Recent trends in digital marketing highlight an increasing expectation for communication that is both personalized and relevant. In response, my Communication and Leadership Studies (COML) capstone project will develop a Customer Relationship Management (CRM)-enabled communication strategy toolkit designed to support ethical, tailored messaging during my workplace’s transition to a new CRM system. A central aim of this project is to establish guidelines that both protect constituent data and support data-informed communication practices. However, achieving personalization often requires data mining, which involves tracking, capturing, and analyzing constituent behavior online. This tension raises an ethical question: How can my workplace meet expectations for personalized messaging while upholding best practices for safeguarding constituent data?

Addressing this dilemma requires a multidisciplinary approach. A focus on responsible data use in personalization and automation is necessary for ethical communication. This includes optimizing digital communication while safeguarding constituent privacy. Ethical communication also involves assessing technological risks and implementing data minimization policies, such as limiting data retention (Miller, 2024). Because challenges like balancing personalization with privacy and mitigating algorithmic bias are complex and interconnected, they cannot be solved from a single disciplinary lens (Mirek-Rogowska et al., 2024). This project draws from both communication studies and computer science to inform strategies that are not only effective but also ethically sound and technologically responsible.

Although a centralized CRM system provides demographic details, behavioral data is typically limited to past interactions, such as donation history and event participation. By analyzing indicators like email click-throughs, marketers can identify which communication elements prompt subscriber response. These insights support more informed decisions. Zuboff cautions that surveillance capital, in which businesses collect behavioral data during digital interactions, can be used to influence users’ actions or emotions through subliminal cues (VPRO Documentary, 2019). This manipulation bypasses user awareness and raises ethical concerns about consent, autonomy, and psychological safety in data-driven communication. These concerns highlight the need for ethical practices that are transparent, equitable, and respectful of constituent privacy.

The project includes a recommendation to implement a robust subscription center integrated with the organization’s digital marketing platform to support responsible constituent data use. This feature will allow constituents to specify their communication preferences, fostering greater transparency and respect for individual autonomy. With the capabilities of the new CRM system, automated workflows can be configured to honor these preferences through self-service settings. A subscription center supported by automation provides a practical example of how a dialogic model of communication can be scaled. As Arnett et al. (2009) explain, “Dialogic civility engages a form of communication architecture that attempts to design a place of communicative safety” (p. 92). By applying communication strategies that operationalize this model, the organization can promote ethical engagement practices that are both transparent and feasible in large-scale marketing environments.

As a marketing technologist committed to leveraging data insights responsibly, this project reflects my identity, values, and ethical orientation as a communication practitioner. The strategies proposed are not only designed to be effective but are also grounded in transparency, trust, autonomy, and respect for diverse audiences. By prioritizing innovation and creativity alongside ethical data practices, the project advances a communication model rooted in dialogic engagement and moral imagination. Features such as a self-service subscription center and preference-based automation exemplify how ethical principles can be operationalized to scale meaningful dialogue without compromising individual privacy. By aligning ethical principles with creative strategy, this project highlights how innovation and integrity contribute to building communication practices that are transparent, inclusive, and accountable.