Privacy Policy

Status: 01.01.2024

1. What is this Privacy Policy about?

In this Privacy Policy, we explain how Audienzz AG and our subsidiary Zulu5, both part of the NZZ Group based in Zurich, collect, process, and protect your data (hereafter referred to as "data," which is synonymous with "personal data" in this context). Our goal is to provide transparency on how your data is used to provide our services while giving you control over your privacy preferences.

We are also proud members of the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework 2.2, an industry standard that allows companies to clarify how data is used and gives users the choice to consent or refuse to its processing. When visiting online platforms participating in this framework, you will encounter a Consent Management Platform where you can adjust your privacy preferences, which will be respected by all participants in the framework, including us.

For further questions or information, we are available anytime (see section 2).

2. Who is responsible for processing your data?

We, Audienzz AG, and our subsidiary Zulu5 are responsible for processing your data.

If you wish to contact us regarding this matter, please address your correspondence to:

audienzz AG
Falkenstrasse 12
8008 Zürich
[email protected]

3. How do we protect your data?

The security and confidentiality of your data are our top priorities. We implement advanced security measures to ensure the protection, integrity, and availability of your data. These measures aim to protect your data from unauthorized or unlawful access, processing, loss, accidental alteration, unauthorized disclosure, or access. Our security practices are aligned with highly recognized standards, such as ISO 27001.

Furthermore, we take specific technical and organizational measures to minimize risks associated with the use of our websites. However, it's important to note that the security of your end device is beyond our control. Therefore, it's essential for you to independently inform yourself about necessary security precautions and take appropriate measures to protect your device.

4. When do we collect personal data?

During your interaction with us, we collect personal data in various situations. These data help us improve our services and provide you with relevant offers. Here are some examples of when your data may be collected:

When providing goods or services to us.
During your participation in conferences, customer events, or seminars we organize.
When using one of our services.
When subscribing to our newsletter.
When participating in contests or giveaways we host.
As a member of one of our customer loyalty programs.
During your participation in market research activities or surveys we conduct.
When using our websites, mobile apps, or online offers, as well as when communicating with us or third parties through these channels.
When contacting us via phone, fax, email, voice, text (SMS), image (MMS), or video messages, as well as through instant messaging or social media.
During your participation in customer, advertising, or sponsorship events, as well as similar events.
When submitting your application documents for a position with us.

5. What personal data do we collect?

We collect and process personal data based on the specific occasion and purpose. The data we process comes from various sources. We capture data that you actively and directly provide to us, as well as data that is automatically or manually collected during your interaction with us.

Below, we provide an overview of the main categories of data processed by us. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and serves only as guidance.

Master Data: Master data refers to the basic data we need, in addition to contract data, for the processing of our contractual and other business relationships or, if applicable, for marketing and advertising purposes.
Contract Data: These are details that arise in connection with the conclusion or execution of a contract.
Behavioral and Preference Data: We strive to get to know you better despite the large number of customers and tailor our advice and offers optimally to you. Therefore, we process certain data about you and your behavior. By behavioral data, we mean data about your behavior in the context of your interactions with us.
Communication Data: These are data related to our communication with you. When you contact us via the contact form, email, phone, or chat, by letter or other means of communication, we collect the data exchanged between you and us, your contact details, and other information about the communication (metadata).

6. For what purposes do we process your data?

We use your personal data for various purposes and may categorize them 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 execution of customer communication by post and via electronic communication means. Additionally, we process data for business communication by post as well as via telephone, fax, email, voice messages, text messages (SMS), picture messages (MMS), video messages, or instant messaging. Furthermore, we also conduct evaluations of the use of our offerings via telephone, fax, email, voice messages, text messages (SMS), picture messages (MMS), or instant messaging to capture information such as the type of usage, frequency and duration of usage, and the exact location of usage.
Marketing Purposes: Like all companies in competition, we may process data such as master, contract, behavioral, preference, and communication data for marketing purposes, e.g., for personalization and transmission of information about products and services from us and third parties and for maintaining relationships. You can reject such contacts at any time. You can find our contact details in section 2. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter directly using the opt-out link found at the end of each newsletter. Information regarding your right to object to the setting of cookies is available below in section 10.2.

