New research by Microsoft has shown that consumers were becoming more comfortable sharing information about their personal lives via Internet-connected devices, & even Online as say, compared to about two years ago. At the same time, there’s also been a shift to a more savvy & demanding consumer who wants to stay in control of their digital persona, & how their personal information is used, to help them improve their lives.
The report titled – Microsoft Digital Trends 2015 – released on March 9 had over 13,000 consumers from 13 countries participating in it. The research, said Microsoft on its blog, “showed significant changes in attitudes toward digital services & connected devices since the last survey was conducted in 2013.”
Natasha Hritzuk, Senior Director of Global Consumer Insights at Microsoft was quoted as saying that about two years ago, customers were really concerned about privacy; they wanted to be more anonymous. “But what we’re really starting to see is a move away from that privacy conversation, & more of a conversation around controlling the narrative about ‘my digital self.’”
Globally, 78% of consumers were aware of how their Online presence, & the data it generated, powered the digital world, she said. “Consumers told us that they’re concerned not with the fact their footprint is out there, but rather what that footprint says about them & how effectively it translates into experiences they want.”
The study was the result of a partnership with the Future Laboratory & Research Now, & was to investigate the future of digital behavior & technology to better understand how brands could meet consumers’ expectations now & in the future.
It also found that people “handing over” their data expected something in return. An app that asked to track a user’s geo-localization without further explanation would seem intrusive. But an app that asked to track the person’s geo-localization in order to offer price reductions on pizza as he approached a restaurant would seem valuable to a pizza lover. A consumer was unlikely to share personal data when the purpose of doing so, the “return on investment” if you will, was not clear, the report said.
Further, consumers continued to face “information overload,” & were looking for ways to help tone down the white noise in their lives, with a substantial 80% interested in services that help them manage their data Online.
Anothe important piece of nugget unearthed by the research showed that over 75% of those surveyed said there weren’t interested in wearable technology, & 60% were interested in the Internet of Things, connected homes and objects, but most consumers wanted to understand the meaning of the information they’re getting.
In an always-on digital world, consumers also wanted their technology to be “intelligently on” – meaning on during times that matter to them, according to the 2015 report results.
Finally, consumers were also increasingly interested in helping to shape & design digital products and services – “life hacking” technology to suit their needs, according to the report.
Case in point: Many people used “Minecraft” as a way to express their creativity by building their own creations using the game’s virtual blocks – with no limits on what can be created, whether it was a set for “Game of Thrones” or “Star Wars,” or putting together the biggest (digital) pyramid ever.
A copy of the report is available for download.
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