The role of consumer data in marketing: A research agenda

Abstract

Increased access to various kinds of consumer data has opened up new avenues of value creation for companies, but it also poses new challenges. The proliferation of digital data sources alongside new technologies for tracking consumers in physical spaces has added complexity to consumer data management, thus reshaping marketing activities. Despite heightened interest in understanding the role of consumer data in marketing, significant gaps related to their conceptualization remain. This research offers an integrative framework that focuses on the forms of consumer data disclosure and the company usage of consumer data. Using topic modeling, we analyze a sample of 1846 articles pertaining to three quadrants of consumer data research expansion due to the impact of technology. In addition, we identify research directions that suggest key aspects to advance research in each of the relevant quadrants of expansion.