Thank you for your loyalty (& identity)
So you’re loyal to a brand, you like them or dare I say love them. Are you a repeat customer because they provide great products/services with an exceptional customer experience — or because they bribe you with incentives?
They have the products and services you need, but sometimes it’s the incentives and perceived convenience, right?
A great quote from a colleague’s recent post;
“In 2019, though, I’m being a bit more pragmatic, taking heed of Stoic advice to focus on the things that you can change. Chiefly, that’s your own perceptions about the world. I can’t change the fact that, despite the Snowden revelations and everything that has come afterwards, most people don’t care one bit that they’re trading privacy for convenience.” — @dajbelshaw
The infographic below should make all consumers carefully consider what personal information they are willing to provide when taking a survey, signing up for an app or loyalty program.
Sunscreen for digital exposure does not exist.
The perceived value (i.e. convenience) obtained vs. the risk exposed by providing personal information must be weighed, carefully.
In theory, the concept is simple, the more you give the more you get — if only the organization acquiring your data could guarantee that. Sadly they may be a direct conduit to the vast ecosystem of personal identity databases that exist.
2018 Black Hat USA Research: While consumers and businesses expand their use of social media and electronic services to record levels, many of America’s most knowledgeable security professionals don’t believe that individuals will be able to protect their privacy and online identity, even with precautionary measures and new regulations such as GDPR.
Additionally, when completing a survey or registering for an app, consider you’re paying the brand with your valuable time. Once submitted, congratulations 👏 you’re digital profile was just updated in the Cloud and exposed to the world.
Ever wonder why when you purchase a product from one brand you receive a catalog in the mail or email from another brand — out-of-the-blue? Easy, they have access to the demographic profile you’ve help build.
Which brings me to Tapyness.
At Tapyness we take two things very seriously; the need to help organizations understand their customers while not compromising their identity. Organizations deploy Tapyness to show they care, while not jeopardizing the individual. Empathy shown, trust built 🤝
The message here is not to be afraid to live in a digitally connected world, it is to be cognizant of the ramifications of it. Ensure personal information is only provided when absolutely required. When an organization requests your — name, address, phone, email, birthdate, etc., remember they should be earning your loyalty — or asking for your honest opinion — not bribing you to participate.
Tapyness believes in assisting organizations — from brick and mortar retail to restaurants to theaters to healthcare to libraries, schools and beyond — understand their customers, patients or students without compromising their identities.
When asked for personal information — ask yourself — is the reward worth the risk of being added to the great database in the sky?
