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Effective as of 1/1/2024

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1. What does this Privacy Policy concern?

This Privacy Policy outlines how audienzz AG and our subsidiary Zulu5, both part of the Zurich-based NZZ Group, collect, process and protect your data (we use the terms “data” and “personal data” interchangeably). We are committed to transparency regarding how your data is utilised to deliver our services, while ensuring you retain full control over your privacy preferences.

We are also a proud member of the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework 2.2, an industry standard designed to provide users with clear insight into how their data is used, offering them a straightforward choice to consent to or decline its processing. When you visit online platforms participating in this framework, you will encounter a consent management platform, where you can set your privacy preferences, which will then be respected by all participants in the framework, including us.

If you have further questions or require additional information, we can be contacted at any time (see Section 2).

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2. Who is responsible for processing your data?

audienzz AG and our subsidiary zulu5 act as the joint data controllers responsible for processing your data.

If you wish to contact us in this regard, please write to us at the following address:

audienzz AG
Falkenstrasse 12
8008 Zürich
[email protected]

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3. How do we protect your data?

The security and confidentiality of your data are our top priority. We employ advanced security measures to ensure the protection, integrity and availability of your data. These measures are designed to protect your data against unauthorised access, unlawful processing or the accidental loss, destruction, alteration and disclosure of your information. Our security practices are aligned with widely recognised standards, such as ISO 27001.

In addition, we implement specific technical and organisational measures to minimise the risks associated with the use of our websites. Please note, however, that the security of the device you use to access them is beyond our control. It is therefore important that you inform yourself about the necessary security precautions and take appropriate measures to protect your device.

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4. When do we collect personal data?

In the course of your interactions with us, we collect personal data in various situations. This data enables us to continuously enhance our services and deliver relevant offerings. The following are some examples of situations in which your data may be collected:

When providing goods or services to us.
During your participation in conferences, customer events or seminars that we organise.
When you use one of our services.
When you sign up for our newsletter.
When participating in competitions or prize draws that we run.
As a member of one of our customer loyalty programmes.
During your participation in market research activities or surveys that we conduct.
When using our websites, mobile apps or online offerings, and when communicating with us or third parties via these channels.
When making contact by telephone, fax, email, voice message, text message (SMS), picture message (MMS), video message, or via instant messaging or social media.
During your participation in customer, promotional or sponsorship events and similar occasions.
When submitting your documents in support of an application for a position with us.

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5. What personal data do we collect?

We collect and process personal data based on the particular occasion and purpose. The data we process comes from various sources. On the one hand, we collect data that you actively provide to us directly. On the other hand, we also collect data that is generated automatically or manually recorded during your interactions with us.

The following provides an overview of the main categories of data we process. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and is intended as a guide only.

Master data: master data refers to the basic data that we require, alongside contract data, for the management of our contractual and other business relationships, or where applicable for marketing and advertising purposes.
Contract data: this comprises information arising in connection with the conclusion or performance of a contract.
Behavioural and preference data: although we serve a large number of customers, we endeavour to understand each one individually, in order to tailor our advice and offerings to your specific needs. We therefore process certain data about you and your behaviour. By behavioural data, we mean data relating to your conduct in connection with your interactions with us.
Communication data: this is data relating to our communication with you. If you get in touch with us via the contact form, by email, telephone, chat, or post, or through other means of communication, we record the data exchanged between you and us, your contact details and further information about the communication (metadata).

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6. For what purposes do we process your data?

We use your personal data for various purposes, which can be grouped into different categories. In particular, we may use your personal data, in whole or in part, for one or more of the following purposes:

Customer communication purposes: we process data for the provision, management and conduct of customer communication by post and via electronic means of communication. In addition, we process data for business communication by post and via telephone, fax, email, voice messages, text messages (SMS), picture messages (MMS), video messages or instant messaging. We also evaluate the use of our offerings via telephone, fax, email, voice messages, text messages (SMS), picture messages (MMS), or instant messaging in order to capture information such as the type of use, frequency and duration of use, and the precise location of use.
Marketing purposes: in line with standard commercial practices, we process master data, contract data, behavioural, preference and communication data for marketing purposes, such as personalising and delivering information regarding our products, services and third-party offerings, as well as managing customer relationships. You may object to such contacts at any time. Our contact details are provided in Section 2. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter directly using the opt-out link included at the bottom of each newsletter. Information regarding your right to object to the use of cookies can be found below in Section 10.2.

Where our data processing is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we rely on the following legal bases:

Pre-contractual measures and contract performance: processing your personal data is required to execute pre-contractual measures or fulfill a contract with you or the entity you represent. This includes managing master data and executing transactions pursuant to Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, as well as to certain processing operations involving special categories of data under Art. 9(2)(g) and (h) GDPR, which require specific justifications.
Compliance with legal obligations: it may be necessary for us to process your data in order to comply with statutory requirements (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR).
Legitimate interests: where necessary, data processing is based on the legitimate interests of audienzz AG, our subsidiary Zulu5, or a third-party company, provided that these interests do not override the fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject.

