Branding Science Group Privacy Notice

Updated & Effective: 8TH September 2026

1. Background and Lawful Basis

This privacy notice explains what personal data the Branding Science Group (BSG) collects, why we collect it and how we look after it. It also explains your data protection rights.

This Privacy Notice applies to Branding Science Group (UK) Ltd and its affiliated companies operating within, and outside of, the UK & European Economic Area (‘the EEA’), and the USA.

The registered global headquarter address for Branding Science Group (UK) Ltd is: D2 Dolphin House, Riverside West, Smugglers Way, London, SW18 1DE, United Kingdom.

If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or your personal data, you can contact our Compliance Officer at the above address or by emailing us on [email protected]

Additional information about our collection practices and your rights as pertains to US and California residents specifically can be found in the Supplemental Notice, included at the end of this document.

Branding Science Group provides strategic market research and business support services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical and animal health clients. In order to provide these services, Branding Science Group and its contracted service providers must collate, process and analyse personal data from individuals.

When we do this we ask for your consent to use or process the personal data you share for a specific purpose that we make clear to you. We rely upon consent as the lawful basis for processing personal data (as setout in Article 6.1a of the GDPR), as well as other state and regional privacy laws where applicable.

The use of personal data processed by Branding Science Group shall be limited to the purposes under this Privacy Notice.

2. Personal data we collect

All Personal data collected by Branding Science Group will be used and stored only for the purpose of the specific market research project. Personal data will not be passed to any third party or made available in another database without your prior consent.

3. Contact details such as your full name, phone number and/or email address to allow us to carry out the market research project and for which you have given prior consent.
4. Information relating to the subject of the market research study e.g. information relating to your occupation, behaviour or health so that we can select suitable potential participants and for which you have given prior explicit consent. This information will be pseudonymised as soon as practical meaning we will remove any identifying personal data and allocate a pseudonym such as a unique number. The personal data will be kept separately and securely.
5. Full name, email, address and bank details for the purpose of payment of incentive for participation in market research study. The personal data will be kept separately and securely.
6. Audio and / or video recordings of interviews or group discussions for the purpose of analysis and quality control by BSG. Video recordings may be non-live, for example, recorded footage that we have on file, or live-footage, for example, footage which is streamed live through the internet. These recordings will not include any other personal data such as your full name. You will have been informed about this and given consent to audio and/or video recording.
7. Recordings may be shared with the commissioning client company or their partners working on the same market research objective such as advertising agencies to allow them to better understand the market research. This can only be done with your prior consent. You will have been informed about this and consented to this observation.

3. How we treat the information we collect

The data collected for the market research project is intended exclusively to inform decision-making within the client company. Branding Science Group will pseudonymise and, where possible, anonymise all personal data provided by you as soon as possible, and prior to data analysis. Branding Science Group or our clients may use artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools to assist in the transcription, organization, summarization, analysis, and reporting of information collected through market research. Such technologies will be used solely for purposes related to the research project. Any such use will be subject to appropriate technical, organizational, and confidentiality safeguards. AI-generated outputs will be reviewed and validated by qualified personnel before use. AI tools will only be used in a manner that is consistent with applicable privacy, confidentiality, or data protection requirements

4. How information is shared

We sometimes work with third party service providers for various purposes, including (i) recruitment of participants for market research projects (ii) interviewing on market research projects (iii) analysis and (iv) translation of interviews (v) viewing facilities for face to face interviewing in addition to (vi) video streaming companies and (vii) cloud storage IT providers. These third parties may process personal data as part of providing those services for us. We limit the information provided to service providers to that which is necessary for them to perform their functions. Our contracts with service providers require them to maintain the confidentiality of such information and to guarantee they comply with the terms contained within this Privacy Notice.

Sometimes people from client companies, or their partners such as advertising agencies, want to listen in to or watch footage of the market research interviews. If this is the case we will always seek your prior consent and explain what types of people may be listening in or watching film recordings and why.

5. Storage, processing and retention

All personal data will be stored by the Branding Science Group for the minimum required period to effectively complete its work, or for the purposes of quality control. This may vary from project to project and will depend on the type and scale of the work. Most projects last between 2 and 6 months and very occasionally, longer than 12 months.

We will delete personal data such as name, phone number, email or address – information typically required for data subjects to participate in market research – at the end of all data subjects’ participation in any specific market research project.

Remaining personal data, such as audio and video recordings will be stored for the minimum time period required unless the recording is required to be kept for longer for the purposes of auditing by the Client.

All remaining personal data will be securely stored and processed by the Branding Science Group or its approved service providers.