If data processing by us is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we base it on the following legal bases:

Preparation and Execution of Contracts: Our processing of your personal data is necessary to prepare or fulfill a contract with you or the entity you represent. This includes, for example, handling your master data or conducting transactions, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR, as well as certain processing operations that require specific justifications under Art. 9 para. 2 lit. g and h GDPR due to their special categories.
Compliance with Legal Obligations: It may be necessary for us to process your data to comply with legal requirements (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR).
Legitimate Interests: When 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 outweigh the fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject.

These bases allow us to process personal data in accordance with the GDPR while preserving the rights and freedoms of the data subjects.

7. Whom do we disclose your data to?

We reserve the right to disclose your personal data for the purposes mentioned in this privacy policy to other subsidiaries as well as companies of our parent company NZZ AG. These companies may use your personal data for their own interests and purposes that align with the purposes stated in this privacy policy. In particular, we may use your personal data for personalized analyses of customer behavior and for direct marketing activities.

Within the company, employees only have access to your personal data if it is necessary for the fulfillment of their duties.

Furthermore, our products and services are provided and processed in cooperation with third parties and service providers, who may therefore have access to your data. These service providers are contractually obligated to process personal data exclusively on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions. We ensure that our service providers also adhere to the necessary technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data.

Additionally, we reserve the right to disclose your personal data if required to comply with applicable laws and regulations, in legal proceedings, upon request from courts and authorities, or for other legal obligations, to protect and defend our rights or property.

8. Do we disclose personal data abroad?

As described in section 7, the processing of your personal data is not limited to us alone but also includes third parties and service providers. It may happen that your data is transferred internationally, for example to other companies of ours or to external service providers, and potentially to third parties involved in contract processing. 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 do not offer a level of data protection equivalent to that applicable in Switzerland or the EU, we take additional measures to contractually secure your data protection.

For this purpose, we usually rely on standard contractual clauses issued or recognized by the European Commission and the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). These clauses are designed to compensate for the lack of legal protection in third countries. You can find further information and a copy of these clauses on the website of the FDPIC. These measures apply unless the data recipient is already covered by a legally recognized data protection regime or we can rely on an exemption. Such exemptions may exist, for example, in legal proceedings abroad, in cases of overriding public interest, or disclosures necessary for contract processing, as well as if you have explicitly consented or the data is publicly accessible and you have not objected to processing.

9. How long do we process your data?

We retain your data for as long as necessary for our processing purposes, to fulfill legal retention obligations, as well as to meet our legitimate interests in documentation and as evidence or where there is a technical need for storage.

10. How do we use cookies?

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, typically without direct identification. Depending on the purpose of use, cookies may contain additional information, such as visited pages and the duration of time spent on a page. We use both session cookies, which are deleted when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which remain stored for a certain period after you close your browser (usually between a few days and two years) and are used to recognize visitors upon revisiting.

Additionally, we may also 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 program codes loaded from a server that transmit certain information to the server operator, such as whether and when a webpage was visited. Fingerprints are information collected during your website visit about the configuration of your device or browser, making your device distinguishable from others. Most browsers also support additional technologies for storing data in the browser, similar to cookies, which we may also use (e.g., "web storage").

10.2 How can cookies and similar technologies be disabled?

When visiting our websites, you may have the option to activate or deactivate certain cookie categories via a button in the browser. Additionally, you can set your browser settings to block certain cookies or similar technologies or to delete existing cookies and other stored data in the browser. You also have the option to equip your browser with software extensions, known as "plug-ins," that prevent tracking by certain third parties. Further information can be found in the help pages of your browser, usually under "Privacy." Please note that our websites may not function fully if you block cookies and similar technologies.

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 seamless navigation from page to page without losing information entered into forms or items added to the shopping cart.
Performance Cookies: Performance cookies collect data on how our website is used. This allows us to create analyses, such as which pages are particularly popular or how users navigate the website. Their use aims to make your website visit more efficient and user-friendly.
Functionality Cookies: Functionality cookies are key to advanced website features and personalized user experiences. They make it possible to store previous inputs, such as the selected language, or suggest products that may interest you based on your previous browsing behavior.
Advertising Cookies: Advertising cookies play an important role for us and our advertising partners by enabling us to offer targeted advertising on our and other websites. They are designed to present you with relevant advertisements during your subsequent internet use after visiting our website.

