COLUMNIST – EUROPEAN VIEW
The opt-out advantage
ALASTAIRTEMPESTlooksatthe
importanceofthe‘RobinsonList’.
Therightof
PreferenceServices,otherwise theirsizeandDMactivities.A itslistsagainsttheTPSand/or
knownasRobinsonLists, realpreferenceservice– theCTPS.
anyoneto
nowhavealongand offeringamenuofbusiness In2008,theDutch
honourablehistoryofsuccess sectorsandcompanies–is Governmentputforwarda
opt-outofa
in thereforepossiblewitha proposaltocreateamandatory
manycountries. businessmodeltoresourceit, TPS.Thelawwaspassedthis
marketinglist Aretheygettinglong-in-the- althoughwhetherthebusiness yearanditnowseemsvery
hasbeen
toothandlessimportant?The modelcouldworkinsmaller likelythatInfofilter,the
evidenceweseeatFEDMAis countriesisstilltobetested. industry’sbodyforpreferences
offeredby
quitetheopposite:preference TheUS,ofcourse, services,willoperatethelegally
services/RobinsonListsare discoveredtheproblemsofa requiredTPSunderthenewlaw.
wisemarketers
becomingincreasingly government-runRobinsonList InAprilthisyear,the
important–butarefacingnew whentheFederalTrade PortugueseGovernmentpassed
fordecades. threatstotheirexistence. Commissionwasgiventhejobof adecreewhichrequiredits
Therightofanyoneto operatingthefederalDoNot InstitutodoConsumidor(the
opt-outofamarketinglisthas CallList.Registrantswerenot government-runconsumerbody)
beenofferedbywisemarketers controlledandmanywhole tosetupaRobinsonListfor
fordecades.Companiesoperate neighbourhoodswereregistered Portugal.Thislistseemstobe
internalsuppressionliststo byoneconcernedcitizen.Some exclusivelyformobilephones
avoidthecosts–andpotential companiesalsoregisteredall andemail(whichisalready
hassle–ofcontacting theircustomersinanattemptto opt-inunderanEUDirectiveof
consumerswhodon’twanttobe preventcompetition–sneaky. 2002).Therefore,itseems
marketedto. possiblethatRobinsonListsare
Fromthiscametheideaofa Theoreticallysound likelytobecomethefocusof
collectivenationallistwhich, Theideaofcreatingamandatory morediscussionatthenational
originally,offeredapreference. listwhichappliestoall level. Howaretheyrun,to
Theconsumercouldopt-outof marketersandnotjustthe whomdotheyapplyandwhat
certainproductsectors,but membersoftheassociation enforcementisinplace?
remainonotherlists. whichrunsthePreference Thesearethethreekey
Howeveritbecametoo Services/RobinsonList,isin questionswhichtheindustryat
expensivetodelineateinterests theoryverysound,particularly eachDMAneedstoconsideras
andsothe‘preference’onoffer inEurope.Ourdataprotection amatterofsomeurgency.
becamejustopt-out. lawsspecificallyrequirethe Theurgencyisduetothe
Lastyear,theUSDMA,in righttooptout,atanytime, increasingpressuresondata
theinterestsofengaging easilyandwithoutcost.A protectionauthoritiesatboth
consumersandalsoconcerned PreferenceServiceguarantees nationalandEuropeanlevelto
aboutpressurestocreatea thatrightfortheconsumer. tightenuptheirrulesand
federalgovernment-runDoNot Someregulatorshave controls.Ifwe,theDMindustry,
Maillist,re-introduced lookedacrossattheUSand areproperlyprepared,wecan
preferences,knownasDMA thoughttoimporttheDoNot avoidstringentregulations.
Choice(www.dmachoice.org). CalllistintoEurope,andthusa TheUSDMAhashadthe
ThisisinadditiontotheUS sortof‘institutionalisation’or foresighttolaunchtheDMA
MailPreferenceServiceand ‘nationalisation’ofRobinson ChoicePreferenceService,
givesanoptiontochoosewhat Listsisnowbecoming whichbenefitsboththe
mailtheconsumerwantsor quitefashionable. consumerandbusiness.
doesnotwantfromalistof TheUKmandatedbylaw Self-regulationshouldbe
businesssectors(egcredit twoTelephonePreference likethis–win-winsolutionsto
cardoffers,catalogues, Services(TPS)–thetraditional themutualbenefitofbothsides.
magazineoffers)andalist B2C(TPS),andasecond,the Regulators,ofcourse,seldom
ofspecificDMcompanies. CorporateTelephonePreference consideraneedtofindwin-win
Morethanamillion Service(CTPS),whichwas solutions!Thereisnowa
peoplehadregisteredby introducedin2004. windowofopportunitytoensure
AlastairTempestis
spring2009,according TheUKDMAhasoperated thatopt-outsolutionsreally
directorgeneral,FEDMA
totheUSDMA. bothsuccessfullyundera work.InEurope,thatwindow
(FederationofEuropean Thecompanies licencefromtheGovernment. maybeclosingfast.
DirectandInteractive
whichareinvolvedpaya Anycompanywhichuses Weneedtoseizethechance
Marketing).
charge,dependingon telemarketingmustbylawclean whilewehaveit!
www.dmi-news.com June2009 41
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