Isn’t it time that we considered a future that didn’t involve companies spying on us?

The headline to this article is the last sentence in a NY Times opinion article published today and it resonated with me because it’s one of the primary reasons we created our marketing platform, Oomiji. Most of us know that cookies and third-party tracking are coming to an end, but that will not stop the surreptitious tracking of our behavior, whether online or out on the street. In fact, the impending end of cookies has only increased investment in other forms of tracking technology. As Julia Angwin, the article’s author points out, “That’s why you get those creepy ads in your Instagram feed or on websites that seem to know what you were just talking about”.

Enough!

We’ve built a marketing platform that says to any brand’s customers, “We’re going to treat you honestly and transparently. You buy from us because you have some interest in our product or service. If you tell us what that is and why, we can do a better job, and only send you content that is meaningful to you.”

Do all customers answer a brand’s questions about their perceptions? No, but the ones with a genuine interest do and they’re the customers that brands need to build long-term loyalty and lifetime value. Brands have to trust that people buy from them for a reason. If they learn why they buy and what they can do better, their customers will respond.

Does it work? So far, yes. Our clients are getting higher engagement rates for their content and lower unsubscribe rates than the norm. Most importantly, their sales are responding in the right direction.

Honesty, openness and transparency work for a good reason. Consumers are sick and tired of tracking. They want to know that companies respect them and don’t just see them as another transaction or email to be bombarded with offers. If you’re one of those companies that is buying into new tracking methodology, your customers are now tech-savvy Gen Z and Millennials who know how to disrupt the trackers. They also know how to switch brands if they don’t like those that abuse their patronage.

We’re moving from an era of transactions to one of trust. In answer to the question that the Times editorial poses, we all need to consider a future that doesn’t involve companies spying on us.