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Cape Town – Consumers actually shed their “real-world” identities when they go online to assume “digital personas”, according to a new global study by MasterCard.
The Digital Sharing and Trust Project shows that consumers assume “digital personas” that better reflect how they feel, what actions they take around their personal information and how much value they place on their own data.
Five types of digital personas were identified, namely Open Sharers, Simply Interactors, Solely Shoppers, Passive Users and Proactive Protectors.
These spread evenly throughout the global population and ignore any regional or demographic boundaries.
“Nearly 2.5 billion people around the globe use the internet every day,” said Theodore Iacobuzio, vice president of MasterCard’s Global Insights group, which produced the study.
“This research shows that regardless of who they are and where they live, they all share something in common when it comes to how they act and behave online."
It also shows that when consumers go online, characteristics such as age, gender or nationality become secondary and they instead assume a sense of "social citizenship".
Though consumers are increasingly savvy in managing their online identity, the consumer research reveals there is a clear hierarchy in the kind of information they are willing to share.
There are certain types of organisations they trust most with their data.
Digital persona groups
Open Sharers
Open sharers are 21% of online comsumers and 60% of them are male.
They are the most highly digital group of the five and tend to lead less risk-averse online activities.
Half of them are online more than ten times per day and when they share their personal information, they expect deals, access and offers in return.
Simply Interactors
This persona (21% of online consumers) includes some of the most dedicated social networkers, yet they are not particularly tech-savvy consumers.
When it comes to online shopping, a majority (80%) will research products online, but 63% still prefer to shop in person.
Though they are aware of targeted marketing, they don’t see their data as valuable and don’t express significant concern about it.
Solely Shoppers
This online personality (21%) is characterised by their reliance on the internet for savvy shopping research and purchases.
The majority (90%) of these internet users researches products online before buying and half use their mobile phone to price check in-store in order to get the best deals.
Surprisingly, they have low awareness of target marketing – as only 37% know that social media sites use their personal data to inform ads.
Passive Users
As the name suggests, this group’s members (20% of all online consumers) are not fully convinced of the internet’s value.
They tend to spend the least amount of time online of all the personas.
They are less frequent on social networks (only 48%) and not heavy online shoppers.
Compared to other personas, they are more likely to shop from their mobile device and more willing to trade their data for something in return.
Proactive Protectors
Comprising 17% of all online consumers, the Proactive Protectors are highly aware of targeted marketing.
In fact 82% are knowledgeable that marketers can target them based on their search and browsing history.
They are unlikely to use social networks and the most guarded with their privacy settings of all the personas – taking steps to protect and control their digital footprint.
More trends
The study also identified some findings that are true across all online personas.
According to the research 64% of consumers believe their personal data has value to merchants and advertisers.
Most consumers (60%) are savvy with privacy settings and know how to change the privacy settings on their web browser.
About 55% of consumers enjoy customized offers in return for sharing info. They appreciate when companies tailor offers to them based on the information they share.
Nearly half (49%) of consumers check prices on their mobile devices when in-store to make sure they are getting the best offers.
“In today’s digital world, consumers are continuing to spend more of their time and money online,” said Iacobuzio.
“By better understanding why consumers want to share their information online in the first place, companies can be better prepared to engage with them in more meaningful and relevant ways.”
Which of these personas are you?
- Fin24
The Digital Sharing and Trust Project shows that consumers assume “digital personas” that better reflect how they feel, what actions they take around their personal information and how much value they place on their own data.
Five types of digital personas were identified, namely Open Sharers, Simply Interactors, Solely Shoppers, Passive Users and Proactive Protectors.
These spread evenly throughout the global population and ignore any regional or demographic boundaries.
“Nearly 2.5 billion people around the globe use the internet every day,” said Theodore Iacobuzio, vice president of MasterCard’s Global Insights group, which produced the study.
“This research shows that regardless of who they are and where they live, they all share something in common when it comes to how they act and behave online."
It also shows that when consumers go online, characteristics such as age, gender or nationality become secondary and they instead assume a sense of "social citizenship".
Though consumers are increasingly savvy in managing their online identity, the consumer research reveals there is a clear hierarchy in the kind of information they are willing to share.
There are certain types of organisations they trust most with their data.
Digital persona groups
Open Sharers
Open sharers are 21% of online comsumers and 60% of them are male.
They are the most highly digital group of the five and tend to lead less risk-averse online activities.
Half of them are online more than ten times per day and when they share their personal information, they expect deals, access and offers in return.
Simply Interactors
This persona (21% of online consumers) includes some of the most dedicated social networkers, yet they are not particularly tech-savvy consumers.
When it comes to online shopping, a majority (80%) will research products online, but 63% still prefer to shop in person.
Though they are aware of targeted marketing, they don’t see their data as valuable and don’t express significant concern about it.
Solely Shoppers
This online personality (21%) is characterised by their reliance on the internet for savvy shopping research and purchases.
The majority (90%) of these internet users researches products online before buying and half use their mobile phone to price check in-store in order to get the best deals.
Surprisingly, they have low awareness of target marketing – as only 37% know that social media sites use their personal data to inform ads.
Passive Users
As the name suggests, this group’s members (20% of all online consumers) are not fully convinced of the internet’s value.
They tend to spend the least amount of time online of all the personas.
They are less frequent on social networks (only 48%) and not heavy online shoppers.
Compared to other personas, they are more likely to shop from their mobile device and more willing to trade their data for something in return.
Proactive Protectors
Comprising 17% of all online consumers, the Proactive Protectors are highly aware of targeted marketing.
In fact 82% are knowledgeable that marketers can target them based on their search and browsing history.
They are unlikely to use social networks and the most guarded with their privacy settings of all the personas – taking steps to protect and control their digital footprint.
More trends
The study also identified some findings that are true across all online personas.
According to the research 64% of consumers believe their personal data has value to merchants and advertisers.
Most consumers (60%) are savvy with privacy settings and know how to change the privacy settings on their web browser.
About 55% of consumers enjoy customized offers in return for sharing info. They appreciate when companies tailor offers to them based on the information they share.
Nearly half (49%) of consumers check prices on their mobile devices when in-store to make sure they are getting the best offers.
“In today’s digital world, consumers are continuing to spend more of their time and money online,” said Iacobuzio.
“By better understanding why consumers want to share their information online in the first place, companies can be better prepared to engage with them in more meaningful and relevant ways.”
Which of these personas are you?
- Fin24
