A culture of mass surveillance and increasing awareness of privacy violations have made our audience super-cautious when it comes to sharing data – 72% of respondents are concerned that brands can see their personal info online.

Many go as far as regularly deleting their cookies and history, or using ephemeral social- media platforms like Snapchat, a service particularly popular with the younger end of our audience – 77% of those aged 18-24 use the app.

This reluctance to divulge personal details can prove an obstacle for brands who are keen to engage with customers on a deeper, more personal level, as they need to use personal data in order to refine the products and services they offer.

Brands can use the data to strengthen relationships, avoid attrition, as well as increase product and service usage. The aim is to connect with individuals and create highly curated content storylines, rather than just produce advertorials for a mass market. Some younger, more savvy consumers are cottoning onto this.

But instead of giving away their data for free, they’re understanding its worth and using it as currency. Among our respondents, 70% say they’re willing to share data if they get something in return.

Considering that 82% want to use platforms which are more personal to them, and 57% want curated content based on past behaviours, working out how to motivate them to open up is key.

"Brands can use the data to strengthen relationships, avoid attrition, as well as increase product and service usage," says Brent Dykes, an analytics evangelist at Adobe. "For consumers, they can become more informed about how they use products and consume services."