Retail Wire Mentions First Insight | Are Digital Twins Really That Big of a Turn-Off For Consumers?
In a recent press release issued by First Insight, a substantial claim was advanced, backed by survey data: Today’s consumers are strongly against a certain iteration of so-called “digital twins,” in this case an AI-generated simulation of their own organic selves, particularly zeroed in on their purchasing habits.
Digital twins, as a concept in retail, comes in an array of forms — Bianca Doerschlag of WD Partners recently outlined the trend of digital twins from a physical spaces/logistics/infrastructure standpoint — but the survey data put forth by First Insight was based on the notion of a simulated copy of individual shoppers, for clarification.
“Once learning that a digital twin is a digital replica of customers built from past purchases, browsing behavior and inferred preferences, 69% of consumers say they would trust a brand less if it relied on digital twins instead of real customer feedback,” the press release outlined, noting that nearly half (48%) of those polled hadn’t heard of the notion of a digital twin prior to the survey.
“Many retailers are using digital twins as a faster, more scalable way to deliver personalized experiences to their customers. But, using these virtual representations of customers to guide decisions and make predictions around everything from products and pricing to inventory and marketing–without ever involving the real customer–is not only largely inaccurate, but can cause brands to lose significant customer trust. More than three-quarters (77%) of consumers say they value authentic, direct communication from brands more than efficiency or automation in how they gather feedback,” the release added.
Digital Twins: The Future of Consumer Insights, As Long as Consent Is Involved, or Will Opposition Stick?
Among the other notable findings delivered by the survey data:
- Should shoppers discover they were being digitally modeled or monetized without their express consent, a majority (58%) would immediately become antagonistic detractors of the brand responsible — less likely to recommend that brand to others, or even to actively warn their associates, friends, or family members away from that brand.
- Gen Z respondents were the most likely to act on information which revealed the above practice involved them — more than half (56%) would reach out to discuss this overstepping with retailers responsible, and nearly equal cohorts would spread articles about the brand’s practices around (54%) or expose the practice themselves on social media (53%). Similar percentages of zoomer respondents indicated they would walk away from brands engaging in this practice entirely (54%), and 52% said they would participate in boycotts of retailers should unauthorized digital twinning be revealed.
- The highest-spending generations, delineated as baby boomers and Gen Xers, were the most firm their opposition to digital twins formed and operating without their consent.
- Human connection appears to be invaluable to shoppers, with an overwhelming majority (91%) stating that authentic human reaction was an important element of their connection with a brand. A full 40% of those polled stated that this factor was “very” important.
“When retailers cut customers out and rely on synthetic replicas instead, trust collapses. You cannot claim to know your customer while replacing them with a model of themselves,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight.
“Consumers aren’t anti-technology, or anti-AI, they’re anti being modeled, simulated and monetized without their consent. The path forward is clear: engage real consumers in real time, reward their input and build AI that strengthens—not replaces—authentic human feedback,” Petro added.
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