SUSANNE HORNIKEL shines her direct
marketer’s spotlight on Suomi –Finland
B2C addresses offered are not required for mailings in the prohibition is applied if some
mostly mail order customers B2B sector yet, but it is products are offered for one
The law in
and subscribers. The selection recommended. single price –this is only allowed
Finland
criteria are recency and gender. Return rates of mailings vary if there is a factual link between
Moreover, there are plenty immensely. In both the B2C and the products or if it is a quantity
regarding direct
of reference files in Finland and B2B sectors, rates may be discount.
the most important one is the between one and three per cent
marketing is
Robinson list. People who do not if the databases are managed Recognise the potential
wish to receive any advertising well. But also rates of between The law in Finland concerning
easy to
by mail or telephone can five and eight per cent are not direct marketing is easy to
understand and
register to the Robinson list unheard of. understand and to implement.
which is managed by Itella, a When it comes to data Some well-known
to implement.
member of the Finnish Direct protection, the Finns are very companies, such as Yves Rocher,
Marketing Association (DMA). pragmatic. The opt-out principle H&M, Redcats and Ellos,
The aim is to refrain from is in practice, so personal data recognised the potential of the
sending direct mail or making may be collected, stored and Finish market and captured it.
promotional phone calls to passed to third parties for direct Redcats Nordic, for example, is
consumers who have objected marketing purposes, as long as leading the home shopping
to receiving advertising via the individual does not object. sector in the Nordic area.
those channels. However, this regulation does So, ‘the North’ has a lot to
There is a monthly update of not apply to sensitive data on offer in terms of direct
the list and all members of the people’s race, health, political marketing –you should think
association should compare views or sexual preferences. about integrating the
their addresses with the Scandinavians into your
Robinson list before every direct Misleading practices marketing campaigns.
marketing campaign. Sales promotion in Finland has
Deduplication against the to be very transparent.
Robinson file is advised by the Information about the company
Finnish DMA for the B2C sector, being advertised and the
but there is no legal imperative: purpose of the commercial have
it is only a recommendation. to be clearly highlighted. This is
It may be interesting to note because misleading advertising
that the Robinson list can be is strictly forbidden and
divided into a Mailing Preference marketers must not use such
Service (MPS), which has practices in sales promotions.
approximately 60,000 records, Sweepstakes and prize
and a Telephone Preference draws are generally permitted in
Service (TPS), which consists of Finland, however, there are
around 150,000 records. some limitations to be aware of.
Mover’s addresses and Free prize draws come under
nixies (undeliverable addresses) the customer protection law –
are available at the Finish Post but if an entrant has to pay a
Office. participation fee, prize draw
Regarding B2C mailings, the regulations become valid. It is
source of the addresses has to not allowed to combine a free
be mentioned on the mailing. prize draw with a product
So, when private addresses are purchase but there are no
used, the name of the owner of special regulations for offering
the address details must always discounts. Basically, combined
Susanne Hornikel is
managing director,
be stated on the mailing. This is offers are not allowed. This
Direct Success GmbH.
www.dmi-news.com January/February 2009 29
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