What has been the most significant change in consumer behavior in the last 10 years, and how has it impacted the way you think about marketing and communications?
The rise of the empowered consumer. People have access to information and products / services at their fingertips.
They have the ability to consume information and purchase products where, when and how they want, so the onus is on companies to understand their customers and cater to those needs.
How have consumer attitudes toward online privacy changed in recent years?
Consumers have a heightened awareness of their online privacy and expect companies to be responsible and transparent with how their data is being used.
A 2023 Pew Research study showed that 81% of Americans are concerned about how companies use the data they collect about them.
Are there fundamental trade-offs between privacy and personalization, or can we achieve both?
Yes, there are trade-offs and yes, we can achieve both. I believe it is a matter of striking the right balance between strong consumer privacy protections and the utility that businesses need to reach consumers and measure the efficacy of their advertising.
Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) seek to do exactly this and represent an area of emerging innovation in the industry.
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What has been the defining moment of your career, and why?
Having the privilege of representing Google and partnering with the industry to tackle some of the biggest collective issues of our time – like AI, consumer privacy, brand safety, sustainability and social impact.
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Looking into the future, which fast-moving issues and consumer dynamics will marketing and communications leaders need to be aware of?
1) Harnessing the power of AI, and, 2) transforming signal loss from a challenge to an opportunity to innovate and differentiate in the PETs space.
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Where to find Jeff:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-buchan