According to an Adobe study, consumers are concerned about how companies use their data

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Every year, there is a competition between bars in some cities in my country, Brazil, in which the bar with the food most voted by the public wins. Last week I went with some friends to one of the participating bars and, at the end, we received a form to give our rating.

As soon as we started, a friend questioned the amount of information requested paytm database and why they would be asking for so much personal data. He refused to fill out the form and did not vote, not knowing what they would do with his information .

Most of the time, working in a Marketing company , I am on the side of those who ask for data, so I lived through this episode and reflected: how can we create an environment of trust in data collection that can be useful for both companies and consumers?

Coincidentally or not, in the same week, Adobe released a study addressing issues around data, consumers and trust. The survey, conducted with nearly 6,000 consumers and over 900 leaders in the EMEA region, made it clear that over 70% of consumers are concerned about how companies use their data.

And, in the perception of the majority of leaders interviewed (69%), it is more difficult to build and maintain consumer trust today than it was two years ago.

In some ways, my experience with my friend at the bar put into practice the consumer perceptions revealed in the study.

Let's dig deeper here!

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Trust is not negotiable
In uncertain scenarios and with significant episodes of data leakage , more than ever, consumers are concerned about the misuse of their information.

According to Adobe’s 2022 Trust Report, 67% of respondents intend to stop purchasing from brands that mishandle their data .

Fortunately, the use of data without permission, not respecting user preferences and/or violating other data protection policies is no longer tolerated. All care is necessary.

As a result of uncertainty about the actual security of data use, consumers tend to trust brands less. This breach of trust has an opposite impact on what we, as brands, expect from our customers.

Customers who trust a brand tend to repeat purchases, recommend services/products to other consumers, and post positive reviews and comments on the company's social media.

Trusting customers impact and drive business growth . On the other hand, customers who experience a breach of trust leave .

Data collection should generate benefits for the consumer
When my friend refused to fill out the voting form, I, as a marketer, understood the value of that information for the company collecting the data. At the same time, I assumed that sharing that data would also be beneficial for my friend if the company had an efficient strategy and clear benefits for the public.

What's more, if the contest's managers could validate the authenticity of the vote and had valuable information to know the profile of the botequeiros — a term used in Brazilian Portuguese to refer to people who frequent bars — my friend could start receiving personalized content and advice about the world of bars. Since I know him, I'm sure he would be very happy.

But the thing is, he didn't know why they were collecting his data. He wasn't clear about what would be done with his personal information. And, to be honest, it wasn't even clear to me, I'm just making assumptions.

Where am I going with this? Let’s go back again to the Adobe study that shows that 65% of respondents believe that information collected from digital interactions benefits only the company, not the consumer .

But that's not (or at least shouldn't be) true. We should treat data as a two-way street where there's mutual benefit for both the business and the consumer.

While the brand benefits from the many possibilities that well-analyzed data provides (more on this later), the consumer gets personalized experiences and targeted communications.

Making good use of data
Creating a personalized, customer-centric atmosphere is a key factor in becoming a successful brand, and data is essential to making that happen.

You need to collect the right information and, more than that, know how to use it efficiently.

Through intelligent use of data, it is possible to:

make better decisions, be more assertive and guide business strategies;
create, direct and adapt your services/products according to what makes the most sense for your client;
create campaigns and communications that speak directly to your audience;
prospect and reach mature clients;
have more personalized and efficient interactions with your audience
All of these elements listed above add value to the customer and the brand. After all, an efficient and well-directed journey allows for a good customer experience. A satisfied customer buys more, recommends, and becomes loyal.

Building an ecosystem of trust
As Adobe's study and my empirical experience show, concerns about data security are real.

So the path for leaders is really to prioritize information security-related demands, strictly follow privacy and data protection laws (such as GDPR ), and create an environment of trust with consumers.

Collecting real data is a delicate task and requires a lot of responsibility. Therefore, it is a necessity for professionals to make good use of it. It is up to the company to take responsibility and be transparent with the consumer.

In addition to committing to the correct use of personal data, it is our role to educate and generate value with the audience on why we collect data and how they will benefit from it as well.

Here at Rock Content, for example, when a user fills out a form, we clearly display our terms to set realistic expectations of what we're going to do with people's data.

For example: when you subscribe to our newsletter, you know that every Friday you will receive the best Marketing trends and not tons of ads!

If my friend had seen the value and filled out that form with his personal information, maybe today he would be drinking a good beer at a bar he didn't know based on personalized recommendations he received. Or not, maybe he was about to fall into another "trap" of inefficient data use... we'll never know.

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