Consumers like it when companies are able to present offers tailored to their tastes. At the same time, they don’t like overt signs of companies tracking their behavior online. This dichotomy has been captured in a number of separate surveys. Some companies, though, are able to straddle consumers’ expectations with new tech solutions.
Consider Sparkfly, one of the 60 technology firms presenting their business plans to venture capitalists and angel investors at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference in Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1. (via Tech Journal South).
Sparkfly has developed a cloud-based solution that creates and distributes personalized offers via the web and mobile devices. These can be redeemed at point-of-sale and it does not require additional in-store hardware or software.
"What we’re trying to own is redemption at point of sale," the company says. The company is testing its platform in pilot runs with several large brands, the publication also reports.
But consumers don’t like overt signs that a company has been tracking their tastes and purchases, right? Not necessarily, but sometimes that is an accurate observation. It depends on the context and venue.
Not with Search
Forty-five percent of respondents to a recent Ask Your Target Market (AYTM) Google Search survey said no, they don’t want personalized search results delivered to them when they search–compared to 15.5% who said yes. Another 39.1% of respondents said they liked the idea of personalized searches, but were worried about privacy. Those who said no (45.4%) said they think everyone should see the same results when searching for the same keyword.
Tailored Offers Are Different
However, there is ample evidence that when the consumer benefits, personalized information is okay. 72% of US consumers prefer to receive promotional offers that reflect their likes and dislikes, according to January 2012 by the UK Direct Marketing Association (DMA), sponsored by Velti.
German (46%) and French (50%) consumers are less drawn to preference-driven offers, although these offers still rank as their first choice. Surprise offers from companies are most popular in Germany (32%), with France (28%) closely following, although they are preferred by only 24% of US consumers and 20% of UK consumers.
