Collecting and selling data about people is estimated to be a $200 billion business, and all signs point to continued growth of the data-brokerage business.
Buying Consumer Data? Tread Carefully.
Information sold by data brokers varies greatly in quality.
May 01, 2020
Summary.
Consumer marketers spend a lot of money buying the names of potential customers who belong to a certain group they’re trying to reach — men interested in sports, for example, or middle-aged people interested in travel. However, the data brokers selling that data don’t reveal how their profiles are built or what their accuracy rates are. The authors compared the data sold against publicly available information and found that the level of accuracy was often very low.
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.
Learn More & See All Courses
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.