7 Key Questions for Marketers Raised by 2021 Privacy Moves

By Alex Ain

Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google all have announced changes to their privacy policies and approaches in 2021 as a reaction to both public and governmental pressure to protect personal data. While (maybe) a step in the right direction, these latest moves are limited and do not necessarily go as far as consumers may expect or perceive. Additionally, these changes in policy and practice often do not operate in conjunction with the personalization of experience that is so extremely valued by consumers on these platforms/devices.

“The ongoing conversation regarding data privacy and advertising is timely, important, and extremely complex.”

The ongoing conversation regarding data privacy and advertising is timely, important, and extremely complex. The discussion must involve the platforms supporting advertisers, operating system and app developers, brands/advertisers, and the consumer. This latest announcement raises some key questions that face each of these audiences:

  • To what extent is there a lift for a platform or brand that emphasizes data privacy policies and procedures?
  • How will the UX of setting and applying privacy settings and policies impact brands/consumers?
  • How do brands and consumers navigate the tradeoff between the benefits of hyper-targeted advertising and data privacy?
  • Are consumers more upset about the placement and frequency of targeted advertising or the use of data for targeting purposes?
  • How do brands effectively alert their consumers about their data privacy efforts?
  • How can brands maximize the advertising ROI given the varied privacy policies for platforms and operating systems?
  • How do differences in device, occasion, category, and more impact consumer perceptions and behaviors relative to data privacy?

Obviously, these questions raise complex issues that will affect almost any brand with a digital presence.  Please reach out to Alex to learn more about the implications of these recently announced changes, and to explore how they may impact your specific brands.

Reach out to Alex Ain to explore how these recently announced changes may impact your specific brands.