Data Pro Quo
Accenture
Issue 59 | June 2021
Agency
Shackleton
Creative Team
Creative Director Antonio Herrero Direct Marketing Team Pablo De Castro, Roberto Albares
Production Team
Audiovisual Production Team Manuela Zamora, Cristina Cortizas, Paloma Martín Postproduction Nacho Rengifo Director Paco Carpio Digital Production Team Lucía García, Patricia Torregrosa Graphic Production Timoteo Martín
Other Credits
Client Paloma Cabrera, Accenture Account Team Annette Barriola, Triana Sobrino PR Team Annette Barriola, Triana Sobrino, Eva Calo Data Luis Crespo Accenture Interactive Innovation Juan Antonio Casado, Alberto Rodríguez Cañibano, Juan Carlos Barrado
Date
May 2021
Background
In traditional currency transactions, people exchange money for goods and services of equal value. But when it came to data as currency, the exchange was always very one-sided. The generators of data got nothing in return for their data being captured and sold on.
Idea
Shackleton collaborated with the Accenture Interactive innovation team to create the world’s first vending machine that sells products for data.
Up and running at Accenture’s Digital Hub in Madrid, Data Pro Quo exchanges smoothies in return for people’s email address. It will dispense a snack when customers answer two business questions or give them some airpods if they complete a simple questionnaire.
As with any other vending machine, users choose the item they want but instead of inserting money in a slot they tap answers onto a screen.
At the Accenture installation, users are asked for their email address and title. Depending on this, they are asked different questions about the challenges the company is facing.
The data is helping the company leaders make their decisions.
There have been instances of data being exchanged for lottery tickets or shopper discounts but nothing on this scale. Data Pro Quo is able to dispense 32 foods and beverages, 13 stationery products and 10 electronic items in three ‘price’ categories.
The machine features an internal server that makes it possible to store the data obtained and to personalise the questions.
It has also been designed to be hacker-proof.
All the data gathered is stored safely and access to it on the server is restricted.
Results
Unavailable.
Our Thoughts
Without doubt most people are either unaware that their personal data has value or are vague as to how valuable it might be. Steve Henry, founder of Decoded and observer of the advertising world, has long suggested that the value exchange should be transparent. Companies could and should pay their customers for their data because it generates revenue for them. What I like about this initiative from Shackleton’s parent company is that it is bringing focus to the issue. Exactly how much is your data worth? Especially now that AI is able to identify new patterns of behaviour and tailor customised services to create new income streams.
Is your email address worth a smoothie or a chocolate bar? Or is it worth a lot more to an e-marketer with a product to sell? This idea polarises people, I have found, suggesting that the topic is going to become increasingly heated.