Older Victims of Mass Marketing Scams: An Analysis of Data Seized From Scammers

Mass marketing scams are some of the most common frauds in America, and include scams perpetrated through the mail. A growing body of research indicates that older adults face a greater risk of victimization due to age-related changes in cognitive functioning and social isolation, and may be more likely to fall victim repeatedly. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of repeat mass marketing fraud (revictimization) among older adults and patterns of victimization associated with age, scam type, seasonality, and geography. We use two decades of non-public administrative data from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). These databases were seized during law enforcement investigations of mass mailing scam organizations and contain more than 2 million unique U.S. victims and their transactions with four different fraud organizations. Victims were matched across datasets using name, address, and a change of address file. We find that revictimization rates increase with age in psychic scams. The 10,000 victims who responded the most times (between 82 and 562 times) were 78 years old on average and suffered $4,700 in total losses per person. Other significant trends emerged for lottery and sweepstakes scams. Unlike prior fraud victimization studies, inferences on victim characteristics are based on actual victim experiences with fraud rather than hypothetical scenarios or surveys where victims must self-report fraud. Findings provide valuable policy-relevant information regarding older victims and the patterns of chronic victimization.

Permission marketing in the sphere of electronic commerce

This article considers permission marketing in the sphere of electronic commerce, mass marketing and permission marketing are compared. The history of mass marketing is touched upon. The examples of using permission marketing in the Internet are presented.

Profiling Visitors to Romanian Ecotourism Destinations

Visitors’ increasing interest in nature-based and cultural tourism, especially in the context of ecotourism destinations, has generated a heated debate in tourism literature. Some authors consider that ecotourism should be approached through a niche strategy rather than through mass marketing. Therefore, identifying the main characteristics of visitors to ecotourism destinations is very important in setting management and marketing strategies adapted to their specific needs. The present paper aims to identify the profile of visitors to Romanian ecotourism destinations, considering the ecotourism potential of this country and the scarcity of empirical studies on these types of destinations. To reach this aim, a survey was conducted in four Romanian ecotourism destinations. By computing the data collected from a sample of 1157 visitors, four visitor segments have been identified based on a single characteristic (visit purpose). Crosstabulation and Chi-square analysis were used in order to identify the profiles of these segments. The results reveal that most of respondents are nature travellers, followed by culture travellers. The findings may be used by ecotourism destination managers in order to target specific market segments and establish proper management and marketing strategies.

Risk perception and visit intention on Olympic destination: Symmetric and asymmetric approaches

Tourists’ risk perceptions have been studied extensively in tourism literature and are considered an important factor influencing destination choice. However, despite the extensive research, many earlier studies using symmetric approaches have not adequately succeeded in addressing the contrarian case – high visit intention despite having negative perceptions. Therefore, this study utilised both symmetric and asymmetric approaches to address the effects of tourists’ perceptions (i.e. risk perception, image, and attitude) and demographic factors on their visit intention. While the symmetric approach showed that Zika-related perceptions did not have an impact on destination visits, in the asymmetric approach, these same perceptions significantly influenced both high and low visit intentions. This study contributes to the existing knowledge of risk perceptions by highlighting the differences between the two methodological approaches. Destination marketers could utilise these findings to develop both mass marketing and target marketing strategies.

Users’ Perception on Their Experience with FamPay

The objective of this paper is to determine customer satisfaction with FamPay. Since marketing strategies are positively associated with customer satisfaction, organizations need to design customer-value driven marketing strategies to satisfy customer’s needs. Thus, several organizations, such as FamPay, have moved away from mass marketing and toward target marketing. The study used a quantitative method with questionnaires to collect data from respondents. The findings indicated that marketing strategies have impact on the customer satisfaction.

Use and Misuse of Technology in Marketing

This article describes how the recent breakthrough in information technology has changed in day-to-day life. The smart phone rules the minds and hearts of a major chunk of the population. Internet has become a basic requirement of many a people. Although technology has affected all functional area of business, marketing is feeling the heat even more. The leap in the information technology replaced mass marketing with one-to-one marketing. Customer relationship, knowledge management, database marketing became the buzz words during 1990s. Search services, biometrics and smart cards, enhanced computational speed, M-commerce, and GPS tracking have changed the way marketing is done. However, technology is often misused by marketers to lure customers on wrong premises. Marketers may at times misuse technology for their vested interest. The article discusses the various cases where technology has been misused by the marketers. The article explores the technological innovations in marketing and the potential misuse of technology with special focus on cases from India.

Historical development of the concept of segmentation in the housing market and emergence of approaches towards segmentation

The subject of this research is the development of the concept of segmentation in the housing market and emergence of approaches towards segmentation. The object of is the term “segmentation” and approaches towards this method. The author examines the historical development of this concept, as well as the criteria for segmentation of commodities. Description is given to the methods of segmentation in the marketing sphere. The author determines the methods used for segmentation of real estate objects, as well as the variants of structurization and segmentation of the real estate market. The advantages of market segmentation in comparison with the traditional method of mass marketing are outlined. The author reveals that the concept of segmentation has existed for over 70 years. There are two traditional methods of segmentation used worldwide: “post hoc” and “a priory”. Segmentation of residential market is conducted via “a priory” method. The author detects the method used for segmentation of residential objects and the criteria in studying the residential market. The need for segmentation of residential objects is substantiated by the fact that consumer requirements change over time, and segmentation allows determining the target audience and preferences of the potential customers.

Feminist Commodity Activism: The New Political Economy of Feminist Protest

This article theorizes the commodification of the recent resurgence of feminist activism through the concept of “feminist commodity activism.” The focus is on the mass popularization of feminist-themed commodities, with T-shirts as a particular focus. First, I discuss how the mass marketing of feminist goods ties in with: (a) commodity feminism, by refetishizing commodities and consumption as empowering for women; (b) neoliberal feminism, through the construction of the feminist as an economic and choice-making subject; and (c) commodity activism, by entangling feminism with the discourses and practices of ethical consumption. Building on these concepts, I propose “feminist commodity activism” as a way to capture and further analyze the current commodification of feminism activism occurring at their intersection. I argue that feminist commodity activism instigates three further shifts: the commodification of the aesthetic experience of feminist street protest; the transfer of feminist activist agency to companies, charities, and entrepreneurs; and the branding of the feminist as a subject of value. Finally, the article considers the challenges that these shifts pose for feminist critique and politics.