Keywords
personalization – privacy paradox
privacy protection
online marketing communication
How to Cite
Abstract
The article presents considerations on the nature and key determinants of the personalization – privacy paradox (PPP) – the tension experienced by consumers who, on the one hand, expect individualized marketing messages, and on the other, fear the loss of privacy resulting from sharing the data necessary to create such messages. Referring to the theories of privacy calculus, social exchange, and level of abstraction, the article conceptualizes this phenomenon as a complex process integrating rational, relational, and cognitive–affective mechanisms. It also highlights the relationships between PPP and other privacy paradoxes in the digital environment and extends the set of determinants of this phenomenon compared to an earlier publication from 2023. The results of the literature analysis indicate that maintaining an optimal – that is, consumer-acceptable – balance between the personalization of online marketing communication and data protection requires not only transparent and ethical practices in the processing of personal information, but also a deeper understanding of the determinants of PPP, which depend on consumers’ characteristics, attitudes, knowledge, and experience. The conclusion provides recommendations for designing personalized marketing messages in digital environments to mitigate PPP.
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