Growth Marketers Guide:Building Trust in the Age of Privacy

Here’s the opposite of a dirty little secret: it is very, very rare for a legitimate marketing organization to collect and disseminate specific data about individuals. Trolls, bots, and Cambridge Analytica aside, customer data is almost always used in aggregate to assess how users navigate sites and respond to advertising campaigns.

Yet despite sweeping regulation like GDPR and the CCPA, despite Chrome and Safari and Firefox’s recent moves to clamp down on data collection, today’s users do not trust that they have control of who uses their data, or for what (a November 2019 Pew Research report found that 81% of Americans feel they have little control over the data collected on them, and 79% have concerns about data use). Even the advertisers who are staying ahead of the regulation curve and keeping the customer first may be missing the opportunity to capture the trust they have spent time and money to earn.

In this brief, we’ll discuss data-related warning signs that smart users should recognize and well-intentioned companies must make a priority to correct. We’ll also show how responsible marketers have already built foundations for user trust, what they can and should do to further that trust, and, just as importantly, how to reassure users that their data is in good, secure hands going forward.

Let’s dive in.

Put Consumers First: What to Avoid Ambiguous Privacy PoliciesBy now, most users are familiar with the idea of a privacy policy: a company’s explanation of how it collects, uses, and manages the data of its clients, customers, and users. There’s plenty of legalese in most privacy policies, but marketers should be aware that certain simplified call-outs look familiar to, and are readily digested by, users.

Privacy policies for companies that use data responsibly, such as using aggregate data to optimize site experience and ad performance, should clearly spell out those uses. When companies don’t use layman’s terms to describe how they’re collecting and using data, users growing increasingly accustomed to clear privacy language will read between the lines for loopholes.

Overzealous Data CollectionUsers will be on high alert if a site they’re visiting for the first time doesn’t greet them with a clear statement on data; the same goes if the site doesn’t provide the ability to opt out. Most concerning, however, is when sites ask for data that they don’t reasonably need.

For instance, an ecommerce company selling mobile phone accessories needs to know a consumer’s name, email, shipping address, and billing information. If the site starts asking other questions, such as the user’s preferred mobile carrier, that’s a sign that data is possibly being collected for the sake of being sold to third parties.

Ensure Compliance and Security As we said in the intro, very few marketing companies are using and/or selling data about specific individuals; data is almost always used in aggregate or in anonymized fashion to help marketers make good decisions at scale. Beyond that, many companies have already invested in privacy-friendly resources that should put users at ease.

Regulation ComplianceThe California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its European Union predecessor, GDPR, mandated that marketing companies put consumer privacy in focus. Companies subject to these laws must comply with user rights to know, access, and request deletion of their personal data. Whether or not users take advantage of their rights, these companies must give them clear opportunity to do so – and the potential high cost of non-compliance has spurred marketers into compliance – or, in some cases, into actively working toward compliance.

Data SecurityData security falls outside of privacy, but in a world where a lot of consumer data is being stored, every company should have some element of info security within its IT department, and it’s our experience that the majority of companies have some measures incorporated. Moreover, it’s relatively rare to see websites that collect data over http protocol; most have wisely moved to the more secure https set-up (if you still haven’t made this move, download this extensive https migration checklist to help).

Appropriate Data RequestsA good rule of thumb in asking for data, and one that most above-board companies follow, is to ask for whatever you need to provide an optimal experience for your customer – and no more than that. This usually includes the basics like name, email, and mailing address, but marketers can ask for additional information with the user’s best interests in mind, and the right user consents in place. A financial-services company might ask for a number of children in the household for the sake of putting together offers around college funds, or an after-market car parts company might ask for the make and model of your household cars to alert you to sales of replacement parts.

In short, it’s not unusual to encounter companies asking for more than basic information, but that’s also not a sure sign that the companies are collecting the data for shady purposes.

Reassure Users to Build Trust We recommend several strategies to help customer-first marketing companies actively build user trust.

Back Up Your Promises with Consent ManagementFirst, in partnership with your privacy policy, consider implementing a consent management system (examples include Segment, Tealium, and OneTrust). This accomplishes two things quickly and effectively: it gives users a clear path to opting out, and it makes sure that they actually are opted out – in other words, it enforces your promise to the users that you will not collect nor use their data if they’ve asked you not to.

Speak Directly to the UsersSecond, be very clear in your language. Reassure users that you have good intentions!

Privacy policies for companies that use data responsibly, such as using aggregate data to optimize site experience and ad performance, should clearly spell out those uses. When companies don’t use layman’s terms to describe how they’re collecting and using data, smart users will read between the lines for loopholes whether or not they exist. We’ve crafted 3Q Digital’s privacy policy to let users know exactly what data we’re collecting, why we’re collecting it, and what they can do to control how we collect it and use it.

That said, don’t make users hunt for your privacy policy to understand how you’ll collect and use their data. These days, companies that care about responsible data collection should greet new users with a clear statement about data use and give the user the ability to opt out.

Take Data Security SeriouslyIdeally, companies fully committed to protecting user data do more than migrate to https and hire IT resources to address information security. We recommend that companies work with third-party partners to do penetration testing on their systems. We also recommend that companies store data in encrypted formats whenever possible so that even if systems are breached, the data isn’t actionable.

A third recommendation, which may seem like common sense but can often get overlooked, is to ensure that companies have proper offboarding processes in place so that departing employees have no option to transfer or leak data.

Maintain Trust With Privacy-First Marketing Practices Cookies and direct data brokerage still exist, but they’re not part of marketing’s future. Regulations like the CCPA and GDPR, combined with privacy-focused browser updates from Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, are forcing marketers to rethink the relatively archaic technology of cookies in favor of privacy-friendly solutions that work in a multi-device world.

According to 3Q VP of Decision Sciences Feliks Malts, the crackdown on user data privacy is a wake-up call pushing the industry to innovate toward a world of deterministic, anonymized targeting that provides rich performance while protecting individual consumers. Companies like LiveRamp, Faraday, and others are providing AI-powered technology that keeps individual data clean and protected while allowing marketers access to portfolios of valuable customer insights.

Stay Agile and Active in CommunicationsMore than ever in the digital world, consumer trust is not a given but an asset to be developed. Companies who are enacting all of the above measures are doing themselves a disservice if they don’t communicate the measures to their users to build that trust.

Give users the option to read a privacy promise; partner with and then tout the logos of consent-management companies and other privacy and security partners; submit for and brag about privacy-focused awards; get testimonials from customers moved to share their satisfaction with your commitment to data privacy and security. Don’t be apprehensive about what commitment to data integrity means for your marketing; use it as an important, forward-looking part of your marketing strategy.

About 3Q Digital

3Q Digital is a growth marketing agency that helps clients of all sizes achieve growth, breakthrough, and industry leadership. Founded in 2008 by CEO David Rodnitzky, and verified by TechCrunch as an Expert Growth Marketing Agency, it is one of the world’s largest independent digital marketing agencies, with 10 offices and more than 350 employees. Named one of Inc.com’s Best Places to Work in 2020 and recognized on the 2019 Adweek 100: Fastest-Growing Agencies list, 3Q has seen steady growth by leading its clients through paid media, digital strategy, decision sciences, creative, SEO & Content, and SMB growth. For more information, please visit https://3qdigital.com/services/.

DisclaimerThe information provided in this whitepaper does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this whitepaper should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to their specific privacy and compliance needs.