ANZMAC Interviews Geoff Lowe on Big Data and Privacy

Our director, Geoff Lowe, participated in a short interview recently that was shared during the ANZMAC Conference in Wellington last week. ANZMAC (Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy) was founded in 1998 to provide a network for educators and practitioners interested in marketing theory and research. The annual conference enables interaction and sharing of the latest research in marketing.

Geoff’s video played during the “big data” special discussion panel at the event, which addressed issues surrounding the opportunities and risks of big data and how academics should both collect and treat the data. One of the event chairpeople, Drew Franklin (Lecturer, AUT), asked Geoff to share his thoughts from the front line of his market research work, and his work with the RANZ and ESOMAR associations. 

During his interview, Geoff covered a wide range of topics, including helping to define different types of data and the importance of integrating data from multiple sources. When asked about risks in the market research industry, he said one of the key challenges is figuring out how to sort through the sheer volume of data we now have available to us to uncover the insights to meet immediate needs. 

He further explores important subjects like data reliability and best practices for collecting data. He says the “single most important element of data collection is caring about the privacy of the people whose data we are looking into” when it comes to data collection. Because consumer privacy and fair compensation are hot topics right now, Geoff talks at length about the ways that the industry is approaching these challenges - he touches on blockchain and AI -  and what we can expect in the future. 

Geoff dives into some pithy subjects surrounding integrity, privacy, and best practices in the market research space in the video. His business perspective in answering the questions from the academic interviewers provides interesting commentary - check it out!