D: Neuromarketing and Data Protection; The "Haspa" case
Category: NachrichtenBy: R. Olschewski - 2B Advice GmbH - the privacy benchmark
It is common knowledge that there seems to be a widespread obsession with data collection nowadays. Just why the collection of personal information can constitute a threat to the individual freedoms of each and every one of us is illustrated by a recent case in Hamburg. The Hamburger Sparkasse Bank (Haspa) admitted to having used the neuromarketing tool "Sensus".
Neuromarketing is an innovative method of marketing products. The objective of neuromarketing is to gain a better understanding of the conditions and processes involved in emotions and in decision-making patterns in the human brain. This allows scientists to draw conclusions regarding consumers' true needs and wishes. The objective of research in the field of neuromarketing is to explore the conditions and processes that control a consumer's decision in favor of or against a certain product, and to put these into context as regards visible behavior. For instance, stating key words can influence purchase decisions, without the customer being aware of this.
Once a connection has been established through corresponding tests, it can be transferred to a multitude of persons/customers with similar parameters. Thus, the more a company knows about its customers, the more able it is to assess them in a targeted fashion and to then appeal to these customers on the emotional and subconscious levels.
According to press releases, the Haspa bank for instance categorized its customers as "hedonists" or "performers" and provided banking advisors with psychological tips to use during customer meetings. When dealing with "preservers", advisors were instructed to build on fears, while "performers" should be referred to as "top customers"; the advice regarding "hedonists" was - quite literally - to exert mild pressure to influence the purchase decision in order to sell shares, funds or pensions insurance more effectively.
Haspa states on its website: "Although Sensus is in our customers' best interest, we have decided to stop using it. We regret that there has been some misunderstanding in the public conception of this issue."
There are many data protection-compliant options available to businesses that wish to understand their customers better which allow them to construct a differentiated CRM system with various categories of customer information. However, qualified advice is generally required. Nevertheless, data protection experts are likely to advise against the creation of customer profiles that specifically mirror the subconscious.
www.haspa.de/Haspa/DieHaspa/Presse/Pressemeldungen/2010/Haspa_schaltet_Sensus_ab/Sensus.html
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