InsightExpress Study Sheds New Light on Cookie Deletion
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
InsightExpress, a leading online market research firm, has announced the results of the second wave of a study designed to shed light on how consumers feel and behave when it comes to the controversial topic of cookie deletion. The research, which replicates a study conducted in the spring of 2005, suggests that great misperceptions about cookies continue to drive online behavior, although a smaller proportion of individuals are adept at cookie deletion.
The research indicates that individuals who choose to delete cookies for one or more reasons possibly misunderstand the roles and functions served by cookie technology. The most common reasons for deleting cookies in 2007 closely match those seen in 2005, with freeing memory at the top of the list, followed by protecting privacy, increasing computer speed and removing spyware. Of these top four reasons, only privacy would be considered a cookie-related issue, although it is one that continues to be debated within the industry.
Surprisingly, despite a greater willingness on the part of 2007 respondents to participate in the survey’s test of their cookie deletion skills, a significantly higher proportion of respondents failed to delete their cookies in 2007 than in 2005.
In 2005, 59 percent of respondents believed they deleted their cookies, with 35 percent truly successful. In 2007, 63 percent believed they deleted their cookies, but only 28 percent actually did so. This finding demonstrates a continued gap between those who are able to successfully delete their cookies and those who incorrectly believe they have deleted their cookies.
Although cookie awareness has increased, there has been little movement in their perceived importance. Knowledge of cookies is even more common in 2007 than it was just two years ago. Today, approximately 85 percent of respondents claim they know what cookies are, up from 77 percent in 2005. Yet, today, as in 2005, only one third of consumers consider cookies important when using the Internet; over 15 percent are not sure how they would characterize the importance of cookies.
Overall, the research underscores a need for education on the topic of cookies and cookie deletion. Consumers may not understand the function of cookies as a measurement tool, or connect cookies with some of the features that add convenience and power to common Web capabilities.
“Clearly, cookie technology remains a hot topic, two years after the first wave of this study,” said Drew Lipner, VP, Group Director at InsightExpress. “However, we were surprised to find that consumers do not seem to fully recognize the many positive roles that cookies play in common online processes such as shopping, secure log ins, and the ability to receive personalized, relevant online content.”
"The reason some consumers don't understand the positive benefits of cookies is because the benefits are passive in nature, and trumped by reasonable privacy concerns," said Tom Willerer, IP Media Director at Starcom USA, a full-service media agency that examines consumer behaviors in the digital space on behalf of major marketers. "A possible solution to proper cookie deletion management is to allow consumers more knowledge and control over their information, and by digital companies being more transparent regarding the information being collected and its intended use."
“This study should serve as a wake-up call to both agencies and advertisers,” said Rick Corteville, Executive Director, Media at Organic Inc. “As knowledge of cookies continues to increase, marketers need to showcase why having their cookie on a potential/existing customer’s machine is important or needed. Personalization features, community building, and tailored creative messaging are just some of the elements which need to be utilized at a higher rate moving forward. As users who delete their cookies tend to delete all their cookies rather than individual ones, it is crucial to show the benefit of cookies on user experience.”