Data Privacy: A growing concern among consumers

People have looked at different data privacy with a fair amount of skepticism in the last year or two.

According to a recent report by GroupM, Consumer Trust in Digital Marketing, six out of ten customers are less inclined to use a product if the seller/service provider asks for their personal data. GroupM, WPP’s media investment arm, polled 14,000 customers in 23 countries for the study, asking them about concerns with digital marketing strategies.

Comparison of Data Privacy concerns with other channels

According to the report, more than half of the customers (56%) desire greater control over their data, and 64% would have a poor impression of a business if it advertises unsuitable material. A gym advertisement using car tires or car parts is an example of an improper ad that makes little sense to users. Twice as many consumers believed that TV advertising had more “good” material compared to other kinds of digital marketing. One-third of the customers (37%) believe that internet advertisements are excessively invasive.

Marketers should not shy away from digital advertising; instead, they should go forward in methods that consider consumers’ developing attitudes about digital media. As marketers, it is our responsibility to ensure that we use client data responsibly and transparently. “Customers are increasingly more skeptical of information being gathered about them as they migrate online, thanks to frequent exposes of data privacy and security or privacy violations,” said Christian Juhl, GroupM’s Global CEO.

The media landscape has transformed, and the industry has to work together to better advertise for consumers worldwide. Since users are skeptical of technology, it might stifle future development unless tech businesses take these worries seriously.