Privacy policy
What data do we process, on what legal basis, and what rights do you have? Full transparency under the GDPR.
This English version is a translation provided for information only. The German Privacy policy is legally binding.
1. General information
The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit our website. Personal data is any data that can be used to identify you personally.
Controller
The data controller for this website is:
stark.marketing GmbH
Hans-Bunte-Straße 8
69123 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 672 63 80
Email: info@stark.marketing
How we collect your data
On the one hand, your data is collected when you provide it to us, e.g. via a contact form. Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website (technical data such as your web browser, operating system or the time the page was accessed).
2. General notes and mandatory information
Data protection
We take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.
SSL/TLS encryption
For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, this site uses SSL/TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the browser's address bar changing from ‘http://’ to ‘https://’.
Withdrawal of your consent
Many data processing operations are only possible with your explicit consent. You may withdraw any consent you have already given at any time by sending an informal email. The lawfulness of any data processing carried out prior to withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.
Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority
In the event of breaches of data protection law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. A list of data protection officers and their contact details can be found at: bfdi.bund.de.
Right to data portability
You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfilment of a contract provided to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
Access, blocking, erasure
Within the framework of the applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to obtain, free of charge, information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, as well as the purpose of the data processing, and, where applicable, the right to have this data rectified, restricted or erased. You may contact us at any time at the address given in the Legal notice regarding this and any other queries.
Objection to advertising emails
We hereby object to the use of contact details published in accordance with the legal notice requirements for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising. The operators of this website expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited advertising being sent.
3. Data collection on this website
Cookies
Some of our web pages use so-called cookies. They do not harm your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies serve to make our services more user-friendly, effective and secure. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer and stored by your browser.
Most of the cookies we use are so-called ‘session cookies’. They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in the technically error-free and optimised provision of our services) or Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent, where requested).
Server log files
The website provider automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser transmits automatically:
- Browser type and browser version
- Operating system used
- Referrer URL
- Hostname of the accessing computer
- Time of the server request
- IP address
This data is not combined with other data sources. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Page view counting
To see which pages are being read and where visitors encounter non-existent addresses, we count the number of visits to this website. To do this, every time you visit a page, your browser reports to our web server which page has been accessed; on error pages, it also reports the address that was entered; and when you click on a telephone number or email address, it reports that a click has taken place. If you arrive at this website via a link from an AI assistant (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini), your browser will also report the name of that service. This is derived from the address of the previously visited page or from the ‘utm_source’ parameter in the link; the address itself is not transmitted. Only the date, the page address, the number and, where applicable, the name of the AI assistant are stored. Your IP address, your browser identifier and the previously visited page are not stored for this purpose; no cookie is set and no identifier is assigned; it is not possible to trace this back to individual visitors. The IP address is processed solely for technical purposes to transmit the message. The data is stored by Cloudflare in the EU and deleted after 25 months.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest lies in knowing the reach of our website, fixing errors such as pages not found, and seeing whether our website is found via AI assistants.
Contact form
If you send us enquiries via the contact form, the details you provide in the form – including the contact details you enter there – will be stored by us for the purpose of processing your enquiry and in the event of any follow-up questions. We will not pass on this data without your consent.
We process the forms (contact, AI Visibility Check) ourselves via our website hosted with Cloudflare (Cloudflare Germany GmbH, Rosental 7, 80331 München; data processing agreement, EU Standard Contractual Clauses and EU-US Data Privacy Framework). Your details are stored in a database located in the EU and forwarded to us by email. We delete them as soon as the enquiry has been dealt with and no statutory retention obligations apply.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent). Data is stored until you ask us to delete it, withdraw your consent or the purpose no longer applies. Mandatory statutory provisions, in particular retention periods, remain unaffected.
Processing of client data
We only collect, process and use personal data insofar as it is necessary for establishing, defining the content of or amending the legal relationship (master data). The client data collected is deleted after completion of the order or termination of the business relationship, unless statutory retention obligations prevent this. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
4. Analytics tools and advertising
Google Tag Manager & Google Analytics
Provider: Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (for users in the EEA and Switzerland), or Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
We use Google Tag Manager to manage tracking codes and Google Analytics to analyse user behaviour. Google Analytics uses cookies that enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie is transmitted to and stored on a Google server. IP anonymisation is enabled: your IP address is truncated by Google within the EU before being transferred to the USA.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent via the cookie banner). Opt-out via browser plug-in: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR.
