79% of Consumers Believe Companies Know Too Much About Them, Yet 90%
Are Willing to Share Behavioral Data for a Cheaper and Easier Shopping
Experience

86% of Consumers Are Concerned About Their Data Privacy

INDIANAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While consumers are concerned about the privacy and security of their
data, yet want a more personalized experience from brands, a new survey
of more than 1,000 consumers from SmarterHQ,
a leading multichannel behavioral marketing platform, set out to
determine which companies and industries are handling their users’ data
responsibly, and which marketing tactics consumers feel are personalized
versus creepy.

According to the report, Privacy & Personalization: Consumers share
how to win them over without crossing the line, Amazon has earned
the most trust from today’s consumers by a landslide—48% of consumers
trust Amazon to use their data responsibly, beating out banks, Apple,
Google, other big brand stores, airlines and hotels. This sentiment is
strongest among Millennials and Generation Z, who trust Amazon 2.1x more
than their banks. Social media companies rank last on the list at 6%,
with one major contributor to this low score being that half of survey
respondents said they know someone who has had their social media
account hacked.

“Digital marketers today face the challenge of confronting consumers who
are increasingly skeptical of whether they can trust brands with their
data and wonder if their personal information will be used wisely,” said
Michael Osborne, President & CEO of SmarterHQ. “The encouraging news is
that 90% of consumers are willing to provide behavioral data for a
better shopping experience as they demand a personalized touch from the
brands they interact with. Therefore, the onus is on marketers to
leverage the right technology to help them recognize, understand and
engage with their audiences across all channels while keeping their
customer data safe. This will give brands the best chance at gaining a
loyal customer base. There’s a difference between personalized and
creepy marketing tactics—and marketers need to make sure their campaigns
fall into the right category.”

Among some of the other striking consumer findings in the report:

• They’re skeptical: 86% are concerned about their data privacy,
  and 79% of consumers believe companies know too much about them.
• They favor email over other channels: 51% of consumers say
  email is the best way for a brand to communicate, with social media
  second in line (25%).
• They think push notifications can be creepy: 74% of consumers
  say push is the most invasive channel because they view their phone as
  an everyday tool that’s part of their personal space.
• They’ll banish brands who provide poor personalization: 63% say
  they would stop purchasing products and services from companies that
  take “creepy” marketing too far.
• They value and trust brands the more often they shop and the
  younger they are: Those who shop more often find personalization
  marketing tactics 25% more helpful, and Millennials and Gen Z trust
  companies with their data 47% more than Baby Boomers and Gen X.
  Interestingly, owners of smart home devices (i.e. Amazon Alexa, Google
  Home) are 16% less protective of their data privacy and 12% more
  trusting of companies collecting and using their data.

To review all of the survey findings, you can download the report, Privacy
& Personalization: Consumers share how to win them over without crossing
the line, here: smarterhq.com/privacy-report.

About SmarterHQ

SmarterHQ’s behavioral marketing platform makes it easy for marketers to
increase revenue now and customer relationships over time by powering
highly personalized, cross-channel experiences. Trusted by leading
brands such as Bloomingdale’s, Hilton, Santander Bank, and Finish Line,
SmarterHQ activates real-time, multichannel data, identifies audiences
quickly based on customer behavior and information, and automates
personalized content across outbound and online channels. They have been
recognized by Forrester’s Total Economic Impact study to deliver 667% in
ROI. Learn more at SmarterHQ.com.

Contacts

Scott Cianciulli
The Plunkett Group
(212) 739-6753
[email protected]