How important is data privacy to a tech firm? A recent Gallup survey shows a large increase in concern about invasion of privacy while using Facebook, and the information privacy topic continues to dominate search volume interest in the U.S., according to Google Trends.

The issues of data privacy and the authenticity of a tech company are tied together in the customer’s mind. What connects them is one key attribute: trust.

Authentic tech marketing can determine a firm’s success. Adweek recently reported that tech companies dominate the 10 most authentic brands according to consumers.

Being authentic is defined as being “principles-based and values-based,” Microsoft’s Kathleen Hall, corporate VP of brand, advertising and research, said at an Advertising Week panel on authenticity. Brands like Amazon and Microsoft strive for authenticity in everything they do, especially when it comes to marketing.

Hall told the panel why she thinks that the tech companies score high in authenticity. “You might have a Coke once a day if you are bad or once a week if you’re good, but our stuff you are on it and use it every day, multiple times,” she said.

Consumers Trust and Respect Tech Marketing Leaders

It follows that consumers trust tech companies like Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft, Adweek pointed out, because people are dependent on phones and apps. Tech brands are making our lives easier, and we trust them. That is why many consumers do not mind if their favorite brands have personally identifiable information (PII) on them if it makes their jobs easier.

Forbes reported that a recent survey by Vision Critical shows that 80% of digital buyers in North America are comfortable sharing personal information directly with brands in exchange for personalized marketing messages.

For example, many consumers are glad that Google stores passwords to sites like online bank accounts so they don’t have to look up their password each time they log into an account. Customers are ready to part with information like credit card numbers, bank account numbers and home addresses to ensure quick delivery from sites such as Amazon and PayPal. This is an example of the amazing power of data to deliver results and information.

However, consumer confidence in tech companies was shaken following the revelations about Cambridge Analytica’s misuse of Facebook users’ data. It made the issue of data privacy a hotly discussed topic throughout the business world.

Personal Data Breach Offers Lessons for Tech PR

When it was revealed that FB users had their data compromised by the British political consulting firm, the fallout was swift. Millions of Facebook users left the community, and its stock price declined. As a result, Facebook vowed to change the way it uses and collects customer data to give users more “control” over their personal information.

The Cambridge Analytica crisis represents a moment of learning for the entire tech industry. Facebook has responded by making changes to its algorithms and other ways it handles profile data. The company said it would reshape its privacy menus, rewrite its terms of service and introduce a new way for users to access copies of their data.

Facebook is now giving choices to consumers about how the company uses their data – an ethical use of data settings for the social media ad giant. Many tech firms let customers set privacy switches to suit their preferences. For example, Adobe requests permission to aggregate data from its customers, providing information that would not be otherwise available, such as how many PCs, tablets and mobile devices are accessing websites.

Employ Tech Marketing’s Power for Good in Lead Generation Services

Tech companies can ensure customers’ data privacy by not collecting more information than they need and protecting their digital data. Tech firms, regardless of size, can ensure that encryption and other security measures are in place and keep staff aware of keeping data private.

More importantly, authenticity in marketing means using only the data that is needed to shape a company’s lead generation services, whether that data comes from Google, Facebook or anywhere else. In addition, authenticity in marketing means a genuine effort to target the best candidates with the most accurate PII. The result is a careful balancing act that creates killer results.

Tech marketers can collect powerful data that benefits consumers and our interconnected world, and let the results guide them and their businesses to new heights, buoyed by trust from customers.

Learn how tech marketing can be employed for good by downloading “What’s Your Why? Purpose-Driven Marketing.”