Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

Most people think their personal information is personal. They're weary of online scams that ask for their social security number, keep close track of their credit cards, and think twice before giving their name to a telemarketer. What many don't realize is that there are files on them readily available, and that at a moment's notice they could be Joe the Plumber'ed and have every detail of their life put under a magnifying glass.

A few years ago I worked at a national news network, and occasionally I'd get a call from a producer who needed information on a list of people for a story they were working on. I'd put in a call to our research department, giving them names, birthdates, addresses, phone numbers, or anything else we had on the subjects. Within an hour or two I'd get a full report on the person. It included credit history, partial social security, all past and present addresses and phone numbers, spouse, siblings, children, employment history, taxes owed, property and vehicles owned, closest neighbors and their addresses and phone numbers, co-workers and their addresses and phone numbers, and arrest records.

Now, many businesses have access to the same databases used to compile those reports. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone involved in marketing. But it might be a surprise to your customers if you choose to use that information to send them targeted offers. In the NYT story, banks and credit card companies were trying to lure people with poor credit histories into taking on more debt. Given the mess the banks have gotten themselves into, I don't think anyone today would defend that as a good idea.

Use customer data wisely. The banks in the story went wrong when they said in the offer "we know you have bad credit, here's your offer." Joe the Plumber didn't appreciate the world knowing that he had a tax lien against his house, or that his real name isn't even Joe. Customers won't appreciate you micro-targeting them via mail, phone, or even email if you use information they believed was private. Segmented marketing is one thing, but telling customers how you've grouped them can give them an uneasy feeling. Don't make them feel like they've been Joe the Plumber'ed.