Legal Issues to Be Considered Before Setting in Force Consumer-Centric Marketing Strategies within the European Union

This chapter examines Consumer-Centric Marketing in the internal market from a legal standpoint. A legislative trend towards the protection of consumers' rights and individuals' privacy is witnessed in the European Union. Consumer-Centric Marketing, however, employs techniques that put consumers at a number of risks related to both their privacy and their economic freedom. The purpose of this chapter is to indicate the limits of legality pertaining to Consumer-Centric Marketing when applied within the European Union. The chapter examines two forms of Consumer-Centric Marketing, i.e., the CauseRelated and the Relationship Marketing. It explains European legislation on the protection of personal data and all current developments in Unfair Competition law in Europe, and it presents the tactics that should be avoided by companies when implementing the above marketing methods, so as to prevent a possible ban on their advertising