We’re living in a defining moment for how data is used in Australia. 74% of Australian consumers say they’re highly sceptical about how companies use their data for marketing [1] – meaning we all need to adapt and work together to increase consumer trust.
Two-thirds (66%) of consumers in Australia saying they don’t feel like they understand where they can access what information is collected about them online [2]. This has resulted in calls for more user protections and control, leading to a review of the Australian Privacy Act. The ultimate challenge for marketing is to improve consumer trust while still delivering relevant experiences and driving results.
How did we get here?
Before we look ahead, it’s helpful to take a step back and consider how we got to where we are today. As little as three decades ago, less than one percent of the world’s population had internet access [3]. But today, 5.03 billion people are online, opening up a whole new world of opportunities and connections [4].
In that time, the ad-supported internet has transformed every aspect of people’s lives. It’s likely you read, watch, or listen to news and entertainment online – just like the 96% of people with internet access globally [5]. You could also be part of a team that uses digital campaigns to reach consumers, or perhaps you’re a publisher using online platforms to monetise your content.
The internet was built on third-party cookies, which advertisers use to deliver experiences tailored to people’s browsing behaviour and measure campaigns. But cookies come with their own set of concerns, including a lack of clarity for consumers about how their information is being stored and used. This uncertainty has led to increased demand for more user protections and control, and a resulting shift in the privacy landscape.
The state of the privacy landscape
While 94% of consumers in Australia say that it’s important for brands to be transparent about the data they collect about their customers [6], 57% of them still consider it important to have a personalised experience with a brand [7]. Over in New Zealand, while 55% of adults say while they do prefer to see relevant ads, they are concerned about how their data is being used[8].
So while people want more clarity over data collection and handling, they don’t want to sacrifice the relevant, authentic brand experiences they’ve become used to. For digital advertising to truly work for everyone, it must be safer for people, effective for publishers and creators, and beneficial for business growth. But finding that balance doesn’t mean data-driven insights and experiences should become things of the past.
Google’s privacy-safe game plan
So, how can brands strengthen their digital marketing now to continue building trusting, mutually valuable relationships with consumers, and successfully run and measure their digital advertising campaigns in the long term?
The key priorities are to build durable infrastructure, tools, and strategies by:
- Strengthening your first-party data strategy for informed consent and insights,
- Prioritising measurement solutions for accurate cross-channel analyses, and
- Embracing machine learning and automation to optimise marketing in real-time.
Google is investing in building privacy-safe tools for brands to measure their marketing performance. These privacy-preserving technologies, including aggregation, anonymisation, and on-device processing, are being developed in the Privacy Sandbox to protect users while still supporting the digital ads ecosystem. The advancements minimise the collection of identifying data without undermining people’s access to free information and personalised experiences.
Today’s actions will define how we secure a safe, open, and free web for the next 30 years. This means working together to help shape, build, and embrace new privacy-safe solutions that protect people’s privacy and support sustainable business growth.
We all have a part to play in defining a free, open, and privacy-safe web, and that means it’s time to have an industry-wide discussion about the future of the internet.
Discover more about how you can take part, in this Think with Google article.
[1] Google/Ipsos, Australia, APAC Consumer Expectations: Understanding Data Privacy Ethics for Effective Marketing, n=1,500, internet users, Jan. 2022–March 2022.
[2] Google/Storyline Strategies, Australia, Ad Controls, n=1,000, A18-55 with internet access, March 2022.
[3] The World Bank, Global, Individuals using the Internet (% of population), 2020.
[4] Statista, Global, Number of internet and social media users worldwide as of July 2022, Sept. 2022.
[5] World Economic Forum, Understanding Value in Media: Perspectives from Consumers and Industry, April 2020.
[6] Google/Storyline Strategies, Australia, Ad Controls, n=1,000, A18-55 with internet access, March 2022.
[7] Google/Storyline Strategies, Australia, Ad Controls, n=1,000, A18-55 with internet access, March 2022.
[8] Consumer research conducted on behalf of Google New Zealand by YouGov, the research comprised a national sample of 1,511 New Zealand adults 18+ years during the period Aug. 11, 2021–Aug. 18, 2021.