These legal bases allow us to process personal data in accordance with the GDPR, while at the same time preserving the rights and freedoms of the individuals concerned.

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7. To whom do we disclose your data?

We reserve the right to transfer your personal data to other subsidiaries and to companies within our parent group, NZZ AG, for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. These companies may use your personal data for their own interests and purposes in line with those described in this Privacy Policy. In particular, we may use your personal data for individualised and personalised analyses of customer behaviour and for direct marketing activities.

Within the company, employees are granted access to your personal data only to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties.

Our products and services are also provided and administered in collaboration with third parties and service providers, who may accordingly have access to your data. These service providers are contractually obliged to process personal data solely on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions. We ensure that our service providers also comply with the requisite technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data.

Furthermore, we reserve the right to disclose your personal data where required to comply with applicable laws and regulations, in legal proceedings, at the request of courts and authorities, or pursuant to other legal obligations, in order to protect and defend our rights or property.

In addition, in the context of corporate transactions – such as the purchase or sale of business divisions, companies, or company shares – personal data may be transferred to the parties involved. In such cases, we ensure that the data subjects are informed of the transfer where legally required and that appropriate data protection safeguards are in place.

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8. Do we transfer personal data abroad?

As described in Section 7, the processing of your personal data is not limited to us alone but also involves third parties and service providers. In this context, your data may also be transferred internationally – for example, to other group companies or to external service providers, and in some cases to third parties involved in the performance of a contract. This means that your data may be processed worldwide, including outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, in so-called third countries, such as the United States. Since many of these third countries lack a level of data protection equivalent to Swiss or EU standards, we implement supplementary safeguards to contractually secure your data.

To this end, we generally rely on standard contractual clauses issued or recognised by the European Commission and the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC/EDÖB). These clauses are designed to compensate for the absence of statutory protection in third countries. Further information and a copy of these clauses can be found on the FDPIC website. These measures apply unless the data recipient is already covered by a legally recognised data protection regime or we can invoke an exception. Such exceptions may arise, for example, in the context of legal proceedings abroad, where there is an overriding public interest, where disclosure is necessary for the performance of a contract, where you have given explicit consent, or where the data is publicly accessible and you have not objected to its processing.

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9. How long do we retain your data?

Your data will be retained by us for as long as is necessary for our processing purposes, as long as statutory retention obligations are in force, and as long as our legitimate interests in documentation and evidence so require, or as long as a technical necessity for storage exists.

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10. How do we use cookies?

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10.1 What are cookies and similar technologies?

When you visit our websites, your browser automatically stores files on your device known as cookies. These files contain a unique identifier (an ID) that allows us to identify individual visitors, though generally without direct identification. Depending on their purpose, cookies contain additional information, such as the pages visited and the time spent on a page. We use both session cookies, which are deleted when the browser is closed, and persistent cookies, which remain stored for a specified period after the browser is closed (normally between a few days and two years) and are used to recognise returning visitors.

In addition, we may use similar technologies, such as pixel tags, fingerprints and other technologies to store data in the browser. Pixel tags are small, often invisible images or pieces of code that are loaded from a server and transmit certain information to the server operator – for example, whether and when a webpage was visited. Fingerprints are pieces of information collected during your visit to a website about the configuration of your device or browser that make your device distinguishable from others. Most browsers also support further technologies for storing data in the browser, similar to cookies, which we may also use (e.g. web storage).

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10.2 How can cookies and similar technologies be disabled?

When visiting our websites, you may in some cases be able to activate or deactivate certain cookie categories via a button in the browser. In addition, you can configure your browser settings to block certain cookies or similar technologies, or to delete existing cookies and other data stored in the browser. You can also install software extensions, known as plug-ins, in your browser to prevent tracking by certain third parties. Further information can be found in your browser’s help pages, usually under the heading “Privacy”. Please note that our websites may no longer function fully if you block cookies and similar technologies.

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10.3 What types of cookies and similar technologies do we use?

We use the following types of cookies and similar technologies:

Essential cookies: essential cookies are indispensable for the basic operation and functionality of our website. They enable, for example, seamless navigation from page to page without losing information entered in forms or items added to a shopping basket.
Performance cookies: performance cookies allow us to collect data about how our website is used. This enables us to compile analyses – for example, about which pages are most popular or how users navigate around the website. Their purpose is to make your visit to our website more efficient and user-friendly.
Functional cookies: functional cookies unlock enhanced website features and a personalised user experience. They make it possible to save previous inputs, such as your chosen language, or to suggest products that might interest you based on your browsing history.
Advertising cookies: advertising cookies play an important role for us and our advertising partners by enabling us to offer you targeted advertising on our own and other websites. They are designed to show you relevant advertisements as you continue to browse the internet after you have visited our website.

