MONTREAL, November 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Aimia survey: Shoppers more willing to share personal
information in exchange for rewards
Despite a series of recent, high-profile data breaches and
consumer concerns over data collection, shoppers are still open to
sharing their personal information, reveals a new survey released
today by Aimia Inc. (TSX: AIM).
(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156049-INFO )
Just how much they're willing to share, and to whom, varies
greatly by industry and nationality. According to the Aimia Loyalty
Lens report, when asked to rank types of businesses by the degree
to which they are comfortable with those businesses handling an
individual's personal data, an overwhelming majority of consumers
(82 per cent) put banks in the top four (out of ten), along with
supermarkets (64 per cent), mobile phone providers (56 per cent)
and their places of work (50 per cent). Conversely, 65 per cent of
consumers place online search engines in the bottom two of
institutions they trust and 58 per cent of consumers place social
networks in the bottom two.
Despite the perception that some industries are doing a better
job at protecting data than others, more than half of shoppers
internationally (55 per cent) are willing to share personal
information with companies in exchange for relevant rewards. That
willingness is uneven across international markets. Close to
three-quarters (74 per cent) of respondents from India are open to providing their personal
details, compared to only one-third of more skeptical Germans (39
per cent). This may be because German consumers value their
personal information the most amongst the 10 markets surveyed (36
per cent versus 29 per cent internationally).
"Consumers are increasingly required to trust companies to
handle their personal details," said David
Johnston, Group Chief Operating Officer, Aimia Inc.
"Transparency about how data is being collected and used will
become a key differentiator for businesses going forward. Those
that are clear and offer a better customer experience by how they
use that information will build greater trust and loyalty."
Avoiding Creepiness
However, there is a fine line between providing a customized
experience and coming across as just plain creepy.
With the data that retailers now have, they can greet each
customer by name. But knowing the particularities of the local
market matter. In France, 47 per
cent say they're not comfortable when supermarket cashiers address
them by name, while in the Middle
East 46 per cent see it as perfectly fine. Meanwhile, 66 per
cent of Canadians are put off by supermarkets that send coupons to
their mobile phones, while 52 per cent of residents in India are quite comfortable with it. The same
applies when supermarkets follow up by phone or email after making
a purchase. More than half (57 per cent) of Americans see the
follow-up gesture as going too far, compared to only one in three
(34 per cent) of those in the Middle
East.
Similar variances occur when it comes to the travel and leisure
sector. While over half of consumers in Australia (56 per cent) are comfortable being
called by their names by airlines, only 33 per cent of Italians are
comfortable with the gesture. When it comes to follow-up calls and
emails once a purchase has been made, 39 per cent of consumers
internationally appreciate the gesture by airlines, but in the UK,
38 per cent are uncomfortable with the practice.
"With today's technological advances, companies have the ability
to truly understand consumers - from what we like to eat, to where
we like to shop, to even our names. But it's important for
businesses to know when and where it's appropriate to use this
information to engage consumers, and that it varies significantly
by industry and nationality. The companies that win will be the
ones that listen to their consumers' preferences and use data
accordingly to build mutually beneficial relationships," Johnston
said.
Other highlights from the survey include:
- The number one driver behind loyalty to supermarkets is being
rewarded for that loyalty (22 per cent) with price coming in second
at 17 per cent. In contrast, the top driver at banks is longevity
of service, with rewards coming only in fifth place.
- Not all rewards are created equal. For many institutions -
including supermarkets (36 per cent) and banks (50 per cent) -
getting cash back is king. But for airlines, 69 per cent prefer
either loyalty currency or exclusive discounts and for hotels it's
57 per cent.
- New forms of information are now becoming as sacred as or more
sacred than personal data that have traditionally been kept
private. When it comes to the information consumers protect the
most, web history and income top the list with 39 per cent and 30
per cent respectively stating they would never share such
information. That's compared with 29 per cent who would never share
their mobile phone number and 23 per cent who would never reveal
their online purchases.
The Aimia Loyalty Lens report looked at trends around consumer
loyalty to industries, engagement with technology and attitudes
towards data privacy. Additional findings are available here:
http://www.aimia.com/loyaltylens.
Research Methodology
The international Aimia Loyalty Lens survey was commissioned by
Aimia and fielded by Research Now between June and July 2014.
The study surveyed 24,335 respondents in 10 international
markets: United Kingdom,
Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, United
States, Australia,
India, and the Middle East: In all markets, apart from the
Middle East and India, the sample sizes are all nationally
representative. Because of the online nature of the survey there is
some bias towards younger, higher income groups in the Middle East and Indian markets.
About Aimia
Aimia Inc. ("Aimia") is a global leader in loyalty management.
Employing more than 4,300 people in 20 countries worldwide, Aimia
offers clients, partners and members proven expertise in launching
and managing coalition loyalty programs, delivering proprietary
loyalty services, creating value through loyalty analytics and
driving innovation in the emerging digital, mobile and social
communications spaces.
Aimia owns and operates Aeroplan, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program,
Nectar, the United Kingdom's
largest coalition loyalty program, Nectar Italia, Italy's largest coalition loyalty program and
Smart Button, a leading provider of SaaS loyalty solutions. In
addition, Aimia owns stakes in Air Miles Middle East, Travel Club,
Spain's largest coalition loyalty
program, Club Premier, Mexico's
leading coalition loyalty program, China Rewards, the first
coalition loyalty program in China
that enables members to earn and redeem a common currency, Think
Big, the owner and operator of BIG - AirAsia and Tune Group's
loyalty program, Brazil's Prismah
Fidelidade and i2c, a joint venture with Sainsbury's offering
insight and data analytics services in the UK to retailers and
suppliers. Aimia also holds a minority position in Cardlytics, a
US-based private company operating in card-linked marketing. Aimia
is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: AIM). For more
information, visit us at http://www.aimia.com.
Image with caption: "With today's technology, companies have the
ability to understand and target consumers based on their personal
information. But are consumers open to sharing their data? Is it
driving a loyal customer experience? The Aimia Loyalty Lens
explores international trends around consumer loyalty, engagement
with technology and attitudes towards data privacy. (CNW
Group/AIMIA)". Image available at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141103_C9292_PHOTO_EN_43156.jpg
For further information:
Media Contacts
Megan Ratcliffe
+44-207-152-4881
megan.ratcliffe@aimia.com
Krista Pawley
+1-416-737-8413
krista.pawley@aimia.com