ClickFox, a pioneer in the analytics consumer experience space, revealed the company’s findings from the ClickFox 2012 Consumer Data Audit survey.  The company’s survey results shed light on consumer’s preferences around data management, and which organizations are handling this new market opportunity with the best of care.

According to the survey, consumers are willing to give up personal information to trusted brands if it will help them improve their shopping experience or get a better deal. The majority of customers (over 80 percent) expect their companies to know their previous retail experience, service and purchase history.

Those who are in financial services, followed by healthcare and government, earned the most trust in dealing with consumer’s personal data. The retail industry receives poor marks for consumer trust due to wary data use among retailers. And it turns out Google, Amazon, and Apple were revealed as the most trustworthy organizations overall.

“Unsurprisingly, the retail industry receives poor marks for consumer trust and this can often be attributed to consumer engagement that tends to solely focus on the sale,” said Marco Pacelli, chief executive officer, ClickFox. “Companies get customer service right when they begin to analyze every customer touch point to get a clear picture of customer satisfaction — unfortunately, most organizations don’t know they’ve burned consumers until their revenues drop.”

Location-based marketing gaining momentum

The report findings suggest that consumers’ acceptance on location-based marketing and opportunities has increased, as more than 70 percent of respondents were happy to share location in exchange for giveaways, discounts, and improved service, while 71.3 percent said they are comfortable with companies knowing their location.

The numbers reflect the growing trend of consumers becoming more comfortable with location-based marketing in exchange for personal information that’s used for services and discounts.

“We definitely see an ability now to tie in a better experience locally if you can combine the data,” Jeff Gossman, vice president of product management for ClickFox said. “Stores can use location-based data to empower employees, whether it’s a clerk in a grocery store or an employee at Best Buy, to help the buyer enable their experience. I think there’s a real opportunity to connect with consumers, to keep them coming back to your store.”

Mobile Phones – preferred personal identifier

The most influential factor in consumer reporting preferences regarding shopping behavior is the emergence of mobile phones. Nearly 20 percent of respondents were most comfortable using their cell phone number as a personal identifier while 49 percent were comfortable with companies knowing their cell phone number.

Additionally, 41 percent respondents said they would provide their personal cell phone number in exchange for giveaways, discounts or improved service.

Consumers continue to tie their data to brands with increasing frequency, but at the same time are demanding quality products and top-notch customer service, and they’re willing to pay for it. ClickFox’s earlier report on the relationship between customer loyalty and company performance found that quality and customer service of a brand are key factor in deciding loyalty.

Social media significantly promotes communication between the audience and brand, establishing bidirectional channels between them. A recent SocialShare Report from BrightEdge illustrated that Google+ is gaining momentum big brands like H&M, Visa and Red Bull when it comes to brand sentiments.