How to Tell Personal Stories in a Privacy Protective World
I was recently standing in front of a packed college classroom telling a story. I started by recounting for the class how 85 people died in the Campfire in California in 2018. Some nodded as I talked about the deadliest wildfire in California history. I asked them how my short story made them feel.
“It’s a tragedy,” one junior said. His voice reflecting sympathy but not much empathy. The lecture I was giving was on the importance of empathy and how to unlock its power. Storytelling is important in helping see the perspective of others yet it's the power of the individual that can really compel us to an emotional response.
I then proceeded to tell the story of one of the victims who perished trying to evacuate. As I moved around the room I noticed the pupils in the eyes of nearly every student widen as I drew them in. They were putting themselves in the shoes of the victim. Imagining what it must have been like to realize there was no way out, that the end was near.
“Oh my god, that’s so horrible,” replied one student with a look of concern on her face when I asked how the second story made the students feel. The student was responding to the story of the individual. That’s what can move people to action. It’s difficult to be moved by a number, but another human being, that touches something deep inside and ignites a need to do something.
This is also part of the reason why qualitative reports can be so much more engaging than a quant report, there’s a human element to it that is hard to ignore. The little details that make the person seem real are what we connect to. That’s why bringing the consumer to life is so important to motivating your internal stakeholders.
I’ve wrestled with this question for a while now. I love using stories of the amazing respondents that we meet to illustrate points, to motivate our clients to action. Are my hands now tied? Do I need to rely on vague composites that are so generic they don’t feel real? Can I ever use a quote, include a picture or show a piece of video again?
For answers, I turned to Nick Norton, Principal with BDO in Seattle. Nick and his team at BDO cover third party attestation for SOC, SSPA and Cybersecurity. We recently worked with Nick’s team to assess Ignite 360’s SSPA policies and procedures. During that time, we talked a lot about the world of insights and how our data is different from “big data.” As I was thinking about how to convey personal stories in research, I wanted to hear from an expert.
“As people learn more about how data is used and how personal their data is, there’s more and more concern around proper practices around that data. That leads to these laws that are coming out in GDPR and CCPA,” Nick Norton said as we started our conversation.
Data is how business operates. It always has been. What’s different is the type of data that can easily be collected, and how it can be used. Join the debate on whether or not data is “the new oil.” Regardless, it’s not just the value of data going up, so is the use of data.
While a qual firm may not be gathering data of app users on smartphones, there is still the gathering, handling, and processing of data. The overarching rule is that the data needs to be kept secure.
“Privacy and security go hand in hand. Security is all the mechanisms we put into place to keep our data private. The best way to look at it is that you can have security without privacy, but you can’t have privacy without good security practices,” Norton elaborates.
While you should definitely consult with a lawyer or data privacy and security expert for your own company’s situation (I am neither), I can share that we had to create additional policies and practices as well as training for everyone involved with the company. Now, we routinely ask our recruiting partners about their security practices and have them sign off on their data privacy and security before we engage with them on projects. Respondents sign three forms – confidentiality/NDA; name and likeness consent; and our privacy policy. This helps us ensure that participants understand they are being recorded, how their data is going to be used, and that they acknowledge they are to keep our conversations and anything they may learn or see from us, secret.
“Where laws seem to get broken is when data is used beyond purposes for which it was originally collected. A key component to sound data practices includes being completely transparent with how that person’s data is or could be used ,” Nick told me.
Sharing data with the client in the form of a report using photos and quotes is permissible, as long as the respondent knows ahead of time. “It’s always important to understand and communicate intent,” Nick explains. “If data is used for purposes beyond why the person originally gave you their data, say they gave it to you to get a coupon, not to be sold to another marketing company. That’s when potential violations arise. That’s why companies are sending privacy notifications.”
As Nick and I wrapped up our conversation he shared a basic truth: “[Privacy practices] are all about humanity acting in good faith towards each other and being fully transparent in how we’re using each other’s data.”
My layman’s takeaway from this journey is that transparency with the respondent on how the data is going to be used is paramount. And once you have permission, you should be able to tell the same, compelling stories that engage the audience, help them make the best decisions and move their business forward.
