Frustration with cumbersome and repetitive authentication processes are overwhelmingly causing consumers to search for brands and digital experiences that securely unify and simplify identity verification, according to a new report by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network and CMO Council, entitled “Authentication Frustration. How Companies Lose Customers in The Digital Age.”

Based on a survey of 2,000 consumers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, the study finds that a huge majority of 81 percent prefer to do business with companies that do a better job of recognizing and verifying their identity “simply, quickly and safely.” Over 60 percent of respondents say they have abandoned business transactions due to authentication frustration.

Download the complimentary report at: https://cmocouncil.org/thought-leadership/reports/authentication-frustration

Problems with passwords remain a major grievance of consumers, who say they strongly prefer physical biometric authentication methods, such as facial and fingerprint recognition. Almost 7 in 10 consumers (68 percent) say they have problems remembering and using passwords. Forty-percent of respondents report using at least 11 passwords, including 23 percent who have 16 or more.

The report is part of a new initiative by the BPI Network and CMO Council, called Unify How You Verify, being conducted in partnership with Daon, a global leader in identity assurance technology. The thought leadership program explores the critical business need to simplify and unify the way companies recognize and authenticate their customers and partners across channels of engagement.

In addition to research into consumer attitudes toward current authentication processes, the initiative will include a further report based on interviews and interactions with senior executives and experts in identity management, security, customer support, and ecommerce, on what can be done to improve customer experiences and drive greater revenue, satisfaction and compliance. The program will host a webinar discussion on research findings into modernizing the customer authentication experience on Oct. 27.  You can register to participate in the webinar here.

“Password pain is hardly a new phenomenon. Yet it continues to be a persistent problem for consumers,” said Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council and BPI Network. “Businesses and brands need to listen to what consumers are so clearly telling them. Simplify and improve authentication and you will gain customer loyalty and grow your business. Fail to do so, and you can expect greater customer churn and revenue losses.”

“Data protection, privacy and identity theft are massive challenges for today’s digital business world,” said George Skaff, senior vice president of marketing at Daon. “The issue has become significantly more severe in recent months as consumers relied heavily on digital transactions throughout the Covid pandemic. At Daon, we believe companies need to adopt an “Identity Continuity” model of authentication, in which biometric and non-biometric factors come together on a single platform to create a unified identity experience across the entire customer relationship lifecycle—from identity proofing and onboarding to authentication and recovery.”

Market data shows that consumers have dramatically accelerated their use of digital channels and interactions during the pandemic.  A recent study by McKinsey found that global business executives estimate that their digital interactions with customers and partners have accelerated by some 3 to 4 years due to the pandemic.

Among other key findings in the Authentication Frustration report:

-85 percent of respondents say a difficult authentication process reflects negatively on a company and its brand, including 53 percent who say it has a “major” or “significant” negative impact.

-Financial services companies are a frequent source of authentication frustration. Consumers say the top areas where the encounter difficult identity experiences are:

• 43%      Digital devices


• 37%      Banks


• 29%      Credit and debit cards


• 27%      Mobile payment services

-Most vexing problems with passwords:

• 55%      Keeping track of numerous passwords


• 43%      Needing to re-create passwords


• 34%      Being asked to strengthen passwords


• 25%      Coming up with new passwords

-Consumers overwhelmingly prefer biometric authentication, including the use of voice, fingerprint, face, eyes, and behaviors.

• 44 percent say they “absolutely” believe biometric authentication is an easier and better form of verification


• 34 percent say they would prefer to use biometrics as long as it is secure


• Only 10 percent prefer passwords and other forms of authentication over biometrics

About the BPI Network

The Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network is a peer-driven thought leadership and professional networking organization reaching some 50,000 heads of IT transformation, change management, business re-engineering, process improvement, and strategic planning. The BPI Network brings together global executives who are champions of change through ongoing research, authoritative content and peer-to-peer conversations. For more information, visit www.bpinetwork.org

About the CMO Council

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council is dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior corporate marketing leaders and brand decision-makers across a wide-range of global industries. The CMO Council’s 16,000+ members control more than $1 trillion in aggregated annual marketing expenditures and run complex, distributed marketing and sales operations worldwide. In total, the CMO Council and its strategic interest communities include over 65,000 global marketing and sales executives in over 110 countries covering multiple industries, segments and markets. Regional chapters and advisory boards are active in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The Council’s strategic interest groups include the Customer Experience Board, Digital Marketing Performance Center, Brand Inspiration Center, Marketing Supply Chain Institute, GeoBranding Center, and the Coalition to Leverage and Optimize Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE). To learn more, visit https://www.cmocouncil.org. 

About Daon

Daon, www.daon.com, is an innovator in developing and deploying biometric authentication and identity assurance solutions worldwide. Daon has pioneered methods for securely and conveniently combining biometric and identity capabilities across multiple channels with large-scale deployments that span payments verification, digital banking, wealth, insurance, telcos, and securing borders and seamless travel. Daon’s IdentityX® platform provides an inclusive, trusted digital security experience, enabling the creation, authentication and recovery of a user’s identity and allowing businesses to conduct transactions with any consumer through any medium with total confidence. Get to know us on Twitter and LinkedIn. To learn more, visit https://www.daon.com/.

Media Contact:

Kevin Sugarman

ksugarman@cmocouncil.org

408.677.5311