Marketers have never had a greater opportunity to identify their audiences and accurately reach them across channels and platforms – but with this power comes great responsibility. Will they deliver truly contextual and meaningful engagement or cross a line of what's considered as the acceptable and ethical use of consumer data? What are the business opportunities or consequences?
2. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
There’sneverbeen
moredataandmarketing
technologythanthere
istoday.
• Dataproductionin2020
willhit35zettabytes—
44timesmorethanin2009.
• Between2011and2016,
thenumberofMarTech
solutionsincreased>2200%1
1. http://chiefmartec.com/2016/03/marketing-technology-landscape-supergraphic-2016/
2009 2020
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4. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Tosucceed,brandsneed
data-drivenmarketersto:
• Deliveraseamlessbrand
experiencebothonlineandoffline
• Understandandreact
tocustomerneedsand
behaviorsincontext
• Engagecustomersinmore
valuableandmeaningfulways
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5. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Butasmarketersramp
uptheadoptionofnew
technologiesanddatato
competeandinnovate,
it’simportantwestop
andrealize…
Justbecauseyoucando
something,doesn’tmean
thatyoushould.
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6. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Therehasalwaysbeen
adividebetweenwhat
marketerscandowith
customerdataand
technology,andwhat
customersdeem
tobeacceptable.
Inotherwords,
whatweshoulddo.
TechnicallyPossible
Legal
Acceptable
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7. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Rightnow,ourtechnological
abilitiesareevolvingfaster
thaneverbefore.Ethical
considerationsneedtobe
designedintotheentire
developmentprocess—
fromconcepttolaunch.
Thecriticalquestionto
askisnot“canwe?”,
but“shouldwe?”
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8. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Thetroubleis,innovation
oftenoutpacesboth
regulationandconsumer
awareness.
ShouldyourIoT-enabled
refrigeratorbeabletokeep
trackofhowmuchicecream
youeatinamonth,tallyup
thecaloriesandemailthem
toyournutritionist?
% Calories per month
from ice cream
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9. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Shouldyourinternet-
enabledcarautomatically
reportspeedingtothe
insurancecompany,or
thepolice?
Shouldyournewfitness
trackerwithaheart
monitorbeabletosend
readingstoyourdoctor?
Orcall911ifyouare
havingaheartattack?
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10. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Passingeffective
regulationtakestime…
Government-andindustry-
basedconsumerprotection
agenciesalreadyprovide
rulesaroundthecollection
anduseofdata.
TheFTC,FCCandother
regulatorscloselymonitor
howmarketersare
combiningdatasetstogain
newinsightsaswellashow
thoseinsightscanbenefit
consumers.
Buttheprocessof
passinganynew
regulationmakes
keepingupwith
innovationachallenge.
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11. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Andconsumersaren’tsure
wheretodrawtheline
Consumersaretheultimate
arbitersofwhetherornot
theirdataisbeingused
ethically.Onlytheyknow
what‘acceptable’looks
like.Butit’salsocompletely
subjective,whichmeans
it’saschangeableasthey
arecertain.
Thatmeanswhenitcomes
tocrossingtheline,thelineis
alwaysmoving,sowehave
toacceptit’sacaseof,
“I’ll know it when I see it.”
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12. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
It’spossibletobelegally
compliantbutstillin
breachofwhatyour
customersdeemto
beacceptableand
welcomeduseof
theirdata.
Thisputsyourreputation,
trustandloyaltyatrisk.And
leavesyouwithlittlecontrol
overthewayyourbrand
isperceived.
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13. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
What’smore,thosesame
consumersareableto
expressthemselves
likeneverbefore.The
amplificationofone
complaintonsocialmedia
cangalvanizeandpublicize
manymorethatwouldhave
oncegoneunheard.
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14. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Sohere’sthething–if
marketersrelyonconsumers
andregulatorstonavigate
andmakesenseoftheethics
andcapabilitiesgap,we’ll
alwaysbereacting.
Ontheotherhand,ifwe
definethestandardsforthe
ethicaluseofdata,wecan
starttoproactivelybuild
trustacrossbrandsand
theconsumerstheyserve.
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15. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Wehavetobridge
thisgaptogether.
Asresponsiblemarketers
weneedtoactnowby,first,
acknowledgingthatmerely
complyingwithregulation
willneverbesufficient
andsecond,startinga
conversationwithour
consumersabouthow
theirdataisused.
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16. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Tacklingthisproblem
attheethicalratherthan
legallevelmeansprotecting
hard-woncustomerloyalty
bygoingbeyondwhatthe
lawrequires.Thisisabout
differentiatingyourbrand
withclearlydefined
governancearoundtheuse
ofcustomerdata.
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18. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Maximizetransparency
andchoice
Postedprivacypolicies
mustbeclearabouthow
thebrandintendstouse
andshareconsumerdata
formarketingpurposes.
#1
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19. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Classifydataand
mitigatepossibleuserisks
Differentclassifications,
suchassecond-orthird-
partydata,willhelpidentify
possibleuserisksandthe
appropriatemitigations.
#2
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20. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Limitdownstreamrisks
Whensharingdata,
providersshould
havecontractswithall
downstreamdatausers
toensureappropriate
use.Consumerdata
shouldbeanonymized
whereverpossible.
#3
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21. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Helptoenforce
ethicalpractices
Haveprivacydiscussions
withyourmarketing
partnersearlyandoften.
Theecosystemshould
haveadefinedprocess
forinvestigatingandtaking
appropriateactionagainst
badactors.
#4
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22. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Educateconsumers
aboutcommon
marketingpractices
Theindustryasawhole
shouldseektoeducate
consumersaboutcommon
practicessotheycan
exercisethechoicesthey’re
offeredinaninformedway,
withoutfearoftheunknown.
#5
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23. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Let’sbehonest,openingadialogue
withtheaimofdevelopinganindustry-
wideconsensusisnoteasy.
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24. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Buttheconsumerreactionshave
alreadybegun.Adblockers,adand
appchoicesopt-outareallexamples
ofaconsumerfight-backagainstwhat
theyfeeltobeinvasive,opaqueand
untrustworthyusesoftheirdata.
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27. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Mostimportantofall,
itmeansearningour
customers’trustbyputting
ethicsattheheartofwhat
wedowiththeirdata.
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28. Exploring the relationship between data, technology and ethics:
Can vs should, and why it matters in data-driven marketing
Readourebook:
TheNewCodesofConduct:Guiding
PrinciplesfortheEthicalUseofData
foramorein-depthexplorationofwhat’s
atstakeandwhatittakestogetthisright.
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