Identity Theft Protection (Chapter 4)

Consumers of all ages may reasonably worry that their identities will be stolen, leading to a variety of problems and challenges. Note that no program has been developed to prevent identity theft. The best any company can do is help monitor to see if an actor has made attempts to use a person’s identity. Victims of identity theft range from small children to the deceased.

Resources:

• LifeLock Extended Commercial
• Experian Commercial
• Credit Freeze Video
• Rating Identity Theft Protection Services

Discussion Questions:

1. Watch the LifeLock commercial. Which market segment does this advertisement reach?
2. LifeLock now co-markets with Norton Antivirus. How might this affect advertising and promotional programs, in terms of market segments and positioning approaches?
3. Watch the Experian commercial. Which market segment is being targeted? How is the positioning different?
4. How should companies such as LifeLock, EverSafe, and myFICO respond to the approach of using a credit freeze rather than an identity theft protection service? What types of marketing messages would be involved?
5. How might the ratings criteria present in the article above affect attempts at positioning by various identity protection service companies?
6. What type of communications schedule (pulsating, flighting, continuous) should an identity theft protection service company utilize? Explain your answer.