Brands demonstrating they are using data to create a better and more personalised experience for customers will come out on top .
Speaking to AdNews at Dreamforce 2019, Salesforce APAC AVP data and audiences Pardot Jo Gaines says brands should be clear about how they are using customer data.
“Brands that are starting to do that and speak in a language that is very customer friendly versus just tick a box are the brands that are going to be successful into the future,” Gaines says.
“It's easy to do but it's also easy not to do. So, I think the responsibility is on the brands to put it into speak that makes sense to customers and you tell them what are the options, what are you choosing between here.
“It's not just about compliance, it's also about being careful and considerate with how people are interacting with you.”
According to the Salesforce Connected Consumer Report 2019, 41% of Australian consumers believe that companies don’t care about or prioritise their privacy.
In the same report, 84% of consumers said they were more loyal to brands with strong security controls.
Gaines says Salesforce has built a consent management framework within its platform which offers different variations of consent rather than just opt all in or all out.
“If somebody says, ‘I don't want to hear from you anymore’ brands can actually do that at a consumer level and there's six levels of consent that they can conform to,” she says.
“What we've created for brands gives brands the tools they need to be cutting edge, to be differentiated by the fact they prioritise privacy.”
Around the world, more regulations such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are being introduced.
In Australia, the financial services industry is one of the first to have data regulations imposed upon them.
The industry now has a framework on how they must manage customer data and must give consumers the option to delete all their data. Consumers can also request to see how their data is being used.
Gaines says these new regulations can help guide other industries as Australia continues to strengthen and expand its data laws.
Erring on the side of caution and being open with consumers about how their data is being used is the best option moving forward.
“It's clearly something the customers care about and will make a decision to use you or to buy from you or not based on what you're doing with their personal data,” she says.
“I think the next generation are less concerned that their data is being used but more concerned about how it's being used.
“So, if as a brand you can talk about how your data is being used - if it's going to be a better experience than what I get if you weren't using my data, then okay, but let me help define what is better for me as an individual. My better might be very different to your better.”
AdNews attended Dreamforce as a guest of Salesforce.
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