Learning from the Dark Web: leveraging conversational agents in the era of hyper-privacy to enhance marketing

Abstract

The Web is a constantly evolving, complex system, with important implications for both marketers and consumers. In this paper, we contend that over the next five to ten years society will see a shift in the nature of the Web, as consumers, firms and regulators become increasingly concerned about privacy. In particular, we predict that, as a result of this privacy-focus, various information sharing and protection practices currently found on the Dark Web will be increasingly adapted in the overall Web, and in the process, firms will lose much of their ability to fuel a modern marketing machinery that relies on abundant, rich, and timely consumer data. In this type of controlled information-sharing environment, we foresee the emersion of two distinct types of consumers: (1) those generally willing to share their information with marketers (Buffs), and (2) those who generally deny access to their personal information (Ghosts). We argue that one way marketers can navigate this new environment is by effectively designing and deploying conversational agents (CAs), often referred to as "chatbots." In particular, we propose that CAs may be used to understand and engage both types of consumers, while providing personalization, and serving both as a form of differentiation and as an important strategic asset for the firm-one capable of eliciting self-disclosure of otherwise private consumer information.

Conversational robo advisors as surrogates of trust: onboarding experience, firm perception, and consumer financial decision making

“…At the same time, recent advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing have given rise to conversational interfaces, or so called AI-enabled "chatbots" (Dale 2016;Davenport et al 2020;Thomaz et al 2020), that use a retrieval-based dialogue system that emulates the characteristics of human-to-human conversations. Thus, a second generation of robo advisors is emerging which we refer to as "conversational robo advisors."…”

“…Thus, rather than a static, questionnaire-like request for information as in non-conversational robo advisors, the interaction with a conversational robo advisor is based on the structural aspects of a two-sided conversation. Second, the language used by the interface can be semantically adapted to display richer social cues, such as emojis or trivial acknowledgments to signal emotions and active listening (Thomaz et al 2020). Finally, the conversational interface can further be humanized by integrating anthropomorphic design cues into the interface and altering the visual appearance through avatars or other forms of visual display (Araujo 2018).…”

“…fundamental properties of human-to-human conversations (such as turn-taking or the presence of social cues throughout a conversation; Davenport et al 2020;Thomaz et al 2020). The key hypothesis of the current research is that conversational robo advisors can provide an unexplored alternative to address and compensate for the lack of "human touch" during the advisory process compared to traditional, nonconversational robo advisors.…”

Macro and Exogenous Factors in Computational Advertising: Key Issues and New Research Directions

“…How will conversational agents alter the advertising process? If indeed some segments of consumers in the future are more vigilant of their privacy and operate in dark web environments (not indexed by search engines; see Thomaz et al 2020), to what extent will conversational agents be able to nudge consumers to divulge personal information in the promise of hyperpersonalization? Currently, because most consumers are willingly giving up information on social media, advertisers are able to build extensive profiles of those who utilize social media using surveillance technology.…”

A theory of multiformat communication: mechanisms, dynamics, and strategies

“… • Simulated proximal, visual, and verbal cues can be introduced into online interactions through avatars and virtual worlds, to promote effective and experiential goals. Bickmore et al 2010 ; Grewal et al 2020b ; Kim et al 2016 ; McGoldrick et al 2008 ; Moon et al 2013 ; Papadopoulou 2007 ; Tapus et al 2012 ; Thomaz et al 2020 ; van Doorn et al 2017 ⁃ Avatars enhance social presence, interpersonal involvement, entertainment value, and customer experiences in online interactions and virtual worlds. - Virtual worlds allow customers to experience products in unique settings, which enhances decision comfort and convenience, as well as immerses customers into some aspect of the firm’s story.…”