The Great Hack by Netflix - What we can learn from it?

The Digital Marketing Podcast with Mandar Marathe

How is this really related to Digital Marketing?

Well, we use Facebook Ads & Google Ads for almost all of our clients. With Facebook Ads, you are able to target people based on their demographic profile. Although, as marketers, we don't have access to 5000 data points on our customers, like Cambridge Analytica had, we are still a part of the data economy that wants to do 1:1 marketing.

When by daughter is 18, Facebook & Google will have may 70000 data points on her. Is this what I want? Is this what she wants? No. But, it is something that is inevitable.

Technology is moving at such a rapid pace that we are not able to cope up. Instead, we want to make sure that we look cool on Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn. And we want to share our daily lives on these social media platforms. Should we be doing so?

Please understand, you are the product. You are the commodity. Data is already the new oil. And its upto us to own our data and know how to share it with full cognizance.

I personally dislike Social Media. I am not on Twitter or Pinterest or TikTok. I post once a while on Instagram or Facebook(that too just promoting my business / podcast). I use LinkedIn a lot nowadays (for professional communication). And that's that. I'd rather enjoy time with my family or go workout or watch movies or meet friends.

What is it that we can do to uphold our data rights?

* We should not share everything on social media. May be a good experience or photos with friends is fine. But why go beyond and tell the world that your mother is sick or you are having a tough time? Social media is not the place to wash dirty linen in public.

* For parents, you need to be extra careful about the access kids have to devices, especially mobile phones. If you are letting kids use them, it should be under your supervision. I remember that I first got a mobile phone when I was in engineering - It was a Nokia 2210 and it pretty much was used only for calling and sending or receiving text messages. But the world has changed today with mobile devices being at the center-stage. We need to be very careful on how our kids use these devices. - Install apps only after reading the terms and conditions and seeing what data is being shared. Are the apps going to read your messages / have access to your phone logs? Explain to your kids what this means for their privacy.

* Restrict your time on Social Media -There is no silver bullet to being free from the tech companies that control us. But there is a line that you can draw. You can certainly restrict your time on your mobile device and on social media.

* Be responsible marketers - Don't buy email lists (They have high bounce rates any which ways). Collect data on your / clients website with full disclosure. Let people to unsubscribe from your newsletter / email communication. While creating custom audiences on Facebook, make sure that you really own the data (the email list is of your customers). Use creative that are neutral / non-discriminating. Use copy that is gender neutral (siblings vs brother & sister OR people instead of men and women). In short, do not misuse data or discriminate your audiences.