, founder of Segment360, and Oscar Kennis, founder of OPSangels Inc., the trio developed a comprehensive guide to help business and technical stakeholders align on a modern, data-first approach to marketing.
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