3 Strategies for Companies to Gain the Trust of Customers Who Care About Their Privacy

Reaching the correct customer at the appropriate moment presents a more controlled environment for digital marketers. And customers cherish their privacy, which is why this new environment exists. 

Marketing automation firm Marigold and digital marketing consultant Econsultancy recently conducted a survey to examine consumer perceptions of marketers’ strategies and messages. These revelations offer direction for marketers looking to increase client trust and establish closer relationships. 

When the research was discussed at The MarTech Conference (free registration to access the complete program on demand), a number of winning techniques surfaced. Key conclusions from the conversation and some of the study’s results are as follows.

Results on preferences and behaviors of consumers 

The 2024 Global Consumer Trends Index polled more than 10,000 individuals worldwide. Consumer opinions regarding particular marketing strategies and channels are as follows. 

• During the previous year, 50% of customers purchased something by email. 
• According to 84%, customized birthday offers are “cool.” 
• For brands they trust, 63% will pay extra. 
• According to 85%, they are treated like individuals by their favorite brand. 
• Sixty-five percent of consumers will make special effort to visit the store of their preferred brand.

This is all excellent input. Customers did, however, also point up a few disadvantages. 

• Inconsistent offers or substance in messages irritated 51% of consumers. 
• Advertising based on third-party cookies and other indirect tracking technologies are considered creepy by 61% of respondents. 
• Sixty-three percent of customers are untrusting of the advertising they see on social media.
• Strong links were also discovered by the study between consumer loyalty and data privacy. Customers surveyed, 77%, said that preserving brand loyalty depends on data privacy. 

Be sure clients believe they are being seen and heard.

Most consumers value birthday wishes from brands, as you can see above. All that, though, is the surface. People want to feel as though businesses are listening to them and getting them. They demand individual treatment. 

According to Marigold’s CMO, Wendy Werve, “Customers clearly want meaningful interactions with companies that go beyond the transactional.”

Grow your customer base by using their data.

A part of this closer bond with clients is businesses’ consideration of their privacy concerns. 

Marketers know that consumers have varying tastes in the goods they purchase. Consumer tastes in personal brand development are likewise varied.  

Starting a privacy discussion with customers is a terrific approach to prevent coming across as “creepy.” The process is more open when companies request particular information from their clients and provide value in return. It fosters confidence and lessens the possibility that consumers would be taken aback by “creepy” messages that use information they were unaware the company knew.

Improve surveys rather than giving up on them.

As is already evident, consumers want brands to better understand them. Here, a survey—a brief one, at that—is offering a doorway into a more in-depth interaction rather than burdening the consumer. 

Customers will open up and allow brand messaging to enter if surveys are treated as two-way discussions. 

Wendy and Jim provided some excellent advice on varying survey designs, internal testing, and—of course—keeping them brief.

Having this in mind, marketers can engage in deep discussions with their clients. Brand engagement will be more profitable and personal for both parties of the transaction if the relationship is strengthened and communications are listened to rather than blasted mindlessly.