Re: Consumer Privacy - is it really that big of a deal??

From: Scott Laird <tslaird_at_silverbow.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 08:06:47 -0500 (CDT)

JOEL.GEHMAN_at_RELIANCEDIRECT.COM WROTE:
> I'm tired of junk mail. I'm tired of telemarketers. These
> are invasions of privacy far more egregious than the risk of
> spam or data collection on the Web.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keep in mind, though, that data collection on the web is
scary, too, not because of the opt-in/opt-out email
newsletters you may receive, but because companies sell
their lists... leading to more junk mail and more phone
calls during dinner.

There seems to be a movement that is in line with this
thinking. New "infomediaries" are springing up with the
express purpose of matching consumers with marketers
anonymously using an aggregate demand model (i.e. buying in
bulk for groups of consumers interested in the same
products)... and they're helping individuals get their names
off of telemarketing and direct mail lists in the process.

Invasion of privacy is a big issue, and the Internet seems
to be crystallizing something in the minds of many
consumers... for the first time, they are aware that they do
have a choice. Especially with new services like
populardemand (http://www.populardemand.com, written up in
USA Today a couple of weeks ago), consumers can find good
deals without entering their personal info. into databases
which will later be sold.

This trend is something marketers should pay attention to...
If consumers are wising up and finding ways to stop to
direct marketing, then direct marketers had better find
alternate means of getting their messages out there. Opt-in
email sponsorships seems to be a start, but the paradigm
shift is coming... Branding and solid relationships with the
infomediaries may well be the key.


>>--------------------------------------------------------------<<
   scott laird tslaird_at_silverbow.com
   silverbow communications http://www.silverbow.com/


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Received on Tue Apr 06 1999 - 09:12:30 CDT