The beliefs of marketing professionals regarding consumer privacy

There is growing concern among consumers that several marketing practices are invasions of consumer privacy. Specifically, this study addresses the issues of buying and selling names and addresses of consumers, the role of government in protecting the privacy rights of consumers, and the use of an automatic number identification system. A survey was conducted of 190 marketing professionals from the American Marketing Association, National Association of Purchasing Managers, and Direct Marketing Association to determine their beliefs regarding these issues. The results are compared to an earlier consumer sample to determine differences and agreements. The results are also compared statistically among the three professional associations.