Brands are increasingly winning consumer trust, as the number of people who are willing to share data with them has risen by a significant 45% over the past 18 months, a new survey from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has found.
The 4th DMA/fast.MAP Data Tracking Report shows that 29% of consumers do not mind providing data to brands that offer products they might be interested in. The previous research found that 20% of respondents shared this opinion, suggesting that consumers have become more open-minded about data sharing.
Moreover, almost two in three say they are happy to share data with brands that sell products and services they have to buy, while more than half have no problems with giving basic personal details such as their name, address and e-mail to brands, up 63% on figures from 2011.
According to the report, consumer confidence in sharing data with businesses is growing mostly because of the measures that brands have taken to secure trust. In fact, this increase is evidence that brands are now benefiting from the fact they have been implementing various good practices for promoting trust, said Mark Roy, chair of the DMA Data Council. Consumers are now offered the chance to receive the type of marketing they want via their preferred channels and at a time they find convenient, so this helps them gain confidence that brands do not plan to abuse their personal data, he added.