Privacy and data protection

Will you survive the logged-in user revolution?

If you don’t think identity plays a significant role in user experience, think again.

Case in point: I was recently browsing my favorite footwear site on my smartphone for the perfect pair of shoes, but when I returned to purchase my pair of choice via desktop, I had to spend upwards of 10 minutes trying to find it again.

How much better would my experience have been if I had instead been greeted with a personalized product showcase featuring my ‘most recently browsed’ items?  

Why the ‘personal cloud’ will be as disruptive as the personal computer

Personal cloud is a phrase I have heard being used for several years now. The image I have is a virtual storage cloud that contains all of your proprietary data through applications like Dropbox, Evernote and Google Drive.

From what I’ve recently learned, this notion only scrapes the surface of both what is possible and what is unfolding right now.

The reason this is such a big deal is because it turns today’s data model on its head.

A plethora of big businesses today have many a zero added to the asset column of their balance sheets due to the vast quantities of personal data that they own relating to their users or customers. 

Privacy practices: the should and must of online transparency

Data collection is exploding across the internet, and for good reason. Whether you’re a Google, Facebook or small online advertising network, the more data you have the better.

You can slice it, dice it, repackage it, and – using predictive analysis – build accurate profiles to serve users with precise interest based adverts.

It drives down costs and the digital advertising industry, with their insatiable thirst for data, is booming. In just the first half of 2013, US revenue from online advertising in the US alone totalled approximately $20bn.

How are finance brands helping customers to bank safely?

The reality today is that we, as consumers, have more and more digital engagements requiring different security elements, hence simplicity is key.

Banking is one entity that we all see as fundamental and need access to.

Through this article, I will highlight what banks are doing to help customers to manage their finances safely, the direction that digital banking security will take in the future and how security fits into a wider context. 

Graphic of three hands with different skin tones holding up smartphones.

The rise of context for customising digital experiences

It’s becoming harder and harder to persuade customers to give us their personal data. Are they more worried about privacy and security post-Snowden?

Are they wary that we marketers will relentlessly spam them once we have their details? Do they find it too difficult to do the data entry on the mobile devices they are increasingly using?

According to recent TRUSTe research 60% of people say they are more concerned about security now than they were a year ago.

It turns out that businesses sharing personal information with other companies (60%) and tracking online behaviour to show targeted ads and content (54%) were the two largest causes of increased online privacy concerns.

And yet there is also plenty of research to show that consumers appreciate personalisation and customisation. According to Adobe’s ‘State of Online Advertising’ last year, 88% of those surveyed in the EU were neutral or positive about customisation; this figure rose to 94% for the US.

So we face a tough challenge as marketers, as customers seemingly want the benefits of customisation but without giving up any personal data…

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