Eye on Privacy : Privacy is Just Table Stakes

As we head into the annual DMA conference, I am drawn to think back on some of the columns the good people at Target Marketing magazine have allowed me to write during the last 12 months. And, as I do, I think these columns have really dealt with the "nuts and bolts" of privacy: notice, choice, security, etc.

But more and more, I am convinced that, from the consumer's perspective, this is just the beginning.

Yes, that's right, the nuts and bolts of privacy are not, by themselves, enough. They are a necessary precondition to today's multichannel marketing. And, a good privacy professional makes certain these fundamental building blocks are built right.

But, these nuts and bolts of privacy are just table stakes-the ante, if you will, because many of us will be in Las Vegas for the DMA08 Conference & Exhibition-if your organization wants to create a relevant dialogue with today's consumers. The reality is that one of the true "nuts and bolts" of privacy is the value proposition for consumers.

In true business lingo, that means privacy has to work in conjunction with product and marketing folks, sales departments, business owners, CFOs, CTOs, CEOs, boards of directors, and database analysts. You get the idea.
Privacy needs to go beyond the technical implementations of legal and compliance tools. Privacy needs to be engaged with your organization as you seek to increase consumer engagement.

We're moving forward into an era where finding relevance and the right audience is more practical and feasible than it has ever been before because of new data sources and new ways to model those sources. Think of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) and behavioral advertising, among others.

But, as we stand on this precipice to a new world for targeted marketing, we are encountered by many challenges. Chief among these challenges is the need to clearly define the value proposition that consumers derive from our data-driven marketing programs.

So, a consumer might say: Yes, Ms. Marketer, protect my data; say what you do, and do what you say; but also, what am I-your prospective customer-getting in return?

I have sat through countless hours of consumer focus groups on issues related to targeted marketing. A couple key takeaways have always stuck with me. I think of them as evergreen, often-unspoken-but-always-required consumer demands:

• Can targeted marketing help me save money or time or both?
• Can targeted marketing make me feel that I've done something good (or better than my neighbors/friends) for myself or my family?