Big Data: Goldmine or Minefield?

Abstract

Big data is the massive amounts of data produced by us and about us. When companies use big data to reach us, we may feel a strong emotional bond with the company, similar to the bonds of a close friendship. Or, we may be left feeling creepy. An exploratory analysis was conducted to examine people’s relationships with and feelings toward companies and their use of big data. This paper presents the results of this exploratory analysis and provides a number of suggestions about how companies might create strong bonds with people, without making them feel creepy.