Global Survey of 287,000 Mobile Users Reveals It’s Time to Change The Way Digital Marketing is Done: from Data-Driven to Choice-First

Mobile marketing is dominated by few but aggravating many.

Today, the vast majority of mobile ads are served by the walled gardens. These technology behemoths have access to an incomparable mass of user data, enabling them to target users with relevant messages. However, 9 out of 10 users find targeted marketing messages annoying, even though 13% out of the 90% also find them useful. Clearly, more data alone does not equate to user value.

More data doesn’t seem to be the answer. User choice might be.

Tech giants have come under public scrutiny for their deceitful data handling practices, and the way they use data to target consumers with ads, without explicit permission. Unless users are given an explicit choice, to share data or not, to receive ads or not, there will always be an underlying resentment towards the ads they are shown.

Thomas Pasquet, co-founder and co-CEO, Ogury, said, “If users feel any form of intrusion, they will be annoyed regardless of the relevancy of the message they receive.” Pasquet continued, “Therefore, brands and publishers should always offer consumers clear and fair choices: accept anonymous data to be collected to receive customized marketing; opt-out from sharing data and therefore receive irrelevant ads; or pay a fair price in exchange for a marketing free and data collection free environment.”

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Mobile users blame both the message and the messenger.

Intrusive and irrelevant messages can have a negative impact on a brand’s reputation. But the study also reveals that 52% of users agreed that intrusive and irrelevant messages give them a poor opinion of the app or website that hosts them. These numbers are concerning for both brands and publishers. If users’ appreciation is continually eroded by intrusive marketing, the net result will be loss of business for all stakeholders.

Elie Kanaan, CMO, Ogury, said, “This survey shows that brands and publishers should keep the long-term business outcomes in sight. They should not be lured by short term gains from serving intrusive or irrelevant ads. It is simply a business model that will scare away half of their customers.”

Mobile ads or emails are preferred to phone alerts.

The survey found that when given a choice, 82% of users globally preferred to receive marketing messages through mobile ads or emails. Phone alerts, such as push notifications and texts, are the least popular method amongst respondents.

“At least two things need to happen to change users’ perception of digital marketing: give users clear choices and respect these choices when they are made” Kanaan continued. “Ogury is inviting the digital ecosystem to embrace this new marketing model driven by choice and providing a fair value exchange among consumers, publishers and brands.”

This survey proves that it is time for a profound and global transformation of how digital marketing is done. Organizations who put consumer choice and data privacy at the center of their digital marketing execution will outperform their peers in the long run.

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