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Privacy Policy

2

Effective Date: June 2, 2025

1. Introduction

Meridian Thinking LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting any personal information you provide through our website (meridianthinking.com), as well as through other means such as email, phone, or in person. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information.

Meridian Thinking LLC is the data controller of the personal data collected through our website and research activities. As a data controller, we are responsible for determining the purpose and means of processing your personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect personal information in the following ways:

  • Directly from you when you contact us via our website, email, phone, or in person

  • Through our contact forms, where you may provide:

    • Name

    • Email address

    • Company & Job Title

    • Phone number 

    • Any other information you choose to share

  • Through research activities such as surveys, interviews, and studies, where you may provide:

    • Demographic information (e.g., age range, location)

    • Behavioral insights, opinions, or preferences

    • Photos, videos, or audio clips (if applicable)

  • Through select third-party services such as LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, or similar

In the course of certain research studies, you may be asked to provide information considered “special category data”under the GDPR. This may include details about your health (e.g., allergies or dietary needs), racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We will only collect this data with your explicit consent, and you are free to decline or withdraw consent at any time.

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this information is considered personal data.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process your personal data based on:

  • Your Consent – When you submit a contact form or share information voluntarily, you consent to us processing it for the purpose of responding to your inquiry or participating in a study.

  • Legitimate Interests – We may process your information to improve our services, conduct research, or promote our offerings, provided that it does not override your rights.

  • Contract – Where necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract

  • Legal Obligation – To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

4. How We Use and Store Your Information

We use the information you provide to:

  • Respond to inquiries or service requests

  • Conduct consumer research and market analysis

  • Communicate with you about our services and, where permitted, send marketing communications

  • Improve our offerings based on your feedback by analyzing website performance and usage patterns through cookies and analytics tools

Where we rely on our legitimate interests to process personal data, these interests include:

  • Understanding user and customer behavior to improve our services

  • Conducting and analyzing market research studies

  • Maintaining the security of our systems and website

  • Promoting our services through insights and marketing communications

  • Managing business operations, legal claims, or audits

For research participants:
Survey and study responses may be aggregated and anonymized for analysis. Where individual responses are retained, they are stored securely and only used for the specific purpose stated at the point of collection.

We may also use anonymized or aggregated research responses, quotes, or visuals (such as screenshots or summary insights) as part of case studies, whitepapers, or client examples. We will never publish identifying details without your explicit permission.

5. Third-Party Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to store and process your data securely. These providers include but are not limited to:

  • Microsoft 365 (email and cloud file storage)

  • QuickBooks Online (invoicing and accounting)

  • Productive.io (project and agency management)

  • HubSpot (CRM, website and scheduling services)

  • Survey platforms (e.g., SurveySparrow or Typeform) for data collection

These providers may store or process your information outside of your home country, including in the United States and the European Economic Area (EEA). We ensure that any data transfers comply with applicable laws, such as GDPR-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or other safeguards.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site performance, and support marketing efforts. These may include cookies from HubSpot, analytics tools, and embedded third-party services. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings or through our cookie consent banner when visiting our site.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. Typically:

  • Contact form submissions and general correspondence are retained for 12 months

  • Research data may be retained for up to 24 months for longitudinal analysis unless deleted upon request

  • Data may be retained longer if required by law

8. Your Rights Under GDPR & CCPA

Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal data, including:

  • Right to Access: Request details of the personal data we hold about you

  • Right to Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Right to Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data (subject to legal exceptions)

  • Right to Object or Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data

  • Right to Data Portability: Receive a copy of your data in a machine-readable format

  • Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us

  • Right to Opt-Out (CCPA): We do not sell personal data. However, California residents can request additional disclosures about how their data is processed

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hi@meridianthinking.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by law.

9. International Data Transfers

Your personal data may be processed outside of your home country, including in the United States. When transferring data from the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom (UK), we rely on safeguards such as:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission

  • Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with our third-party service providers

10. Data Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. This includes secure servers, access controls, and encryption where appropriate. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may include links to external sites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, so we encourage you to review their policies separately.

12. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your rights, please contact us at:

Meridian Thinking LLC
Email: hi@meridianthinking.com
Website: meridianthinking.com