DMA: Give Consumers a Choice
Earlier this week at The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) annual conference, the association announced its new Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC) guidelines on using mail to communicate with consumers. This initiative is part of DMA’s efforts to get marketers to self-regulate, so government agencies won’t step in and create laws that could hinder marketing effectiveness.
The CCC guidelines outline specific email marketing practices designed to honor consumers’ choice regarding email communications and solicitations. “By giving consumers the opportunity for choice — to address privacy concerns, volume of mail received, and environmental issues — the consumer is empowered,” Steven K. Berry, DMA executive vice president, government affairs and corporate responsibility, said in a statement.
DMA members are required to comply with the CCC guidelines, which include:
• Acting on opt-out or modification requests: DMA members must provide customers and donors with “notice of an opportunity to modify the receipt of future mail solicitations from their organization in every commercial solicitation.” The notice should offer such modification options as reducing the frequency of emails received or opting out altogether.
• Disclosing the source of the consumer’s name: Direct marketers “must disclose the source from which it obtained personally identifiable data” about any consumer who requests that information.
• Using of the mail preference service (MPS): Members must also use DMA’s MPS name-removal file monthly, honoring consumers’ requests for modifications or opt-outs within 30 days, and maintain that request for at least three years.
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