Operations: Coordinate Privacy Across Multiple Channels and Divisions

Seventy-five percent of consumers believe they have lost all control over how personal information is collected and used by companies, according to a recent Privacy& American Business survey, said James Koenig, co-leader of privacy practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers, in his session”Marketing in a Privacy-Sensitive World” at Direct Marketing Days New York held last month.

Following are a few tips Koenig offered to manage internal communication to better protect your customers’ data:

* Implement a marketing oversight management process. “All marketing programs and campaigns should be reviewed quarterly,” said Koenig. Representatives from each distribution channel should be included. The process should be used as a tool to reinforce privacy principles and as a forum to discuss customer experience and feedback, he noted.

* Implement consistent communications systems throughout your organization. In addition to updating and publishing privacy guidelines for your company, implement an alert process to communicate regulatory and legislative changes that could affect business, said Koenig. “Determine the most restrictive law or regulation that applies to promotional e-mail, and comply with it,” he said.

* Standardize across your company your privacy policy’s language. This includes the opt-out process, methods by which customers state their preferences, and Web and e-mail templates, said Koenig.

To reach Koenig, e-mail him at james.h.koenig@us.pwc.com.