Fairness Issues in Algorithmic Digital Marketing: Marketers’ Perceptions

Abstract

Data-driven algorithms are becoming more prevalent in our everyday lives, automating various decisions that can impact access to opportunities and resources. For this reason, much research concerns the ethical and social consequences of algorithms. Algorithmic digital marketing represents a key means by which people encounter and/or are affected by algorithms in daily life. While previous work has considered the perceptions of consumers in this realm, little work to date has considered those of marketing professionals. The current work presents an exploratory study of marketers, aiming to uncover their general views on the use of algorithmic marketing, as well as their own practices and if/how they address the ethical concerns surrounding algorithmic marketing. The findings underscore the need for ethical regulations and guidelines to be defined for fair practices in the context of algorithmic digital marketing.