PM_220208_p015 20/2/08 16:49 Page 15
February 22 2008 PrecisionMarketing 15
Opinion
Please send letters to:
The Editor, Precision Marketing, 50 Poland Street, London W1F 7AX; charlie.mckelvey@centaur.co.uk
Leader
Charlie McKelvey
ence is best rendered through me assure you we are. undemocratic. The solution to Editor
multichannel engagement, The mailing levy collected by this perceived assault on our
offering a range of touchpoints Asbof funds both the MPS and environment is quite simple
allowing the customer to talk to helps to fund the regulation of and should receive broad
real people representing the direct mail through the ASA. appeal as it only costs 1p.
brand; from face-to-face instore The DMA, Asbof and other Under European legislation,
to the use of instant messenger parties have been working on manufacturing organisations
and Web chat online. This the problem for some time – the monitor waste production and
strengthens passive interest nature of deregulation and pay a levy proportionate to the Why Third Sector
into a longer term emotional down-stream access means that amount of waste produced.
connection, moving consumer the complexity has made a I propose that the answer to
and brand closer together. quantum leap. this dilemma is a levy on all is banged to rights
Building brand status, Whatever models for funding post. With over 15 billion letters
whether a real community or a are created, the will of both processed by Royal Mail each
virtual one, needs to be client mailers and mail carriers year, a 1p levy would raise in
strengthened by an intelligent to participate is the critical fac- the region of £150m. This could
Charities, hey, don’t you just love ‘em. On the one
and humanised marketing tor. No amount of planning can be used to set up ‘not for profit’
approach. Only then will a cus- guarantee that. recycling schemes and initia-
hand, they are toiling away tugging at the
tomer really begin to more fully tives to salvage discarded heartstrings of the public in an effort to raise cash
engage with a brand. letters.
for good causes. On the other, they are wasting
Charles Ping For the mailer to survive,
Director greater emphasis needs to be
millions of pounds – one estimate puts it at £11.5m
Rob Denton Asbof and DMA (UK) put on accurate targeting. – on failing to suppress the names of goneaways
Managing director London W1 Economies of scale marketing
and dead people.
Navigator Customer Management need to be discouraged, but,
Surrey SM6
Of course, there could be an argument to say
Levy will secure
above all, somebody has to pick
up the tab for managing the
that consumers will still open mailings if they see
Taking up the direct future
environment and the ultimate
they are from a needy cause, no matter if they are
fate of the industry’s surplus.
addressed to someone who no longer lives at that
MPS challenge
Surely 1p is thought provoking?
Direct mail is considered by
residence.
many as damaging to the envi- But, surely in these days where targeting and
Since you threw down the ronment. These accusations Iain Lovatt
personalisation are paramount, there is no excuse
gauntlet “will anyone take up have some founding and the Executive chairman and founder
the initiative?” (Why MPS industry’s image is tarnished Blue Sheep
for such shoddiness.
could be more than ‘buggered’, as a result. However, the idea Cheltenham Then there is a second argument which says that
precisionmarketing.co.uk) let of banning its use is simply GL51
suppression services are too expensive and too
confusing to bother with.
Well, if that is the case, how come every other
sector – from insurance and utilities to
manufacturing – is increasing its use of such
schemes?
Basically, charities are banged to rights.
Funnily enough, this revelation comes at a time
when the Institute of Fundraising is deep in
consultation about a new code of practice for
direct marketing in the charity sector.
While the main argument has been whether
incentives – such as the humble ballpoint pen –
practice. An ISO14001 accredi-
‘‘
In a few
over companies using uncerti-
should be included in a pack for fear of relying on
tation and CarbonNeutral sta- fied paper. Procurement has
‘donor guilt’, it is the effect on the environment that
tus are good measurements of
years’ time
already recognised this and
their commitment. often makes environmental
should be of most concern.
Most brands have set targets
‘being green’
accreditations a requirement. After all, the charity sector is the third biggest
to print a certain percentage of There is no reason why non-
user of direct mail, after financial services and
their communications on recy-
will be the norm
procurement pitches should be
cled paper, but, so far, finding run any differently.
home shopping, and accounts for up to 450 million
high-quality paper is still a
for UK
In a few years’ time ‘being mailings a year in the UK alone.
challenge. While I expect the green’ will be the norm for UK
How ironic then that charity marketers, while
usage of recycled paper to
businesses and
businesses and consumers. By‘‘
increase as more consumers get taking a long-term approach
working so hard to ease the plight of those
on board, there is still strong
suffering from abuse, starvation and neglect, might
demand for virgin paper. The consumers
and showing a willingness to
improve, brands can make a
single-handedly be contributing to the destruction
least that brands and agencies real difference not just to their
of the planet.
can do is select a partner that bottom line, but to society as a
provides virgin paper from Certification or the Forestry whole. If we continue to com-
managed sources only. In other Stewardship Council. bine this with clean data, better
Sign up for the PM Briefing, every Thursday, at
words, printers that have inter- By producing eco-friendly targeting and personalisation
precisionmarketing.co.uk, for more Editor’s View,
nationally recognised accredi- mailpacks, organisations will methods, consumers will even-
tations such as the Programme enhance their brand values and tually catch up and become
Client View, Agency View and Woolfe’s Log
for the Endorsement of Forest gain a competitive advantage more welcoming to direct mail.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49