“MARKETERS OPERATE IN DEFIANCE OF PRIVACY PRACTICE,” SAYS PONEMON INSTITUTE

One of the largest privacy research firms, Ponemon Institute, just conducted a study that found, “…in spite of compelling evidence that privacy-conscious marketing strategies appeal to consumers and are instrumental in building trust and greater campaign profitability, corporate marketing and privacy organizations often operate at odds with each other.” Simply put, business, including junk mailers and non-junk mailers, thinks your privacy is a pain in the butt either because of costs to implement, or it puts too many barriers between the company and the customer. There’s a good article in the junk mail industry publication, DM News, by George Giordane, that is directed to junk mailers, but also reveals the many negatives in the study toward consumers. Like the figure that 70 percent or respondents feel privacy compliance “…adds unnecessary cost to a marketing program.” And the fact that a paltry 13 percent work with their privacy department in the marketing of their products or services. His headline, “Use privacy to build customer trust, loyalty,” should be turned around to read: “Who can we (the consumer) trust? You can see the complete study by “Googling” the subject: “What Marketing Professionals Think About the Value of Privacy to Consumers.” In the links you’ll also find a summary of the study by Ponemon. I can’t say it’s thrilling reading, but it should be required for anyone who thinks the business world is protecting their sensitive data.