The world is getting wackier every day. As people, we’re walking dichotomies.
On the one hand, we demand privacy. “STOP MONITORING US, ALEXA! STOP LISTENING!”
Then, add in streaming content, “Why would Netflix recommend this? It’s like they don’t know me at all.”
On the other: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube.
How can data collecting companies stay the hell out of our lives and know us well enough to give us what we want?
Imagine being in a relationship with someone who is a taker and never gives (hello first marriage) …well, I think this is how Netflix views all of us. We demand better from it, but don’t want to share anything with it. If Netflix wasn’t so monumentally successful, you could almost pity it (and would, if it was series on Netflix)…
And there it is…in the new world of data privacy concern, it turns out we have the power over the accuracy of that data all around us. But for it to be accurate, we must validate it.
And that means getting more personal with our services and product companies.
If we start building relationships with our favorite brands in the same way we think about our personal relationships, isn’t it possible that companies (run by people!) can earn that trust, treat that knowledge carefully and ethically, and work to build a deeper level of trust with us?
Of course, that’s easy to say and tough to do. Trust is hard earned and easily broken. Third parties have done immeasurable damage with online data. They still will. That’s human nature.
But so are meaningful lasting relationships. It’s the same with building brand trust.
Building rapport with an audience isn’t transactional. Or a simple fee for service.
It’s personal.
And those types of relationships are the ones we hold most dear and maintain for lifetimes.