Advertisers come in a close second to hackers on the list of people Americans are trying to avoid by masking their online activities. While 33% of consumers are taking specific actions to prevent hacking, 28% are doing so to thwart marketing.
Americans’ concerns about online privacy have been increasing slowly over the years. They ratcheted up dramatically after the NSA’s shenanigans became public.
While people of all ages are increasing their vigilance, 18-29 year olds are being the most aggressive. They are adjusting their browser settings, deleting cookies, editing social media profiles, and using temporary email addresses to obscure who they are and where they go online.
Key companies are following consumers’ lead. The latest version of Mozilla has default settings that block most advertising cookies. That means consumers must actively enable cookies to receive many targeted marketing messages. In the future Mozilla may also make “do not track” the default privacy choice.
How can marketers reach consumers who increasingly do not want to be found? Respect their privacy choices. Make your messages so compelling that people choose to receive them. Ensure that you have great web content in multiple locations so your target market can easily find it when they are interested.
What are the implications for your business?
- Are you respecting consumers’ do not track preferences with your online advertising? If not, get ready for significant backlash
- Are you testing new ways to reach your target market with relevant content and messages that they will not try to avoid?
If you would like to keep up-to-speed with how consumers use social media, technology and the Internet, check out The Digital American 2013.
Click here for a free sample.
For help developing powerful marketing strategies that drive results, strategic plans that deliver growth, or new products that consumers love, contact Brandology at 925-417-2253 or Maura@Brandology.com.
Sources: Pew Internet and American Life 2013, Wired 2013
