Email is by far the most trusted channel, beating SMS and digital advertising. But people are suspicious of brands in general when it comes to privacy judging by The Optimove 2022 Trust Of Online Retailers Survey, a study released Thursday.
Of the consumers polled, 55% do not trust brands with their personal information -- up from 48% in an Optimove survey conducted last summer. Moreover, 77% say they will unsubscribe from brands if they feel their data is being misused.
And 41% of consumers believe that trust between brands and consumers is diminishing, while 35% say it remains the same and 24% say it is improving.
Yet 32% use and shop brands they mistrust every day. And 32% patronize brands they don’t trust, although they try to avoid them.
The most trusted marketing channels are:
In line with that, consumers are most comfortable sharing these personal details:
Despite that willingness to share data, consumers fear they lack control once they do so. They believe:
But almost all consumers say that control is important, 51% extremely so.
What do consumers fear the most when shopping online? They say:
What can brands do to instill trust? Consumers are reassured when:
Optimove surveyed 406 U.S. consumers in the fourth quarter of 2022.