Privacy Policy
1. Introduction and Company Information
This Privacy Policy explains how Northstar Brand Strategy Studio collects, uses, discloses, stores, and protects personal information in connection with its brand-strategy services, website, communications, and related business activities. We are committed to handling personal information in a manner that complies with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, where applicable, relevant provincial privacy legislation.
Northstar Brand Strategy Studio
2450 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4P 2H5, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (416) 782-5943
By using our services, visiting our website, or communicating with us, you acknowledge that your personal information may be collected, used, and disclosed as described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Data Collection and Processing
We may collect personal information directly from you, automatically through our website, or from third parties where permitted by law. Depending on the context, the personal information we collect may include:
- Contact details, such as name, email address, telephone number, company name, job title, and mailing address;
- Business and project information, including brand objectives, strategy preferences, creative briefs, feedback, and communications;
- Billing and payment information, where applicable;
- Website and device information, such as IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, referring URLs, and usage patterns;
- Marketing and communication preferences;
- Any other information you voluntarily provide to us.
We process personal information only to the extent reasonably necessary for the purposes identified in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
3. Purpose of Data Processing
Northstar Brand Strategy Studio uses personal information for the following purposes:
- To provide brand-strategy, consulting, and related professional services;
- To respond to inquiries, requests, and communications;
- To prepare proposals, contracts, invoices, and project deliverables;
- To manage client relationships and administer our business operations;
- To personalize and improve our services, website, and communications;
- To send administrative information, service updates, and, where permitted, marketing communications;
- To maintain records, perform analytics, and measure service performance;
- To detect, prevent, and address fraud, security incidents, or misuse;
- To comply with legal, regulatory, accounting, and tax obligations;
- To enforce our agreements and protect our rights and interests.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Under Canadian privacy law, we generally collect, use, and disclose personal information with your knowledge and consent, unless otherwise permitted or required by law. Depending on the circumstances, our legal basis for processing may include:
- Consent: You have provided express or implied consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information;
- Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to enter into, perform, or manage our services or agreements with you;
- Legitimate business purposes: Processing is reasonably required for business operations, provided your interests and rights are protected and applicable law permits it;
- Legal obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, or lawful requests;
- Other lawful grounds: Where permitted under applicable Canadian privacy laws, including circumstances involving investigations, fraud prevention, or security.
5. Data Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell personal information. We may share personal information with third parties only as necessary and only for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:
- Service providers that support our operations, such as hosting, email, analytics, customer relationship management, invoicing, payment processing, and document storage providers;
- Professional advisors, such as lawyers, accountants, auditors, and insurers;
- Government authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required or permitted by law;
- Business partners or subcontractors involved in delivering client projects, subject to confidentiality and data protection obligations;
- Any other third party with your consent or at your direction.
We require third parties that process personal information on our behalf to protect it appropriately and to use it only for authorized purposes.
6. Data Transfer to Third Countries
Some of our service providers or business partners may be located outside Canada, including in the United States or other jurisdictions. As a result, your personal information may be transferred to, stored in, or accessed from jurisdictions outside Canada.
When personal information is transferred outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions and may be accessible to courts, law enforcement, or regulatory authorities in those countries. We take reasonable steps to ensure that such transfers are protected by appropriate contractual, technical, and organizational safeguards consistent with applicable Canadian privacy requirements.
7. Storage Duration
We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to meet legal, accounting, tax, or reporting requirements, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements.
The retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the nature of our relationship with you. When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it in accordance with our retention practices and applicable law.
8. User Rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you;
- Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal information;
- Erasure: Request deletion of personal information, where permitted by law;
- Restriction: Request that we limit the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances;
- Data portability: Request a copy of certain personal information in a structured, commonly used format, where applicable;
- Objection: Object to certain processing activities, including certain forms of marketing or processing based on legitimate interests where applicable.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in the Contact Information section. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
9. Withdrawal of Consent
Where our processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
Please note that if you withdraw consent for certain processing activities, we may be unable to provide some services or features to you.
10. Right to Complain
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can address your concerns directly.
You may also have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or, where applicable, a provincial privacy regulator. We encourage you to contact us so we can attempt to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.
11. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, encryption where appropriate, staff confidentiality obligations, and regular review of security practices.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Contact Information
If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact:
Northstar Brand Strategy Studio
2450 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4P 2H5, Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (416) 782-5943
13. Changes to Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. When we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as by posting the updated policy on our website or by other appropriate means.
The revised Privacy Policy will become effective when posted unless otherwise stated. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how Northstar Brand Strategy Studio protects your personal information.