earticle

영어

Due to the recent widespread of mobile devices including smartphones, SNS provided by IT giants like Google and Facebook are solidifying their positions as social platform services which have a substantial influence on the consumption patterns and buying behaviors of consumers. As a fundamental inspection for the enhancement of consumer-orientation in the digital consumer market is required, this study investigates further into the importance of evaluating consumer-orientation of the service provided in the Korean market by IT companies such as Google, Facebook, Naver, and Kakao with objectives for the global market. We also investigate the issues and cases of consumer rights that should be secured by the social platform products that meet the consumers' convenience and welfare according to the public data analysis of domestic consumer issues. We have identified and suggested the best practices for enhancing customer orientation, and presented the issues and the approach framework for enhancing consumer orientation in the market. First, we analyzed the public data which is collected by 1372consumer call center of Korea Consumer Agency and categorized the domestic consumer issues and cases. As a result, the characteristics of the domestic consumer issues and cases can be summarized as issues related to marketing and advertising practices and information sharing and privacy issues in the social platform service use situation. Second, we explore how companies address their consumer problems in providing SNS free of charge. In doing so, it is expected to find ways to improve consumer-orientation across the country’s social platform service market. By analyzing the consumer policies of Google, Facebook, Naver, and Kakao, we have identified and suggested the best practices for enhancing customer orientation. Global IT companies are commonly referred to as collecting information and linking information in order to achieve policy and service improvement from a consumer-orientation, such as terms of services provided to consumers. However, from consumer perspectives, it is still seemed to be vulnerable to unintentional information leaks, exposure to commercial transactions, and linkages to consumer fraud. According to the study, it is necessary to provide more accessible information regarding channels which can deal with consumer problems. Furthermore, the government, business operators, and all concerned parties should participate in the process of devising countermeasures. Notably, a need arises to continue to monitor consumer problems coming from the creation of connected value between SNS and e-commerce such as conversion from free to paid service and social log-in. Furthermore, monitoring should be done to ferret out PPL advertisement directed toward children or excessive suggestion of relevant service from the perspective of unfair charging, excessive marketing activities, and false and misleading advertisement. And consumer information standard should be established to strengthen the digital capacity of consumers.