Public Anxiety of Digital Campaigns

Most of the public already knows that they are being tracked and monitored. This understandably raises their anxiety about online activity. Researchers know that the public often has anxiety about the way their digital information and behaviors are collected, analyzed and used by public relations practitioners as they develop campaigns. Before creating a campaign, practitioners should know what makes the public anxious so they know what to be sensitive to and aware of.

K. Kernaghan (2014) hierarchically listed three major sources of public anxiety regarding corporate use of digital technologies:

1. The public was most concerned with their diminished privacy and the targeting of campaigns based on personal information (obtained through tracking software). The public was uncomfortable by campaigns that were too tailored to their specific interests or browsing history. The use of a customer’s name, demographic information, address, or family information in tailored content was considered a violation of privacy.
2. The public was concerned about the hidden messages within complex end-user license agreements that may result in unfair corporate advantages over individual rights. When logging into a new website, users are frequently asked to agree to a lengthy end-user license agreement. Most people do not read the agreement before pressing “agree.” As a result, the public feared that they may agree to something hidden or unethical without their knowledge. For example, the public was worried that they may have given up their privacy or personal information to third parties or external companies.
3. The public was concerned with the perceived lack of legal policies that regulated digital campaigns and corporate actions. As mentioned in lesson one, many of the digital platforms used by public relations practitioners are still new. Although there are some instances of public relations strategies that have gone before the courts (like scrubbing), many exist in a legal gray area, and it is unclear if there are any regulations on their use. This is perceived by the public as if there is a lack of protection of users, and instead open to manipulation by organizations.

By knowing the public's three fears of digital campaigns, it is easier for practitioners to develop tactics that ethically use digital tools without provoking anxiety. For example, a campaign should not directly divulge personal information about a specific user (such as name or address). Or, graphics specialists can work with the legal team to help clarify an end-user-license agreement through visuals to help educate and inform the public about the contracts meaning. Finally, practitioners can reinforce the organization’s stance on ethics by advising against tools that may be legal, but may provoke anxiety in the public.