The rise of volunteered personal information

Abstract

In its history, marketing has only had two forms of information to play with: market research (which is primarily qualitative and/or statistical), and transaction/interaction data (which are granular and personally identifiable). When transaction data first appeared on the scene around 50 years ago, they sent shockwaves through marketing as new insights and possibilities opened up. Direct and database marketing, customer relationship management and loyalty schemes are some of its progeny. Now a third form of market information Volunteered Personal Information is entering the fray. Its impact could be as or even more far reaching than the transaction data revolution that came before it. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.