Global Survey Highlights Need for Marketers to Strike a Relevancy Balance to Deliver Personalisation and Brand Value Without Alienating Consumers
Global B2C marketing automation company, Selligent, today issued the results of a global study of 5000 consumers focused on behaviours and expectations as it relates to interactions with brands. Sixty-nine percent of surveyed consumers find it ‘creepy’ when they receive ads based on unprompted cues from voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Home. Fifty-one percent are worried that voice assistants are listening to conversations without their consent. The younger the consumer, the more inclined they are to believe they are being listened to without their knowledge: 58 per cent for Gen-Z (ages 18 – 24) and only 36 per cent for Baby Boomers (ages 55 – 75) agree.
While privacy concerns are on the rise, the study shows consumers are adjusting their behaviour in different ways:
- Nearly half of global respondents (45 per cent) use voice assistants despite the ‘creepy’ factor
- 41 per cent agreed that they have reduced their use of social media due to privacy concerns, while a majority (59 per cent) have not
- One third (32 per cent) of consumers have quit at least one social media platform within the last 12 months due to privacy concerns – with Facebook at the top of the ‘quit list’ at 40 per cent.
The survey also revealed that 51 per cent of consumers are still willing to share personal data for a more personalised experience. For brands, this means a greater focus on delivering truly relevant, omnichannel experiences that bring value to consumers at the right moment. Additional survey findings:
- High expectations for connected customer experiences: expected customer service response time frames are shortening as 96 per cent of people expect brands to respond within 24 hours of a flagged issue, and 90 per cent also expect a resolution to come within 24 hours. Additionally, 71 per cent expect brands to have all the information about them during an escalated brand interaction, highlighting the need for a full 360 view of the customer.
- Omnichannel experiences reign: 64 per cent of pollsters take advantage of merging online and in-store shopping experiences for big-ticket purchases (personal electronics, appliances, and vacations), preferring to research online but go in store to purchase. However, consumers still expect brands to assist and give recommendations in-store: 50 per cent of consumers agree.
- Relevance is king: 64 per cent of those polled are aware that their online activity is being tracked but welcome proactive product recommendations based on previous purchases. Forty-seven per cent find it ‘nice/helpful’ when they’re served ads based on what they have asked their voice assistants.
‘Building consumer trust and long-term loyalty is the holy grail for any marketer,” said Niki Hall, CMO at Selligent. “Consumers today are more connected than ever; they expect a level of personalisation in their brand interactions and want everything in an instant. But because they are also wary of their data being used in ways they may not agree with, brands need to develop a strategy that strikes a relevancy balance – articulating personalized consumer value without being intrusive. To successfully do this, businesses need an intelligent platform that provides a complete view of the customer. Having full visibility across all consumer touchpoints will enable brands to deliver an elevated customer experience and drive lasting value.’
To download the second edition of Selligent’s Global Connected Consumer Index, visit https://info.selligent.com/maximize-every-moment/
About Selligent Marketing Cloud
Selligent Marketing Cloud is a sophisticated B2C marketing platform that empowers ambitious relationship marketers to maximize every moment they engage with consumers. With native AI capabilities, a robust data layer, and a powerful omnichannel execution engine, Selligent Marketing Cloud enables marketers to easily target, trigger, and deliver highly personalised messaging across all critical channels.
More than 700 global brands in retail, travel, automotive, publishing, and financial services trust Selligent Marketing Cloud to help deliver their marketing programs. With ten offices across the United States and Europe, and more than 50 partners, Selligent serves over 30 countries with local, personalised service. Learn more at www.selligent.com and connect with the team at Twitter, LinkedIn, and our blog.