Google Analytics Remarketing
We use Google Analytics Remarketing in combination with the cross-device features of Google Ads and Google DoubleClick. This enables advertising messages tailored to usage behaviour to be displayed across different devices. Opt-out: google.com/settings/ads.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (where accounts are linked) or Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Google Ads & conversion tracking
We use Google Ads to advertise our services. If a user clicks on an ad, Google Ads places a cookie on their device. These cookies expire after 30 days and are used exclusively for conversion analysis; no personal identification takes place.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Further information: policies.google.com/privacy.
Meta Pixel and Conversions API (Facebook/Instagram)
We use the Meta Pixel and the Meta Conversions API of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, Ireland. The pixel sets cookies (_fbp, _fbc) and transmits page views and interactions (e.g. clicks on phone, email or WhatsApp, submitting a contact form) to Meta. We additionally send the same events from our server via the Conversions API; in doing so, IP address, browser identifier and, when a form is submitted, email address, phone number and name are transmitted exclusively in SHA-256 hashed form. If an enquiry turns into a conversation, an appointment, a quote or an order, we also report this status to Meta via the Conversions API (with the same hashed contact details and cookie identifiers, and for orders with the order value), so that Meta shows ads to people who are genuinely a good fit for us. This allows us to measure the effectiveness of Meta ads and to show interest-based ads on Facebook and Instagram to users who have visited our website. Meta may link this data to your Meta account and use it for its own advertising purposes; a transfer to the USA is possible (Meta is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework). The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Details: facebook.com/privacy/policy. Objection: ad settings at Meta.
OpenAI Ads Pixel and Conversions API (ads in ChatGPT)
We use OpenAI's conversion measurement pixel (for users in the EEA: OpenAI Ireland Limited, 1st Floor, The Liffey Trust Centre, 117-126 Sheriff Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 YC43, Ireland). It loads a script from bzrcdn.openai.com, transmits page views and interactions (submitting a contact form, clicking the booking link, phone, email or WhatsApp) to OpenAI and may set the cookies __oppref (up to 30 days) and __obref (up to 365 days). Automatic advanced matching may also detect contact details entered on the page, such as email address or phone number, and transmit them hashed with SHA-256 in your browser. When our server receives a contact form, we additionally report this to OpenAI via the Conversions API: with IP address, browser identifier, the identifiers from the cookies mentioned, and email address, phone number and name, the latter exclusively in SHA-256 hashed form. If an enquiry turns into an appointment, a quote or an order, we also report this status with this data, and for orders with the order value. This allows us to measure whether ads in ChatGPT lead to enquiries and orders. OpenAI processes this data as an independent controller, including to provide and improve its products; a transfer to the USA is possible. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Details: openai.com/policies/privacy-policy.
Opt-out: If you opt out in the cookie banner (‘Only necessary’ or by leaving the marketing box unticked), we will no longer load the pixel, will delete the cookies mentioned and will not report your enquiries to OpenAI, nor any subsequent status. You can change your choice at any time.
Google Web Fonts
For the consistent display of fonts, this site uses web fonts provided by Google. When you open a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into its browser cache. As a result, Google learns that our website was accessed via your IP address. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Google Maps
Where we embed maps, we use the Google Maps service. Provider: Google LLC (address above). To use its functions, it is necessary to store your IP address. This is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
On our website we offer the option of contacting us via WhatsApp. Provider: WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland. Data is only transmitted once you actively click the WhatsApp button. WhatsApp's privacy policy also applies: whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy-eea.
5. Your rights at a glance
- Right of access (Art. 15 GDPR)
- Right to rectification (Art. 16 GDPR)
- Right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR)
- Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
- Right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
- Right to object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR)
- Right to withdraw consent with effect for the future
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
6. Data protection contact
If you have any questions regarding data protection, exercising your rights or requesting information, please contact us at:
Email: info@stark.marketing
Phone: +49 6221 672 63 80
Post: stark.marketing GmbH, Hans-Bunte-Straße 8, 69123 Heidelberg
Competent supervisory authority: The State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Baden-Württemberg, Königstraße 10a, 70173 Stuttgart.
