For many companies, collecting consumer data can be almost as important as selling a product. Whether used to market their product or service, or collate information on their target audience and who purchases from them, gaining a list of email addresses or phone numbers is high on most company’s agendas.
However, many of these customer databases are said to be littered with false information, with consumers citing privacy concerns and unwanted marketing approaches as the top reasons for handing out false information.
Dirty data
Statistics collected by research company Verve in a study of over 2,400 UK consumers show that people are giving false information to brands, which in turn devalues their database and the information they send out to consumers or use in their assumptions about their target audience.
The research shows that around 60% of consumers provide false information when asked online, with 23% falsifying their birth dates some of the time, 9% doing so most of the time, and 5% always giving the wrong date. One in three consumers gives out a fake email address and made up name.
Why give out false data?
Verve also looked into the reasoning behind giving out made up details. 81% of respondents discussed privacy as being their top concern, whilst 77% believed that the information being requested was ‘intrusive’.
Another key reason for lying on online forms was to stop companies marketing directly to them, with 75% of consumers stating this as a reason. Two thirds stated that their reason for not handing over their details was to prevent online advertising, whilst embarrassment about having their internet browsing behaviour tracked was also discussed.
The positives of handing out the right information
With increasing levels of personalisation in marketing, handing out your true details can be of real benefit. The tracking that sounds so scary can allow you access to deals that you’d never have seen previously, whilst many offers are available only to those who give basic details such as name and email address.
By entering the wrong details, you are ‘dirtying’ the database, meaning that other customers are negatively impacted by skewed statistics.
To find out more about how collecting your consumers’ data can be of benefit to both them and your company, and can be used effectively within your marketing, call The Ideal Marketing Company today on 01858 374 170.
