As consumers take control of information about themselves, companies will have to pay for it.
by
by
Post
Post
Share
Annotate
- Save
- Get PDF
Buy Copies
Post
Post
Share
Annotate
- Save
- Get PDF
Buy Copies
Companies have good reason to collect information about customers. It enables them to target their most valuable prospects more effectively, tailor their offerings to individual needs, improve customer satisfaction and retention, and identify opportunities for new products or services. But even as more and more managers begin to build strategies based on capturing information about their customers, a major change is under way that may undermine their efforts. We believe that consumers are going to take ownership of information about themselves and demand value in exchange for it. As a result, negotiating with consumers for information will become costly and complex. That process has already begun to unfold, but it could take several years to play out across broad segments of customers and products.
A version of this article appeared in the January–February 1997 issue of Harvard Business Review.
New!
HBR Learning
Digital Intelligence Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Digital Intelligence . Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Excel in a world that's being continually transformed by technology.
Start Course
Read more on Technology and analytics or related topics Customer experience, Strategic planning, Marketing and IT management
John Hagel III recently retired from Deloitte, where he founded and led the Center for the Edge, a research center based in Silicon Valley. A long-time resident of Silicon Valley, he is also a compulsive writer, having published eight books, including his most recent one,The Journey Beyond Fear. He will be establishing a new Center to offer programs based on the book.
JR Jeffrey F. Rayport is a senior lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School.
Post
Post
Share
Annotate
- Save
- Get PDF
Buy Copies
New!
HBR Learning
Digital Intelligence Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Digital Intelligence . Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Excel in a world that's being continually transformed by technology.
Read more on Technology and analytics or related topics Customer experience, Strategic planning, Marketing and IT management