Any physical copies of personal data will be secured and deleted by Branding Science Group.

6. How we protect personal data.

Branding Science Group is fully committed to protecting your privacy and data. All personal data is processed using up-to-date physical and electronic security, restricted access and routine employee and service provider training.

7. International transfers of personal data.

Your personal data may occasionally be transferred, processed and/or stored in a country other than the one in which it is collected, including but not limited to the United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, the EEA, Singapore, Japan, Australia and India.

Branding Science Group, and our service providers will use all reasonable actions to maintain the integrity and security of your personal data through electronic security, including use of encrypted file transfer. Where your personal data needs to be transferred outside of the country in which it was collected, you will be informed and the country of destination will be specified. International transfers are only undertaken with your explicit prior consent.

8. Choices about your information and your rights.

You can ask us further clarifying questions on how your personal data is processed at any stage and have the right to –

1. ask to access the personal data we hold on you
2. request changes to the personal data we hold on you if it is not accurate or incomplete
3. request that we erase your personal data or stop processing it, subject to certain exceptions
4. ask us to restrict processing of your personal data
5. ask us to send your personal data directly to another organisation when technically possible
6. not be subjected to automated decision making (no automated decision making will be leveraged)
7. lodge a complaint with the appropriate data protection authority if you have concerns about how Branding Science Group processes your personal data
8. withdraw your consent for personal data processing at any point.

Should you wish to withdraw consent, or have any further questions regarding your rights, you can do so by contacting our Compliance Officer at the above mailing address or by email here: [email protected]. We will respond to your request no later than 21 calendar days.

Supplemental Notice to the Branding Science Group Privacy Notice for United States Residents

Updated & Effective: 8th September 2026

Over the past 12 months we may have obtained personal data from our market research panel providers, specialized recruiters, publicly available online data sources, or from lists and databases  that you may have opted into for market research participation.

In addition to the process of collection, storage and deletion of personal data described in the Branding Science Group Privacy Notice, we understand that various US state residents such as, but not limited to, those residing in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah or Virginia have rights provided to them under the US Privacy Laws. These rights include the right to access, rectify, delete and object to processing of their personal data.

The categories of personal data we collect at Branding Science Group are listed in our Privacy Notice Clause 2. While we ensure data protection law is applied to all personal data we process, US Privacy Laws for your specific location will also be taken into consideration when you make a rights request to us, including but not limited to the following:

• Right to access (as permitted by applicable law including Minnesota’s privacy law)
• Right to obtain list of the categories of 3rd parties to which personal data has been disclosed (as permitted by applicable law including California and Delaware’s privacy law)
• Right to obtain specific list of 3rd parties to which personal data has been disclosed (as permitted by applicable law including Minnesota and Oregon’s privacy law)
• Right to review, understand, question and correct how personal data has been profiled (as permitted by applicable law including California’s privacy law)
• Right to opt-out of the collection of sensitive personal data collected through the operation of a voice or facial recognition feature (as permitted by applicable law including Florida’s privacy law)

Where a request has been made and we have declined to take action as required, you may appeal our decision by contacting us at [email protected] where we will aim to respond within 21 days as to next steps, including how to make a complaint to your state attorney general where an appeal is denied.

Before responding to a privacy rights request, we may take reasonable steps to verify your identity. We may request additional information necessary to confirm your identity and ensure that your personal information is not disclosed to an unauthorised individual. If a request is submitted by an authorized agent, we may also require proof of the agent’s authority to act on your behalf.

For all California residents who wish to exercise their right to the California Civil Code Section 1798.83 Shine the Light law, please submit your free once a year request to [email protected] stating clearly in your subject address ‘shine the light law request’ and this will be actioned within 21days after a validation process. Please note at no point will Branding Science sell or share your personal data as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

To ensure clarity regarding US Privacy Laws concerning residents in states such as Colorado, Connecticut, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Virginia, where it is necessary to be informed if personal data is sold or shared, at no point will Branding Science sell or share your data in line with the appropriate US state regulation. The right to request access to this information and exercising this right can be demonstrated by contacting us at [email protected]. All data collected are processed in line with the appropriate consent we have sought and been given, after which the personal data is deleted.

We only process personal data involving children only with the explicit permission of their responsible adult. Any data collected is processed strictly in accordance with the consent and purpose for which it has been collected. No data collected will be shared or sold.

This Supplemental Notice aims to reflect the US Privacy Law for those states with clear guidance, and will therefore be updated from time to time to reflect any changes to the law in these states noted and for any states in the future who might have achieved their own regulations.