January 27, 2012
by Chris Combemale, chief executive, Direct Marketing Association
It looks like there’s another bumpy year ahead for the world in 2012 – but what challenges and opportunities await direct marketers specifically? We asked experts from the fields of data, creative, mobile commerce and social media to make their predictions for 2012.
Direct marketing in 2012 – the big picture
The war on waste begins
In November 2011, the DMA signed a historic agreement with Defra committing the direct marketing industry to a series of tough targets to cut physical waste over the next three years. The commitment to cutting waste has been set out in a new Voluntary Producer Responsibility deal.
Consumer opt-outs will be under one roof
By 2014, the direct marketing industry will have to achieve a 25% increase on the industry’s current use of suppression files and retain established direct mail recycling rates. Forty per cent of all direct mail produced will have to conform to the requirements of a new industry environmental standard that will replace PAS 2020.
The first changes the direct marketing industry will notice will be the launch of a new website, scheduled for April 2012, that will bring all the consumer preference services together under one roof.
Unaddressed mail to be covered by opt-out scheme
The DMA will be extending the existing Mailing Preference Service for addressed mail to also include the opt-out service for unaddressed mail. The year ahead will no doubt see difficult trading conditions for UK businesses with the environment understandably low on their list of priorities.
The DMA believes embracing these environmental measures should come at no additional cost to business and will be providing its members with the help and guidance they need to do better business.
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