Consumer data sharing: more opportunity than threat

This month, our client Acquia asked us to commission research into the controversial issue of third-party consumer data sharing, to understand the impact of likely changes this will have on marketing in the future.

As consumers, we recognise that customer data, driven by app and online activity, has become the mainstay of personalised targeted marketing, and quite possibly a feature that we have all simply accepted. Apple’s decision to implement the new App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature with the iOS 14.5 software update is therefore widely viewed as a game-changing moment for data transparency. This comes at a time when big tech companies are urgently looking to restore consumer confidence. ATT is a feature that will allow users to control whether their data is shared for ad-targeting purposes on an app-by-app basis.

As a leading customer experience company, Acquia enables brands to launch consent-driven personalisation strategies, often through the use of their Customer Data Platforms (CDP), enabling brands to source, manage and analyse first-party data. Acquia was therefore well placed to explore what impact these changes will have on marketers.

Our research not only found some surprising results, which we were able to contribute to the ongoing media discussion, but we were also able to position Acquia as a thought leader on this controversial topic.

The research found that 81% of marketers overwhelmingly support Apple’s new ATT feature, responding that it is ‘very good’ or ‘somewhat good’. Respondents understood the desire to rebuild consumer trust through greater transparency. 57% of marketers stated they had either adopted more consent-driven personalisation strategies (as a result of decisions by the likes of Apple and Google), or plan to do so in the next 12 months.

What we were in fact most surprised to see was that the support for ATT was even greater amongst marketers than consumers, with 63% backing this feature. This was a stark contrast to the position taken by Facebook, which has launched a series of advertisements attacking Apple’s move, stating it will “change the internet as we know it – for the worse.”

Through this research, we were able to provide Acquia with the necessary platform to hold the position that despite the fears of change, brands have a real opportunity to grow their business. Maximising leverage of their first-party data will allow this to be achieved. This will allow them to deliver greater personalised customer experiences, and ultimately, begin to rebuild consumer trust through new marketing strategies; strategies that Acquia’s CDP can most certainly support.

Finally, not only was Babel able to utilise this research to position Acquia as a leading voice in this controversial conversation, but we were also able to secure some fantastic coverage: a front page spot with Campaign, which published Acquia’s research ahead of Apple’s iOS 14.5 announcement, due to take place at the end of April.

If you would like to hear more about research that could meet your company’s needs, or on what we can deliver for you, please get in touch.