Data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable resource according to The Economist. And experts at the World Economic Forum say every industry in every country is currently going through a fourth industrial revolution.

Digital marketers are at the crossroads of these technological advances which have shifted consumer behavior. So, how can marketers, particularly in the multifamily industry, navigate these changes? The answer to this question boils down to treating your customer like your north star. Here are three tips to help you align your marketing strategies to shifts in consumer behavior.

1. Emphasize the customer experience

Renters are doing their due diligence before committing to leases, reinforcing the fact that every data point in the customer journey matters. Your mission in 2019 is to guide renters on a journey toward their new home and a signed lease.

This means immersive experiences. Think about 3D tours that give prospects a new view of your apartments, guided tours by your leasing agents via Facebook Live or videos of events at your property that show residents having a good time that you can post to your YouTube channel.

Data will serve a mission-critical role in creating true-to-life, one-on-one experiences according to Jason Heller, partner and global lead of digital marketing operations at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Firms that integrate creativity with data in their day-to-day practices will see results. In one McKinsey study, Heller’s team found that companies that achieve this balance “drive two times the growth of companies that have those capabilities but manage them separately.”

The upshot for marketers? Look beyond the point of transaction to drive true, memorable experiences.

2. Improve data privacy to inspire trust

Companies often tie a marketing team’s performance to revenue, conversion outcomes, audience engagement and sales. Now there’s a new KPI on the horizon: trustworthiness.

The driver behind this shift is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect in 2018. Last May, the European Union set new legislation into motion that gives European citizens individual rights and ownership over their personal data — and the rest of the world is following their footsteps. New privacy regulations are taking hold in California, set to go in effect in 2020.

For multifamily marketers, this points to the need to be clear about how you are collecting and managing personal information coming from renters via online applications or lease payments. Emerging data privacy laws give consumers the grounds to take offending companies to court. According to research from IBM, potential fines surpassed $9 billion in 2018.

“Companies ignoring this new consumer world and the many benefits that follow will be left behind with cost penalties that will hurt their bottom lines as well as the opportunity to take customer-centric approaches to marketing to the next level,” says IBM.

3. Consider taking a stand

In this era of hyper-personalization, marketing needs to be thoughtful and genuine to break through the noise. Public relations firm MWWPR coined the term “corpsumer” to describe the growing trend of consumers who expect brands to take a stance on societal issues, not just talk about their brand. The number of corpsumers now makes up about 35 percent of the U.S. population, claims the firm. These consumers say they are more likely to try a product from companies that voice their beliefs on societal and public policy matters.

“If anyone asked you to recall 2018’s biggest campaign, you’d be talking about Nike’s Colin Kaepernick work in an instant,” explains Adweek writer Kristina Monllos.

Companies that try to take a stand on issues need to be careful, though. Corpsumers are suspicious, and if companies share a stance that is not aligned with their track record or values, corpsumers won’t believe them.

The big takeaways for 2019: Stay aware of the news cycle. Have a voice. Be the positive influence your customers want to see in the world.