The queen of Tesco Clubcard, Edwina Dunn, has urged the likes of Facebook to be more upfront about the benefits of their sites, to combat users’ fears over privacy violations, advising them that it is an “art form, not a science”.
The co-founder of DunnHumby was imparting her wisdom to the “London loves Business” website, following news that the couple have taken a stake in theatreland marketing company Purple Seven.
Asked what her thoughts were on privacy issues, she said: “If Facebook is getting into trouble, it’s because it hasn’t explained to users what it’s doing well enough. I think it’s about the promise and transparency and it’s an art form and not science.
“There’s no crystal clear method so businesses need to keep asking themselves whether they are doing the right thing for their customers.”
Dunn conceded that with Tesco, “there was always that worry of privacy and getting too close to the customer”. But she added: “Tesco was very good at explaining to customers what it was doing and that’s why the Clubcard scheme was a success. I think people forget that customers don’t mind you knowing them, as long as they get good stuff from you like rewards, better service or freebies.”
In March it was revealed that the husband and wife team were targeting theatreland in a move which they believe could unlock £250m worth of commercial opportunities for the sector.
At the time she said: ““Our ambition is that they [arts venues] connect better with the audience they have and see more people booking and coming more often, which would eventually lead to better ticket sales for a smaller budget.”
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RT @DM_editor: The queen of Clubcard, Edwina Dunn, dishes out advice to Facebook http://t.co/r912tKx4qA #directmarketing #datamarketing #di…