Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/research-trends/new-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7/ --- description: Initial research findings released in September 2016 reported interest in personalised rewards alongside concerns about how personal data is used. title: Virtual Incentives study highlights the tension between personalisation and privacy image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/virtual-incentives-study-highlights-tension-between-personalisation-privacy-7977f08a210db0ddcc5c992179f1ae35.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) # Virtual Incentives study highlights the tension between personalisation and privacy Initial research findings released in September 2016 reported interest in personalised rewards alongside concerns about how personal data is used. By [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) September 19, 2016 2 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fnew-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Virtual%20Incentives%20study%20highlights%20the%20tension%20between%20personalisation%20and%20privacy "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fnew-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Virtual%20Incentives%20study%20highlights%20the%20tension%20between%20personalisation%20and%20privacy%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fnew-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Making Incentives Personal infographic from Virtual Incentives’ September 2016 study](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/virtual-incentives-study-highlights-tension-between-personalisation-privacy-making-personal-infographic-september-w1280.webp) Original infographic distributed with the September 19, 2016 study announcement. Figures describe that historical study. Photo: Virtual Incentives / PR Newswire [Virtual Incentives](https://giftcard.news/company/virtual-incentives/) released initial research findings on September 19, 2016 suggesting that personalised rewards could improve brand consideration while also creating privacy concerns. The company said 56% of respondents expected a personalised incentive to improve their view of a brand, while one in four considered personalisation a privacy violation. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) ## Interest does not remove the privacy question The release also reported that 40% had received a personalised incentive and that one-third preferred a virtual gift card usable across merchants. [Alter Agents](https://giftcard.news/company/alter-agents/) designed and analysed the study, [Voxpopme](https://giftcard.news/company/voxpopme/) supplied video-response technology, and [MindField Online](https://giftcard.news/company/mindfield-online/) provided programming and the sample. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) Scroll left or right to see all columns __Interest does not remove the privacy question__ | Finding in the initial release | Reported share | | ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------- | | Had received a personalised incentive | 40% | | Expected personalisation to improve brand consideration | 56% | | Viewed personalisation as a privacy violation | 25% | These measures describe different questions and should not be added together. They concern reported experience or stated attitudes, not observed changes in spending. A favourable response about a personalised reward does not establish that the respondent bought more or became a more loyal customer. ## Two decisions inside one reward The findings separate the choice of reward from the information used to select or present it. A recipient may value a broadly usable card while still objecting to a message that exposes an unexpected amount of personal knowledge. The commercial attraction of relevance therefore comes with a design question: what makes the recognition feel appropriate to the person receiving it? For programme operators, the practical issue is how to explain the connection between the customer’s action and the reward. A clear reason for an incentive can make the offer understandable. Additional personal detail does not automatically improve that explanation, and a higher stated preference cannot establish a causal business return. ## An initial release with methodological limits The published announcement did not give a sample size, fieldwork dates, question-level bases or weighting information. It described the findings as the first release from the study and said a fuller paper would follow. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1) Those omissions prevent calculation of confidence intervals or a reliable assessment of population representativeness. The figures are therefore best read as reported findings from a 2016 industry study. They identify a tension for reward design, while providing no basis for treating the percentages as current consumer benchmarks. The initial announcement documents that discussion at the time; it does not establish how attitudes subsequently changed. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [\[S01\] Original research announcement, September 19, 2016 at 09:10 ET](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewards-300330049.html?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — Virtual Incentives via PR Newswire * [\[S02\] Company republication of the initial findings](https://www.virtualincentives.com/new-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-incentives-rewards/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — Virtual Incentives ## In this article ### Companies * [Alter Agents](https://giftcard.news/company/alter-agents/) * [MindField Online](https://giftcard.news/company/mindfield-online/) * [Virtual Incentives](https://giftcard.news/company/virtual-incentives/) * [Voxpopme](https://giftcard.news/company/voxpopme/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fnew-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Virtual%20Incentives%20study%20highlights%20the%20tension%20between%20personalisation%20and%20privacy "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fnew-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Virtual%20Incentives%20study%20highlights%20the%20tension%20between%20personalisation%20and%20privacy%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fnew-research-study-reveals-consumer-preferences-for-incentives-and-rewar-a08d4c65a5d7%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) Journalist — Gift Cards & Digital Gifting Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News. 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