FEBRUARY 2012 CONTENTS


418 NEWS


4 Industry faces 20% cost hike New proposals could add 20% to mailing bills, says DMA.


5 ER opt-outs fall once more Latest Electoral Rolll canvas shows another fall in op-out rates.


6 Online retailers up sales in Q4 The UK’s online retailers saw modest sles increases in Q4 of last year.


7 Plug-in portfolio from WorldAddresses.com Addressing specialist launches portfolio of plug-ins for all major ecommerce and CRM systems.


INSIGHT


10 EU data proposals Industry reaction ANTONY BEGLEY


A roundup of how the industry reacted to the latest EU data protection proposals.


12 Cover story TFM&A 2012 ANTONY BEGLEY


A look ahead at the biggest event of the year.


16 Notebook


The latest news, views and research from around the sector.


18 Opinion Smart for the future CHRIS SAVAGE Callcredit boss considers why it’s a good time to be a smart business.


18 Call It Like You See It VICTORIA RANSOM


Is ‘monetise’ a dirty word when it comes to social medai?


23 FEATURES


20 B2B data ANTONY BEGLEY


Are B2B marketers taking their eye of the ball when it comes to lead generation?.


23 Opinions on Insight Some of the sharpest minds in the business offer their insights into what lies ahead for database marketers.


31 Integrated Systems JAMES LAWSON Marketing automation platforms finally come of age and are now more accessible than ever.


Comment


Antony Begley, Managing Editor


Despite the positive spin being put on it by many marketers, the data protection proposals published last month by the EU mark a new era in the evolution of the direct and database marketing industries – and not for the better. The requirement to gain explicit permission for every contact with every customer brings to an end the old world order and creates a new one. As is often the way with these things, the intention may well have been honourable but the execution is poor, once more punishing the vast majority of legitimate business for the failings of the less honorouable few. The proposed moves also reek of ignorance. So often when it comes to regulating technical industries, the bodies in charge demonstrate all too clearly that they don’t actually understand what they’re


regulating, and fail to grasp the implications of their actions. The ‘collateral damage’ of devastated business is almost always justified by pursuit of the ‘greater good’. In this instance, protecting those poor, vulnerable consumers from those big bad marketers foisting products on them that they don’t want is the justification – but it doesn’t take too much to put up a very solid case for how the proposals could in effect actually end up harming consumer choice. The industry is in the firing line once more and it will take a minor miracle to change the course of the juggernaut that is likely to change direct marketing forever.


www.dmarket.co.uk February 2012 3


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