Gidday,
The DMA is having a “Catalog Summit” meeting in New York today to unveil something to it’s members. I have heard that it may be another service to help consumers opt-out of mailing lists by catalog, a service much like greendimes, stopthejunkmail.com and catalogchoice.org. Currently the DMA offer a blanket service where by consumers can opt out from all the DMA members, approximately 3600.
The DMA currently collects consumers opt out information, then once a month sends a suppression list in the form of a file to each of it’s members. The agreement is based upon the compliance that their members will suppress these names from their marketing lists. Their ethics committee oversees these rules.
But what about those companies such as www.stopthejunkmail.com who also send opt out requests to direct mail companies, including DMA members? Since the DMA does not divulge who their members are(they keep that private) it is hard for a service such as stopthejunkmail.com to know which companies we may be sending duplicate opt-out requests to.
Currently we send opt outs 1 by 1 but we have been asked by some companies to send a file containing all of our members who wish to opt out. Will the DMA allow it’s members to receive names collected from 3rd parties such as ourselves in the form of a file like they do? I mention this because I have heard that the DMA is trying to convince their members to refuse just these kinds of opt out files from 3rd parties. Just say NO is the message! But surely you ask isn’t that the choice of the catalogers and not the DMA to dictate to their members?
If the DMA were really committed to helping consumers reduce their unwanted direct mail and protect their privacy they would encourage other services such as stopthejunkmail.com, greendimes.com, catalogchoice.org and 41pounds.org to work with their members.
Problem is the DMA’s main business is committed to helping members better target consumers for direct mail. How can the DMA be committed to both consumer privacy and direct marketing? Now isn’t that an odd dilemma!
Cheerio,
Margot
