The BBC hosted best selling author John McKean in front of 3 million, recognizing him as an "acknowledged expert" in the entire relationship between business and the consumer.

Mr. McKean was asked to address how firms use the information consumers give them and what challenges these businesses face in effectively applying this information for the benefit of both consumer and shareholder.

In a special "consumer" session, BBC Radio asks Mr. McKean to give consumers a "behind the scenes" look at exactly how firms use the information they acquire when consumers purchase products and services or simply fill out applications.

Mr. McKean pointed out that most firms are well-intentioned in their uses of consumer information.  Typically, when consumers feel their privacy is being violated, or their information is being misused, it is simply a matter of a firm's information ineptness, not willful misuse, i.e. most firms are ineffective at applying the information they have gathered from consumers to create an offer with sufficiently high value to justify in the consumer's mind the perceived "invasion of privacy" or use of "their information".

At the same time, if firms have no information about consumers and their buying behavior, consumers would find no clothes in the stores or groceries on the shelf because firms would have no idea what products and services to offer.

In today's competitive markets, particularly as e-commerce engulfed most consumer intensive industries, it is imperative that firms quickly elevate their ability to apply customer information beyond their current information abilities.