Marketing Technologies
Recommender systems evolved in response to an increasing set of choices in products to buy and information to consume, combined
with consumer frustration at a decreasing level of professional support for making these choices (i.e., fewer expert shopkeepers).
These conditions created challenges for both consumers and merchandisers. Consumers experienced information overload and
sought help in selecting from an overwhelming array of products while merchandisers lost their relationships with consumers and
sought to re-build and deepen those relationships by better helping consumers find products of interest.
Recommender systems responded directly to consumers, giving them independent advice modeled after informal "word of mouth."
At the same time, new database marketing techniques, data mining, and targeted advertising responded to merchandisers, giving
them tools to respond to consumer needs, understand consumer behavior, and best use the limited available customer attention. This
section briefly describes database marketing and targeted advertising technologies and their relationship to recommender systems.
Database marketing is an attempt by businesses to provide more personal service to their customers. Neighborhood shopkeepers
knew their regular customers and could provide each one with personal assistance, services, and advice. Many businesses today
cannot maintain that one-to-one human relationship because of the prevalence of much larger retail stores, low employee-to-customer