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Data Protection and Customer Privacy

Decent Essays

The media, trade bodies and academia has created a large buzz around the Data Protection and customers’ privacy in the recent years. The consequences of the issue raised are different legislation policies, self-regulation, and general confusion. In order to be discussed, this controversial topic should be looked at from two different perspectives: customers’ one and direct marketers’ one. From customers’ point of view, direct marketing is undoubtedly an invasion of their privacy. Consumers feel intimidated by the direct marketing campaigns that ‘fire’ them with different types of unwanted printed and online media daily. Further, many of them are being concerned about their personal information being so easily available which makes them feel vulnerable. On the other side are direct marketers who put a lot of effort in their attempts to engage the audience and build/maintain relationships with them. Moreover, practitioners believe that they are targeting the best prospects and best customers (rather than uninterested people) who are willing to buy the products offered and are happy to receive up-to-date information about them. Thus, it has been assumed that marketers see themselves as assistants who help people in choosing the best deals available whereas customers feel like victims rather than catered for.
Customers’ concerns about their privacy could be simply splitted up into two parts: unwanted direct marketing approaches and privacy issues. ‘Junk mail’, ‘Spam’ emails,

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