Data privacy, sponsorship, online accessibility: 5 interesting stats to start your week

Most marketers believe balancing data collection with privacy will get harder

Six in 10 (60%) marketing leaders believe it will be more difficult to balance first-party data collection with privacy and customer value exchange this year.

This is despite the vast majority (85%) of those surveyed having implemented formal policies to manage customer data.

With the deprecation of third-party cookies by Google imminent, the 400 senior marketers surveyed by Gartner suggest they are leaning into other forms of data. More than eight in 10 (82%) indicate their organisation is prioritising first-party data.

Four in 10 (42%) of those surveyed report relying more on personalisation, and delivering one-to-one messages to their customers.

The research indicates data privacy is being taken extremely seriously by marketers, though. Almost one third say they have dropped an agency or channel partner over the last year due to privacy or customer trust concerns.

Source: Gartner

European sponsorship market grew 4.3% in 2022

The European sponsorship market, which includes both sport and non-sport sponsorship, grew by 4.3% last year to €29.05bn (£25.51bn).

The UK was the second-fastest growing European market in 2022, with sponsorship growing by 10%. The increase in UK sponsorships was partly fuelled by growth in the Premier League.

While the sponsorship market volume was significantly up on 2021 levels, it was still more than €1bn (£878m) down compared to 2018 and 2019 levels. In 2019, the sponsorship market hit a record of €30.69bn (£26.96bn).

However, 2022 did see the sport sponsorship market grow beyond its pre-pandemic levels. Its market volume last year reached €20.69bn (£18.17bn), up from €20.26bn (£17.8bn) in 2019. It was buoyed by major sporting events such as the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and FIFA World Cup.

By comparison, the non-sports sponsorship market saw more modest growth in the year, growing by 3.85%.

The ESA, which compiled the report using Nielsen Sports data, notes cryptocurrency had both a positive and negative impact on the sponsorship market in the year. It brought a cash injection to the market, but also carries with it a degree of volatility.

Source: ESA/Nielsen Sports

Half of Gen Z consumers avoid brands that ignore accessibility

Almost half (47%) of consumers in the Gen Z category (those born between 1997 to 2011) say they will avoid brands that don’t take accessibility issues seriously.

Nearly half of people with communication (44%) and reading issues (47%) find it difficult to access services such as banking and shopping online. Across the entire population, 16% find accessing online services difficult.

Voice activation can be one way for brands to introduce accessibility to their online services. Almost two in three (63%) of those with communication issues find voice activation makes sites easier to access.

“Accessibility isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, rather it can significantly increase the potential market of a brand while enhancing its reputation as inclusive and caring,” says Mintel director of technology research Thomas Slide.

“This has particular resonance among Gen Z who are seeking to align with brands that share their values and will avoid those that don’t take accessibility issues seriously.”

Source: Mintel

Energy price increases perceived as biggest threat to businesses

Almost half (43%) of global business leaders see rising energy prices as the biggest threat to their companies, despite efforts to curb the spiralling costs.

Weakening customer demand (25%) is the second biggest concern among the 3,396 leaders surveyed, followed by cyber security (24%), increased taxation (24%), and access to talent (20%).

The survey spanned 18 countries including the UK, India and the USA. It finds concerns about energy costs are most acute among business leaders in Europe, with 60% of those in Poland citing this as their biggest concern. By contrast, just 27% of business leaders in the US cited energy costs as their most pressing concern.

Over a third (37%) of those surveyed say the impact of overall rising costs on their business is expected to be acute.

Almost eight in 10 business leaders agree data is vital to help assess risk. However, in the UK, three-quarters (75%) of businesses say they are in the dark when it comes to using data to understand the disruptive forces in their ecosystem.

Source: Dun & Bradstreet

News brand readers prefer advertisers with a sustainable ethos

Almost six in 10 readers of news brands feel more favourably towards advertisers with a sustainable ethos. A majority (56%) also agree the knowledge that a brand has a sustainable alternative could influence their purchase decision.

While the vast majority (96%) of news brand readers report taking positive steps on the environment, the cost of living crisis is making it harder. Almost two-thirds (62%) admit less spare income at the moment could cause them to cut back on sustainable products.

Readers also want to see their news brands take action on issues of sustainability as well as the cost of living crisis. Around 70% agree news brands should be using their platforms to educate and raise awareness about climate change, and almost eight in 10 (79%) believe these brands hold a similar responsibility with the cost of living crisis.

Source: Newsworks