James Oates Columnist Protecting privileged information I recently presented on the impact of Covid-19 on macro consumer spending habits in UK supermarkets and the forecast for the coming year. I have made an annual market presentation for several years, but this survey statement really grabbed my attention: My number one concern is to get food onto the table. This response came from a large number of households that have been newly impacted by the virus. These are people who may have been furloughed, or are experiencing a change in their economic make connections of behaviour at increasingly granular levels, and across multiple parts of someones life. possible, but it is where we have to proceed with care and caution. To make this level of connection requires the individual to give that permission and, as data users, we have to respect that permission as the basis of our available datasets. With so many behavioural observations on individuals at our disposal, will we need access to survey and attitudinal information in future? There is a debate about the use of survey data and the As ever with data, a comparative observation really brought this for me, the strength of analytics has always been to develop and to life; among households that feel insulated from the financial use new and old approaches to create a rounded picture of impact of Covid-19, their number one concern is to be able to behaviour. After all, people are varied in nature and, most of the meet friends and family again. time, we are not robots. A combination of behavioural observation This is really personal information. The analysis served as and claimed analytics can ensure that a reminder to me of how privileged we bring a factual base and, when it is we, as data analysts, are to be able to required, build an emotional element get everyday access into the lives of of consumer behaviour into our work. the consumer. Even better than that, Trust in the usage of data As an industry, we may find ways to we get to build analytics based on that is vital and we have a duty reward the individual to give access, data, and build a layer into our story as an industry to protect this but we have to keep the consumer on that brings the human element to life valuable asset our side if we want to continue to use for the audience. For a household this asset. (this survey came from a shopping The first question I ask when looking panel) to give that honest perspective to work with people-based data is: do we have the permission to of their personal situation is really powerful and should not be work with data in the way the person expected? There is a strong taken for granted. privacy framework in place through law and we must strive to Data such as this is shared when the individual has the operate within the boundaries of the permissions, but most confidence that what they are sharing is being used in the right way, importantly ensure that we favour the individual perspective over and as they expect. Whether it be passively collected or declared short-term commercial advancement. behaviour, trust in the usage of data is vital, and we have a duty as I believe that we are accelerating to a world where people see an industry to protect this valuable asset and to respect the way their data as ever more valuable and may start to commercialise consumers give us permission to access their lives. A few front-page their own behavioural footprint. The legislation on open banking headlines on misuse of personal data could set our industry back information access puts more knowledge in the hands of the at a time when the potential for bigger and better customer individual if they want it. analytics is growing and needed. The advances in mobile phone technology and our online with integrity, and respect the asset to ensure that, when we need footprint provide the possibility of greater insight into personal it, we can choose to make the connection between behaviour and behaviour that go beyond surveyed responses. Given the number emotions to bring to life the reality of the households around us in of data moments being created, and the ability to store information the most compelling way. 59 Impact ISSUE 33 2021_pp58-59 James Oates.indd 59 26/03/2021 10:18