Privacy Policy

Brightside Brand Studio

Effective Date: July 2026 Jurisdiction: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Brightside Brand Studio ("Brightside," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information entrusted to us. We collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information in accordance with Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and other applicable Canadian privacy laws.

This Privacy Policy applies to clients, prospective clients, website visitors, and individuals who interact with Brightside Brand Studio or use our branding, marketing, content creation, website, and social media management services (collectively, the "Services").

1. Accountability

Brightside Brand Studio is responsible for personal information under our control and has designated a Privacy Officer to oversee our privacy practices, ensure compliance with applicable privacy legislation, and respond to privacy-related inquiries.

Privacy Officer Brightside Brand Studio Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Email: [email protected]

2. Consent

By providing your personal information, contacting us, or engaging our Services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise permitted or required by law.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide certain Services.

3. Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information reasonably necessary to operate our business and provide our Services. Depending on your interactions with us, we may collect:

Business Contact Information

In accordance with Alberta PIPA, business contact information (such as an individual's name, position, business email, business telephone number, and business address) collected solely for the purpose of communicating with an individual in relation to their employment or business is handled with strict confidentiality but is not subject to the same statutory consent requirements as personal consumer data.

Contact Information

• Name
• Business name
• Job title
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Business address

Client Communications

• Emails
• Contact forms
• Meeting notes
• Project correspondence
• Feedback and support requests

Creative Project Materials

Information and materials provided by clients, including:

• Photographs
• Video recordings
• Audio recordings
• Graphic design files
• Brand assets
• Marketing copy
• Social media content
• Website content

Billing Information

• Billing address
• Invoices
• Payment history
• Transaction records

Brightside does not store full credit card information. Payments are processed through secure third-party payment providers.

Website Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device information
• Website usage statistics
• Cookies and similar technologies

4. How We Use Personal Information

We collect, use, and disclose personal information only for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances. These purposes include:

• Providing branding, marketing, website, and social media services
• Managing client relationships
• Delivering creative projects
• Scheduling and publishing social media content
• Processing invoices and payments
• Responding to inquiries
• Improving our Services
• Conducting website analytics
• Maintaining business records
• Complying with legal, regulatory, accounting, and tax obligations

5. Marketing Communications

With your consent where required, we may send newsletters, educational resources, agency updates, and promotional information.

Commercial electronic messages are sent in accordance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). You may unsubscribe at any time by:

• Clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in our emails; or
• Contacting our Privacy Officer.

6. Social Media Management Services

When Brightside manages social media accounts on behalf of clients, we collect, use, and access information solely for the purpose of providing the agreed Services and in accordance with our client's instructions.

Information collected directly by social media platforms—including Meta, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and similar services—remains subject to those platforms' own privacy policies and terms of service, as well as the client's own privacy practices where applicable.

7. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Third-Party Service Providers

To improve efficiency and support our creative workflow, Brightside may use trusted third-party software and AI-assisted technologies. These may include services such as:

• OpenAI (ChatGPT)
• Google (Gemini)
• Metricool
• Google Workspace
• Microsoft 365
• Cloud storage providers
• Website analytics providers

AI-assisted tools may be used to help generate marketing ideas, draft content, organize information, analyze trends, or improve workflow efficiency. Brightside takes reasonable precautions to ensure that confidential client information or unannounced brand assets are not submitted into public AI model training datasets without appropriate safeguards or privacy controls in place.

AI-generated outputs are reviewed by a member of our team before being delivered to clients or published. Brightside does not intentionally use AI tools to make automated decisions about individuals.

Clients who directly use third-party platforms remain subject to those providers' own privacy policies and terms of service.

8. International Transfers of Personal Information

Some of our service providers store or process personal information outside Alberta or Canada, including in the United States and the European Union.

As required under Alberta PIPA, we inform individuals that personal information processed outside Canada may become subject to the laws of those foreign jurisdictions and may be accessible to foreign governments, courts, or law enforcement authorities.

Where appropriate, Brightside selects reputable service providers and takes reasonable contractual and technical measures to safeguard personal information during international transfers. Questions regarding our use of foreign service providers may be directed to our Privacy Officer.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Operate essential website functions
• Understand website traffic
• Improve website performance
• Enhance user experience

We may also use analytics tools such as Google Analytics or similar services. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings; however, some features of our website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

10. Client Responsibilities

Where clients provide Brightside with personal information relating to their customers, employees, contractors, or other individuals, the client represents that they have obtained all necessary consents or other legal authority required for Brightside to collect, use, process, store, and disclose that information solely for the purpose of providing the Services.

11. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law.

Active Client Projects

During active client engagements, Brightside retains project files, draft content, raw media, creative assets, scheduling information, and related materials necessary to perform the Services, complete revisions, and fulfill contractual obligations.

Raw Media

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, unused raw media and working files are retained for up to 12 months following project completion or termination of the client relationship, after which they may be securely deleted.

Final Deliverables

Final deliverables may be archived for up to 24 months for record-keeping and portfolio purposes where permitted by the client agreement, applicable law, or the client's consent. Nothing in this section overrides any confidentiality obligations or non-disclosure agreements.

Client Contact Information

Client and prospective client contact information is retained during the business relationship and for up to 24 months afterward, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

Financial Records

Invoices, contracts, payment records, and related financial documentation are retained for seven (7) years to satisfy legal, accounting, and Canada Revenue Agency record-keeping requirements.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to Alberta PIPA and applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
• Withdraw consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual limitations; and
• Request the return or deletion of project materials where applicable and where Brightside is not legally required or contractually entitled to retain them.

To exercise your privacy rights, please contact our Privacy Officer.

13. Security Safeguards

Brightside maintains reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, modification, loss, or destruction.

These safeguards may include:

• Encrypted cloud storage
• Password protection
• Multi-factor authentication
• Access controls
• Secure file-sharing platforms
• Regular software updates
• Employee access restrictions

Although we use commercially reasonable security measures, no electronic transmission or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

14. Privacy Breaches

If Brightside becomes aware of a privacy breach involving personal information, we will promptly investigate the incident.

Where required under Alberta PIPA, and where the breach creates a real risk of significant harm to an individual, we will notify the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta and affected individuals in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

15. Questions or Complaints

Questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal information should first be directed to our Privacy Officer.

Privacy Officer Brightside Brand Studio Email: [email protected]

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) Website: https://www.oipc.ab.ca Telephone: 1-888-878-4044

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Brightside may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, technology, or legal obligations. The most current version will always be posted on our website together with its revised Effective Date. Continued use of our Services after the Effective Date constitutes acknowledgment of the updated Privacy Policy.