Consumer Data vs. Customer Data: What’s the Difference?  

Often times, the terms “customers” and “consumers” are used interchangeably, and while similar, there are some key differences that make them different. 

Consumers are people who could be your customers, and customers are people who are your customers. 

Seems straightforward enough, right? But in reality, it is very important to know how each is used and what the benefits of both are. 

Let’s get started. 

Consumer Data vs. Customer Data: What’s the Difference? 

Consumer Data  

Consumer data refers to people who can be your customers. This is information collected about individuals who interact with a brand, regardless of whether they’ve made a purchase or have an established relationship as customers.  

This data captures behaviors, demographics, interests, preferences, and digital signals from broader audiences; such as website visitors, social media followers, ad viewers, and potential prospects. Marketers use consumer data to understand market segments, identify new audiences, and drive targeted acquisition strategies. 

Consumer data can also include intent signals, like content consumption patterns, search behavior, and engagement with specific topics, that help predict future buying interest. It often comes from third-party sources, publishers, data marketplaces, or anonymous website analytics.  

While it’s powerful for broad targeting and prospecting, it’s typically less precise than customer data, since it lacks the context of direct purchase history or account-level relationships. 

For example, say you are a home décor brand that tracks website visitors who browse living room furniture pages but never add items to their cart. This data, such as pages viewed, time spent on each product, and the visitor’s location, is consumer data. It helps you identify people who are interested in home furnishings and target them with personalized ads, even though they haven’t yet become customers. 

However, it’s important to note, without an email or identifiable login, the targeting is usually anonymous, relying on device or cookie-based identifiers. 

Still, the opportunity to personalize outreach is strong.  According to The Current, 74% of U.S. consumers are willing to share personal information with brands and retailers. 

There will always be privacy concerns, especially among consumers, but the fact that they are willing to share their personal information is important. It proves that they want to see new brands and be targeted with products and services that interest them. 

Customer Data  

Customer data refers to people who are already your customers. This is information gathered about individuals or businesses who have made a purchase, signed up for services, or established a formal relationship with a brand. 

One thing to keep in mind is, all customers are consumers, but not all consumers are your customers. 

This data includes transactional history, account details, product usage, communication preferences, and any interactions with customer service. You can leverage these insights to personalize experiences, increase loyalty, and maximize customer lifetime value. 

For example, I was recently shopping for a new computer. Since then, I now get personalized emails and promotions from the brand I have been considering, as well as personalized offers for accessories based off the computer that I plan to purchase.  

This type of personalization matters. According to Notify Visitors, 74% of customers become frustrated when their email communication experience isn’t personalized. 

People expect you to be relevant – and customer data is what makes that relevancy possible. 

How to Use Consumer Data and Customer Data 

Use consumer data to: 

• Discover new audiences 

• Guide media buying 

• Shape creative messaging 

Consumer data helps you understand who’s in the market that is not your customer already.  

For example, a home services brand uses consumer data to target homeowners researching bathroom remodel costs. Beyond search behavior, they might incorporate demographics like income level, homeownership status, or renovation trends to fine-tune audience segments. 

Use customer data to: 

• Personalize campaigns 

• Detect early signs of disengagement 

• Drive loyalty and upsells 

Customer data enables you to leverage insights on interactions like purchase history, preferences, and behaviors. It’s the foundation for creating personalized experiences that improve relationships and boost lifetime value. 

Beyond personalization, customer data helps you analyze signals like declining purchase frequency, reduced engagement with emails, or negative interactions to step-in proactively with retention offers or outreach. 

When used effectively, customer data helps you build loyalty and creates advocates who bring in new business through word-of-mouth referrals. 

Conclusion 

Customer and consumer data are both important for your targeting, but have a few key differences and are used for different purposes. Both work together to strengthen your data collection and build your business through relationships. 

Consumers are potential customers, those who you are trying to get to become customers through their data. 

Customers are those whose business you’ve already won. Their data will help you personalize your marketing efforts, helping to build relationships and drive brand loyalty.