DMA Data Council
Best Practice Guidelines
Best Practice Guidelines
Introduction
The contents of this guide are about providing advice and guidance
on how to raise standards above the minimum of what is legislatively demanded
of us, (what "has to be done"). This guide is designed to enable practitioners to achieve better results in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The Direct Marketing industry faces one of its most challenging phases over the coming years. It must demonstrate to both Government and consumers that it has grasped the environmental gauntlet as well as convert an already tainted audience to the medium’s benefits and advantages. This is not simply about changing our processes, such as using sustainable forestation as a paper source, or producing marketing materials that fully comply with recycling requirements. It is about doing business in a more consumer-centric manner.
Data is at the core of Direct Marketing; without it there would be no industry. However, it is also at the core of many of the problems facing us. Badly managed, maintained or captured data will lead to a catalogue of errors. It is important to remember that what might appear to you to be a trivial problem, to the recipient of the badly targeted mail piece, e-mail, text message, or phone call, it could be a ringing condemnation of our industry.
The issue of Data Security and ID Fraud will be around for many years. In many cases data is at the heart of these issues. That consumers feel confident and included within their relationships with brands is critical to both our longevity and success. How we respond to the challenges of Data Sharing (in light of the Walport Report) and how we provide consumers with increased confidence when it comes to the issues of protecting their identities against ID Fraud will determine the shape of our industry in the years to come.
All too often we forget to incorporate the views of consumers into our business practice, yet in fact without them we would have no business. This guide will help you to be compliant and as a result, hopefully, more successful. Our goal is to help raise the bar to a level desirable to all those involved in the Direct Marketing industry.
I am extremely grateful to all those members of the Best Practice Working Group who have all worked so hard to bring the second edition of these guidelines to fruition along with those other contributors, including those who helped produce the first edition in 2004 without whose hard and dedicated work this second edition would not have been possible.
Mark Roy Chair – DMA Data Council Best Practice Working Group
Click here to see the full guidlines.
The contents of this guide are about providing advice and guidance
on how to raise standards above the minimum of what is legislatively demanded
of us, (what "has to be done"). This guide is designed to enable practitioners to achieve better results in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The Direct Marketing industry faces one of its most challenging phases over the coming years. It must demonstrate to both Government and consumers that it has grasped the environmental gauntlet as well as convert an already tainted audience to the medium’s benefits and advantages. This is not simply about changing our processes, such as using sustainable forestation as a paper source, or producing marketing materials that fully comply with recycling requirements. It is about doing business in a more consumer-centric manner.
Data is at the core of Direct Marketing; without it there would be no industry. However, it is also at the core of many of the problems facing us. Badly managed, maintained or captured data will lead to a catalogue of errors. It is important to remember that what might appear to you to be a trivial problem, to the recipient of the badly targeted mail piece, e-mail, text message, or phone call, it could be a ringing condemnation of our industry.
The issue of Data Security and ID Fraud will be around for many years. In many cases data is at the heart of these issues. That consumers feel confident and included within their relationships with brands is critical to both our longevity and success. How we respond to the challenges of Data Sharing (in light of the Walport Report) and how we provide consumers with increased confidence when it comes to the issues of protecting their identities against ID Fraud will determine the shape of our industry in the years to come.
All too often we forget to incorporate the views of consumers into our business practice, yet in fact without them we would have no business. This guide will help you to be compliant and as a result, hopefully, more successful. Our goal is to help raise the bar to a level desirable to all those involved in the Direct Marketing industry.
I am extremely grateful to all those members of the Best Practice Working Group who have all worked so hard to bring the second edition of these guidelines to fruition along with those other contributors, including those who helped produce the first edition in 2004 without whose hard and dedicated work this second edition would not have been possible.
Mark Roy Chair – DMA Data Council Best Practice Working Group
Click here to see the full guidlines.
