colin strong main stage - 2013

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Colin Strong, GfK, UK

Festival of NewMR 2013 - Main Stage

Does the ‘uncanny valley’ signal the point that big

data ends and market research starts?

Colin Strong

GfK UK, MD Technology



Marketers consider Big Data to be a game changer

Very important

53%Somewhat

important 33%

Neither / nor 11%

Importance of Big Data

“Data has always been and will continue

to be…important for marketing

professionals. Technology now offers us

the ability to exploit this data to much

greater degrees and marketing becomes

much more sophisticated as a result.”

HOW BRANDS USE PERSONAL DATA



Drivers of take -up

Cut through in a cluttered market

Personalisation driving competitive

advantage

Necessity borne from Big Data arms

race

ROI marketing effectiveness

HOW BRANDS USE PERSONAL DATA



Consumers are generally perplexed

General awareness that:

• much of their online & shopping activity is tracked

• most companies do this and trade collected data

But not clear about what information is being collected

about them

Consider companies are not clear about what data is

collected and why

CONSUMER RESPONSE TO PERSONAL DATA USAGE



To what extent can personalisation hit the target?

27%Consider the products and

services recommended for

them are different to those

recommended for other

people

HOW EFFECTIVE IS CURRENT USE OF PERSONAL DATA?



“It is questionable whether any

computer will be able to capture the

subtlety and personalisation that real

human beings demonstrate across

social contexts”



81%Consider they are more likely to

give their business to companies

they trust to use their data

appropriately

CONSUMER RESPONSE TO PERSONAL DATA USAGE



38% Claim they have taken

steps to block the display

of online advertising

Consumers may take control into their own hands

47%Claim they want more

control over the way their

personal data is used

CHANGING CONSUMER ATTITUDES



Is there an uncanny valley for brands?

Chart by Masahiro Mori and Karl MacDorman

69% Consider it creepy the

way brands use their

personal data

CHANGING CONSUMER ATTITUDES



A new movement in personal data: Quantified Self

Larry Smarr used self tracking to identify he was developing

Crohn’s Disease before doctors

Health and fitness have been the big early drivers of the QS

movement

Devices e.g. Fitbit tracks activity, Zeo measures sleep

cycles

Pooling of data e.g. CureTogether and PatientsLikeMe

Now broadening to include financial spending behaviours,

emotions and moods

THE EMPOWERED CONSUMER



New sources of personal data

Governments worldwide starting to force companies to

release the personal data they hold on consumers

Brands starting to plan to build tools to give consumers

access to the data they hold

e.g. Tesco, O2

Start-ups providing consumers with the tools to access

and mine their own data

consumers can pool their data for benchmarking

their activity

Some companies will offer other data collection tools

for consumers, such as digital tracking

.

THE EMPOWERED CONSUMER



What about the market research industry?

Changing expectations about the nature of the value

exchange

Declining response rates: Trying to address with better

engagement, incentivisation, gamification of surveys etc

But in an era where the balance of power shifts

further to the ‘respondent’, will these be enough?

Does the research industry need to start exploring entirely

new business models?

How can we address ‘What’s in it for me?’

IMPLICATIONS FOR MR



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IMPLICATIONS FOR MR



A new role for market research?

Original role for market research was to facilitate the

value exchange between brands and consumers

Environment has changed, consumers now see MR

as being ‘on the side of business’ not consumers

Now seeing start-ups emerge which perhaps signpost

a new role for MR value exchange

IMPLICATIONS FOR MR



Conclusions:

MR needs to challenge the dominance of database marketing companies in

the Personal Data Economy

Consumer attitudes are changing – less willing to accept the traditional

models

MR needs to find a new value exchange with consumers – the old one does

not look fit for purpose

The Personal Data Economy has the potential to provide this new model for

market research



THANK YOU

Colin Strong

GfK UK

MD Technology

Tel: +44 (0)20 7890 9186

Twitter: @colinstrong

Email: [email protected]



Q & A

Colin StrongGfK UK

Andrew JeavonsSurvey Analytics

colin strong main stage - 2013

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