Data tracking report 2012

Executive summary

The (DMA)/fast.MAP Data tracking report 2012, sponsored by Equifax, links the rise in consumer confidence in sharingdata with improving practices to secure trust. This document reports on the findings of the fourth data tracking consumer survey which was broadcast to a UK representative sample of 1000 people in September 2012.

The report states that consumer willingness to share information with brands has rocketed in the past 18 months.

• The number of consumers happy to provide their data to brands selling ‘products they might consider buying’ has climbed nearly 45% in the past 18 months from less than two in ten (20%%) to three in ten (29%).

• Six in 10 (63%) of consumers are now willing to share their information with brands ‘selling products they have to buy’ compared just over half (56%) in April 2011.

• Over 50% are willing to provide basic information such as one’s name, address and email to businesses, an increase of 63% on average from 2011.

• Trust continues to remain a central plank in consumers’ confidence to share data

• Having a clear data privacy policy is increasingly regarded as essential: now, two in five (43%) state it would encourage them to share their data compared to one in three (33%) 18 months ago

• The manner in which data protection notices are worded can improve the permission-to-market rate by as much as 100%, with the best statements reducing opt out rates by as much as 10%.

Data tracking report 2012