Loyalty programs such as the frequent flyer, shopper, or [filling the blank] are set up to collect customer data. What is the purpose of such data? Generally, it’s to generate more profit for the business. Pretty straight forward, right?
By offering tangible benefits like discounts, private sales, coupons, the business in return gains valuable information about how customers behave regarding to its products or services. No surprises here.
What surprising is when the business, leveraging Big Data tools, knows more about us than ourselves. Yes indeed. Unlike humans, computers do not forget. More data only help the companies to identify better patterns and refine their producst/services.
What if the customer in this case is oneself? Data about ourselves can be used to improve our potential, enhance our strength, open our future opportunity, and the likes. Two questions: 1) do we systematically collect data on ourselves like the loyalty programs? And 2) why not?
How reliable are your needs? Do they change over time?
Running with Buddha 