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

The cookies and similar technologies on our website may be integrated either directly by us or by external service providers, such as through the integration of functions provided by third parties. It is possible that some of these providers are located outside Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA). In such cases, we ensure that the privacy of your information is adequately ensured.

These external service providers may collect information about your use of our website. This data may be merged with similar information collected from other websites, enabling tracking of a user's online activities across different websites and devices. Often, these providers use the collected data for their own purposes, such as delivering tailored advertising on their own and other websites. If you are registered with such a service provider, the data collected may be associated with your user account. The processing of this personal data is the responsibility of the respective provider and is subject to their privacy policies.

11. How do we use log files?

Every time you visit our website, your web browser automatically transmits certain information to us for technical reasons. This information is stored in so-called log files. The collected data includes:

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 accessed our site
The amount of data transferred
The name and version of your browser

Analyzing these log files enables us to continuously optimize and make our online offerings more user-friendly. It also helps us to identify and rectify errors more quickly and to manage our server capacities effectively. By evaluating the log files, we can, for example, determine when our website is particularly heavily frequented and provide the necessary resources to ensure you have an optimal user experience.

12. How do we use web analytics tools?

To continuously improve and optimize our online offerings, we use tracking technologies. Web analytics tools provide us with statistics and graphics that offer insights into the usage of our websites. These tools collect data about interactions on our website and send this information to the corresponding server.

13. Newsletter data and web beacons

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we process the data you provide exclusively for the purpose of newsletter distribution. After subscribing, you will receive a confirmation email with a link that you must click to verify your subscription.

You have the option to unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. To do so, you will find a specially marked unsubscribe link in each newsletter, or you can send an email to [email protected]. After unsubscribing, your data regarding newsletter distribution will be promptly deleted, and you will no longer receive any further editions of the newsletter.

Our newsletters contain so-called 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 collected to technically improve newsletter distribution. It is also analyzed whether and when the newsletter is opened and which links are clicked. This analysis is used to optimize and increase the relevance of our newsletter content. However, individual monitoring of newsletter recipients does not take place.

In the event that we redirect you within the newsletter to websites of our external service providers, for example, to view their privacy policies, we would like to point out that cookies may be used there, which may lead to the processing of personal data by the service provider and its partners, such as Google Analytics. We have no influence on this processing. Further information can be found in the privacy policies of our service providers.

14. Application data

In the event that you apply to us, your data will be specifically stored for this purpose during the selection process. If you are not selected for the position or the position is otherwise filled, the data will have lost its original purpose. Subsequently, your information will be removed from the records by us or, if desired, returned to you. Access to your application documents is restricted to a narrow circle of persons directly involved in the application process, including your potential future supervisor and selected employees of the HR department.

15. What rights do you have regarding your personal data?

Under certain circumstances, applicable data protection laws grant you the opportunity to oppose the use of your data, especially concerning direct marketing and other specific interests. To give you control over your personal data, various options are available to you under applicable law:

You can inquire whether and which of your data is processed by us.
You have the option to request the correction of your data if it is incorrect.
You are free to object to certain processing purposes of your data and request its restriction or deletion, provided there is no legal obligation or authorization on our part to continue processing.
You can request the provision of your personal data in a commonly used electronic format or its transfer to another responsible entity.
Additionally, you have the right to withdraw consent to data usage once given, if our data processing is based on it.

Please note that the exercise of these rights is subject to certain conditions and exceptions, such as for the protection of third parties or business secrets. If this is the case, we will inform you accordingly.

If you wish to exercise your rights, please contact us in writing (see section 2). To prevent misuse, we must verify your identity, e.g., by providing a copy of your ID if no other identification option exists. These rights are also available to you at other entities that operate independently of us. For inquiries regarding data processing by such entities, please contact them directly.

If you have concerns about the handling of your data protection rights or data protection in general, please provide feedback to the contact point specified in section 2. Information about the Swiss supervisory authority and how to contact them can be found here.

16. Can this privacy policy be changed?

Please note that our privacy policy does not form part of a contract with you. We reserve the right to change the privacy policy as needed. The current version is always the one published on our website.