MARKETFISH

Adding another layer of trust and transparency to an innovative list marketing service

List marketing refers to the process of renting and selling opt-in marketing databases from third-party list brokers. The service is crucial to most marketing campaigns, and often one of the more frustrating aspects of doing business. That is, until Marketfish entered the game.

Seattle-based Marketfish provides a 100% self-service lead generation platform. The service makes building and executing targeted list marketing campaigns quick and easy. With more than 250 demographic categories to choose from, Marketfish's cloud-based platform enables users to reach their perfect audience in seconds, build a campaign, and then track performance using real-time data.

"We've always been completely committed to transparency in our privacy and data management practices. We understand that the list management business has long been mired in privacy issues, and we as a company seek to remedy this," notes David Fowler, chief privacy and deliverability officer for Marketfish.

Having the TRUSTe certification has absolutely shortened our sales cycles, and we have definitely closed a lot of new business because of it. I believe that having a privacy certification, something we have built our company and its value proposition around, has become a requirement in our industry.

– David Fowler, Chief Privacy and Deliverability Officer, Marketfish

SITUATION

The list marketing industry has struggled with data privacy and compliance issues for years. Marketfish, however, was built from the ground up on the concepts of privacy and transparency in operations. "We provide the transparent data and simplicity that has been missing from the opt-in email marketing and list rental process – until now," explains Fowler.

To demonstrate its strong commitment to privacy, Marketfish became a licensee of the TRUSTe® Privacy Seal Program and obtained the TRUSTed Cloud Data privacy certification in 2011.

"I've been a big fan of TRUSTe since 2003. There really is no other privacy certification worth getting. If you are in the data collection business and you don't have a commitment to a privacy review process and a thirdparty seal – you're behind the eight ball. The TRUSTe certification is an essential component of trust that is now expected by all of our clients."

RESULTS

The TRUSTe certifications serve as a key differentiator for Marketfish. "Not all email marketing companies are taking care to vet the data lifecycle and ensure that they are using clean consumer data and with user permissions. By separating ourselves from any shady actors in the list business, TRUSTe helps us create a transparent solution that solves the most complex problems involved in the collection of our data, as well as our relationships with our list owners."

Privacy is now a key issue that Marketfish finds in nearly every list proposal. Fowler explains, "The standard RFP now asks, 'Do you have a privacy certification through a third-party?' Having the TRUSTe certification has absolutely shortened our sales cycles, and we have definitely closed a lot of new business because of it. I believe that having a privacy certification, something we have built our company and its value proposition around, has become a requirement in our industry."

TRUSTed Cloud has also enabled Marketfish to increase its network of partners. Marketfish has signed up several additional list managers largely due to the ability to assure them that their database information is being delivered to a service that has a demonstrated a very strong commitment to privacy. "Not only do we value the TRUSTe certification, we try to make sure that all of our list owners are privacy certified as well. The privacy discussion comes up in every sales call we have. To be successful in any online business, you have to put privacy first in everything you do. TRUSTe certification is the best way we know of to demonstrate that unwavering commitment to our customers."

ABOUT TRUSTe

TRUSTe is the leading global privacy management solutions provider and offers a broad suite of solutions that enable multinational companies to safely and efficiently handle the customer data powering their online businesses - including advertising, cloud services, mobile applications, and websites. Over 5,000 web properties from top companies like Apple, Disney, eBay, Forbes, HP, and Microsoft rely on TRUSTe to ensure compliance with evolving and complex international privacy requirements. TRUSTe's mission, based on a "Truth in Privacy" framework, is built on a solid foundation of transparency, choice and accountability regarding the collection and use of personal information. TRUSTe's privacy seal is recognized and trusted by millions of consumers worldwide as a sign of responsible privacy practices. For additional information on TRUSTe and its offerings, please visit http://www.truste.com.

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Marketfish + TRUSTe: A success story

Learn from David Fowler, Chief Privacy Officer from Marketfish leverages TRUSTe Privacy Seal Program and TRUSTed Cloud Data Privacy Certification to protect its customer data and increase customer trust.

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