Is that a cookie or something creepy?

And the fact is, as consumers, we want to be engaged with marketers, and we’re happy to use technology to do it. We join loyalty programs and share email addresses to get coupons. We check in on Facebook and FourSquare. We download marketers’ apps and willingly accept user agreements, even though we know marketers are collecting data about us every step of the way.

Taking it too far with tassels. When marketers strike a proper balance and send you messages you welcome without invading your life, it can be the foundation of a long and profitable relationship. This delicate balance is one reason for the success of companies such as Amazon. But what happens when technology enables marketers to get a little too targeted?

Recently, an ad for graduation tassels appeared on my Gmail page. Why? Because my daughter is graduating from The Ohio State University and I have been using Gmail to send information about the commencement to family and friends. Having the text of my emails analyzed makes me uncomfortable. It’s sort of like applying NSA tactics to marketing.

Getting close to creepy. The New York Times recently reported on several new technologies that allow retailers to track your movements via wireless signals from your cell phone while you’re shopping at a brick-and-mortar store. The article also mentions software that retailers can use to send targeted offers to your phone as you shop in specific departments. Other technologies can use your phone to identify you as a repeat visitor to the store, while video cameras can analyze your mood based on facial cues. The technology is amazing, but does it cross the line into the realm of stalking?

A new responsibility for marketers. Delivering highly relevant messages to potential buyers at the exact moment they’re interested in the types of products and services you sell is a smart strategy. And marketers would be crazy not to use the best available capabilities to pinpoint prospects as effectively as possible. But new technology creates new concerns about data collection and privacy. Marketers have a responsibility to understand how customers will be affected by such tools and to know when it goes too far.

Sign up for The Lead and get a new tip in your inbox every day! More tips:

• You are the ultimate sales technology
• Where the affluent are online
• Has your marketing message gone stale?

Jean M. Gianfagna is a marketing strategy expert and the founder and president of Gianfagna Strategic Marketing which provides marketing strategy and creative services to leading business-to-business and consumer marketers. Read her blog for more marketing tips at http://www.gianfagnamarketing.com/blog.