Recent regulations across the world are forcing brands to get personal again
Personal data collection is so deeply tied to the consumer’s digital experience that we can hardly imagine one without the other. But this is changing. Apple recently updated how the company handles consumer data, giving each user greater control over who tracks their data, how it can be shared and where that information is used. Similarly, consumer data privacy legislation is changing across the world.
In 2018, leaders in Europe launched the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which required more transparency in how consumer information is collected, used and stored. Also in 2018, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CPA) was created to give consumers more control over their data. Since then, legislators across the United States have worked toward greater regulation of data and greater protection for consumers.
The move toward greater data privacy has only snowballed from these initial efforts. Earlier this year, Virginia passed a new data protection law and became the second state to do so. Now, according to the International Association of Privacy Professionals, there are as many as 21 other states that are actively working toward privacy legislation of their own.
With data collection tied so closely to the consumer experience and the way brands interact with their customers, these regulations are ushering in a new age of digital marketing strategy. Further protection of consumer data will make it more difficult for companies to understand the desires of their customer base, at least in comparison to the third-party data collection practices that are so common today. With these strategies outlawed, or at least made more difficult, digital marketers will need new ways to find customers.
But as privacy concerns increase and create significant challenges for marketers in 2021, there are some silver linings for the industry as a whole.
We’re focusing on the consumer again
Because of these rapidly changing regulations, marketers cannot rely on the data they purchase from third-party sources any longer. Instead, companies must take a more active approach and get to know their customers on a deeper level. This strategy is essential for marketing efforts to stay relevant and effective in today’s changing digital landscape.
While the changes made to data privacy regulation are all done in the name of protecting the consumer’s interests, particularly their privacy, consumers are, at the end of the day, still consumers. They will still be in search of products, services and resources even if their data is not collected through a third party. What’s changing is how and when that data should be collected.
Data privacy regulations…
Read The Full Article at Adweek.