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10.4 How do we use cookies and similar technologies from other companies?

The cookies and similar technologies on our website may be embedded either directly by us or by external service providers – for example, through the integration of features provided by third parties. Some of these providers may be based outside Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA). In such cases, we ensure that the privacy of your data is adequately protected.

These external service providers may collect information about your use of our website. This data may be combined with similar information collected from other websites, enabling a user’s online activities to be tracked across different websites and devices. These providers often use the data collected for their own purposes, such as the delivery of tailored advertising on their own and other websites. If you are registered with such a provider, the data collected may be linked to your user account. The processing of this personal data is the responsibility of the respective provider and is governed by its own privacy policy.

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11. How do we use log files?

When you visit our website, your browser automatically shares certain technical details. We store this data in log files. The collected information includes:

the date and time of your visit to our website
the name of the page visited
the IP address of your computer or mobile device
the website from which you arrived at our site
the volume of data transferred
the name and version of your browser

Analysing these log files enables us to continuously optimise our online offerings and make them more user-friendly. It also helps us identify and rectify errors more quickly and manage our server capacities effectively. By evaluating the log files, we can, for example, identify when our website is experiencing particularly high traffic and allocate the necessary resources accordingly, in order to provide you with an optimal user experience.

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12. How do we use web analytics tools?

We use tracking technologies to continuously improve and optimise our online offering. Web analytics tools provide us with statistics and graphics that offer insight into the use of our websites. These tools capture data about interactions on our website and transmit this information to the associated server.

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13. Newsletter data and web beacons

When you sign up for our newsletter, we process the data you provide exclusively for the purpose of sending the newsletter. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link that you must click to verify your registration.

You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. To do so, you will find a clearly labelled unsubscribe link in every newsletter, or you can send an email to [email protected]. Upon unsubscribing, your data relating to the newsletter will be deleted promptly and you will receive no further editions of the newsletter.

Our newsletters contain web beacons, pixel-sized files that are loaded from the server of our newsletter service provider when the newsletter is opened. Technical information such as the browser, operating system and your IP address is thereby collected in order to improve the technical delivery of the newsletter. An analysis is also carried out as to whether and when the newsletter is opened and which links are clicked. This analysis serves to optimise and improve the relevance of our newsletter content. There is no individual monitoring of newsletter recipients, however.

In cases where we redirect you within the newsletter to websites of our external service providers – for example, to view their privacy policies – please be aware that cookies may be used there that could lead to the processing of personal data by the service provider and its partners, such as Google Analytics. We have no influence over such processing. Further information can be found in the privacy policies of our service providers.

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14. Application data

If you apply for a job with us, your data will be stored specifically for this purpose during the selection process. Should you not be selected for the position, or should the position be filled by someone else, the data will have served its original purpose of storage. Your information will then be removed from our records or, if you so wish, returned to you. Access to your application documents is restricted to a limited circle of individuals directly involved in the application process. This includes your potential future line manager as well as selected members of the HR department.

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15. What rights do you have in relation to your personal data?

The applicable data protection law gives you the right, in certain cases, to object to the use of your data, particularly with regard to direct marketing and other specific interests. To enable you to exercise control over your personal data, the applicable law provides you with various options:

You may enquire whether and which of your data is being processed by us.
You have the right to request the correction of your data should it be inaccurate.
You may object to certain uses of your data and to request that we restrict or delete it, provided that we have no legal obligation or right to continue processing it.
You may request that your personal data be provided to you in a commonly used electronic format, or that it be transferred to another data controller.
You also have the right to withdraw consent previously given to the use of your data, where our data processing is based on such consent.

Please note that exercising these rights is subject to specific criteria, and certain exceptions or restrictions may apply to safeguard third parties or protect trade secrets. We will notify you accordingly if any limitations apply.

If you wish to exercise your rights, please contact us in writing (see Section 2). In order to prevent misuse, we will need to verify your identity – for example, by requesting a copy of your identity document, where no other means of identification is available. You also have rights with regard to other bodies acting independently of us. For enquiries regarding data processing carried out by such bodies, please contact them directly.

If you have any concerns regarding the handling of your data protection rights or data protection in general, please contact us at the address given in Section 2. Information about the Swiss supervisory authority (the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner, FDPIC/EDOB) and how to contact it can be found here.

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16. Can this Privacy Policy be amended?

Please note that our Privacy Policy does not form part of a contract with you. We reserve the right to amend the Privacy Policy as required. The version published on our website at any given time shall be the version in force.

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