The new direct mail opt-in law that came into effect in Germany in September has sent tremors of concern throughout the entire marketing and data industries in Europe, and could soon come into effect in the UK.
The changes will not prevent brands from sending marketing literature to potential customers, but it will restrict them from sending it out to the same mass audiences businesses have been used to.
While this currently has no effect on UK direct marketing, websites are already debating whether or not it is only a matter of time until all email and direct mail undergoes a stricter opt-in policy than is currently enforced.
Peter McCormick, co founder and general manager of one to one communications specialist ExactTarget, said, “This news should only be of concern to organisations that do not have the customer at the heart of their communications philosophy.
“Whether a marketing message drops into an email inbox, or via text or voicemail, each of those environments belongs to the consumer as an individual, and ultimately they should decide who gains and retains admission.”
The changes in the opt-in law could have a positive impact on the direct mail industry and force it to look at new techniques when targeting consumers, ultimately leading to a better ROI.
One of the main reasons for failure on an email campaign is lack of targeting. The blanket approach no longer works, due to savvy customers and increasingly sophisticated email providers.
The same applies to direct mail. By having stricter opt-in laws marketers would be guaranteed to only contact warm prospects who were interested in their products and therefore would be more likely to respond.
In the long term selecting data from reputable sources, with stringent opt-in policies, is the best policy. Keeping this up-to-date with regular cleansing and de-duping will help businesses to streamline their communications, hopefully making the possible implementation of EU laws a little easier to handle.
McCormick added, “As such we would welcome any move to strengthen permission-based or opt-in communications. We have always believed that marketers should build their digital marketing efforts on the foundation of permission - to their subscribers, customers, and partners. In fact in order for the digital direct marketing industry to continue to grow and provide a high level of return on investment, it is essential that all one-to-one marketing efforts are built upon permission.”
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