Thoughts Leaders' Conference on Privacy in Marketing

The incorporation of the new embedded technologies and the interconnected networking advances in the automation and monitoring processes of retailers increases security and privacy risks perceived by consumers. A growing numbers of retail companies are gathering massive amounts of customer information and using it in multiple ways. Although customers’ personal information is crucial to target actual and potential customers, to date there is little conversation about customer privacy perspectives. Customers show increasing levels of privacy concern reducing their willing to disclose information with companies, since retailers’ access to their personal information heightens their feelings of vulnerability. The goal of this research project is to provide to retail managers a relevant guideline to manage the customer-firm interface and identifying the best ways to gain customers’ personal information reducing privacy concerns. The project will map privacy concerns throughout the customer journey in order to simultaneously advancing marketing theory and practice on privacy concerns.The incorporation of the new embedded technologies and the interconnected networking advances in the automation and monitoring processes of retailers increases security and privacy risks perceived by consumers. A growing numbers of retail companies are gathering massive amounts of customer information and using it in multiple ways. Although customers’ personal information is crucial to target actual and potential customers, to date there is little conversation about customer privacy perspectives. Customers show increasing levels of privacy concern reducing their willing to disclose information with companies, since retailers’ access to their personal information heightens their feelings of vulnerability. The goal of this research project is to provide to retail managers a relevant guideline to manage the customer-firm interface and identifying the best ways to gain customers’ personal information reducing privacy concerns. The project will map privacy concerns throughout the customer journey in order to simultaneously advancing marketing theory and practice on privacy concerns.