7 Must-Have Subscription Management Capabilities in a First-Party Data World
Rohini Anil Patil
November 7, 2023
Not all subscription management platforms are identical. This raises the question: what are the essential capabilities that publishers need to possess to embrace and take advantage of the first-party data revolution? The following outlines seven crucial components that publishers require to thrive in a post-cookie world.

1. Robust Security and Compliance 

In an era where publishers generate increasing amounts of data, it is imperative to securely collect, store, process, and transmit first-party data while adhering to data protection regulations. Coupled with PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance, this allows publishers to centralize personal and payment data to the highest standards.

2. Custom Data Collection 

Subscription management platforms can serve as primary sources of high-value, first-party data – a potent blend of registration, payment, behavioral, and contextual information. The appropriate solution should also empower publishers to gather a diverse array of data from various origins, including paywalls, registration barriers, surveys, and systematic data points.

3. Comprehensive Customer Profiling

Gathering first-party data is one aspect, but constructing detailed customer profiles with this data is another. Modern subscription management platforms facilitate this process by storing and centralizing a multitude of customer data points, including custom data, which informs strategies, campaigns, product offerings, and targeted advertising.

4. Support for Various Data Extraction Methods

A subscription management platform built on an open data framework is indispensable and enables multiple data extraction methods for interfacing with third-party systems. Its real value becomes evident when shared across a broader ecosystem of interconnected first-party data solutions, spanning from CDPs and identity solutions to personalization engines and email service providers.

5. Flexibility to Adjust Subscription Offerings

The capability to act swiftly on first-party data insights to drive acquisition, boost revenue, and minimize churn is crucial. Leveraging a modern cloud-based subscription management platform allows publishers to innovate and experiment with all aspects of their pricing and offerings, effecting real-time adjustments.

6. Seamless Integration with First-Party Data Ecosystems

Publishers equipped with adaptable, agile subscription management platforms can seamlessly integrate with a wide array of third-party systems. This facilitates the sharing of first-party data throughout the ecosystem, enhancing the overall subscriber experience.

7. Future-Proofed Adaptability

As new approaches to identity resolution continue to evolve, it is essential to future-proof technology. For instance, adopting a subscriber management platform that permits rapid, flexible integration with third-party systems can help eliminate technological barriers to strategic changes and reduce the risk of being locked into outdated solutions, much like the "Betamax" dilemma.
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