Choice should include offering the chance to say no thanks

Something that is increasingly occupying the minds of marketers recently is choice. Demanding customers want to consume what they want, when they want and how they want. The consumption of marketing communications is no different - consumers want to feel that they have some control.

The television industry has recognised this with ITV mulling a new ad format on its demand service ITV Player. The new format allows viewers to skip ads if they correctly answer questions based on the brand or product on the spot. Channel 4 is one of several broadcasters trialing an ad format that allows viewers to choose which ad they want to watch from multiple brands ahead of video-on-demand content. They will still have to watch the ads - broadcasters and brands need to make a living - but consumers who are offered choice feel empowered and more readily willing to engage with the advertiser offering the option.

Direct marketers have fewer options so are unable to replicate their counterparts from other channels. They can, however, make some efforts to offer consumers a choice of what they receive and when. Indeed, there is already a movement in that direction. The Green Preference Service, launched in June and attracting noteworthy interest, offers consumers a choice of whether they want to receive DM by physical or electronic mail.

DIrect marketing is continually dogged by accusations that it is unscrupulous in its approach - carpet bombing consumers with junk mail and spam email with little or no regard for those they are actually "targeting". One way of tackling this is offering choice. Not only how they receive DM but whether they receive it. Opt out should be proactively offered by brands in a very deliberate visible fashion. As counter-intuitive as that might seem, customers that do not take up a brands' offer of opting out will be more receptive.

To read the full article please visit Marketing Week.

Junk mail crackdown to see launch of website

According to a BBC Report yesterday, ministers say it will be easier for people to stop junk mail being put through letterboxes under new plans.

The public will be able to opt out from receiving unsolicited flyers by contacting a single website rather than three different services at the moment. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said this would give people across the UK "more control" over what they get.  It has already been agreed that all adverts will be fully recyclable in the future as part of an initiative with the direct marketing industry. However, the voluntary decision only applies to members of the Direct Marketing Association - generally larger firms - and is unlikely to stop small, local companies such as restaurants and decorators from carrying out their mail shots. The average UK household receives more than 370 items of unsolicited paper mail a year, the majority of it unaddressed.

The Direct Marketing Association said its goal was to "eliminate" unwanted mail entirely. It said it would seek to persuade more firms to use "suppression lists" - which follow people's opt-out requests - and stop mail being delivered to addresses once inhabitants have moved or died. "We know that many types of advertising mail are welcomed by customers such as supermarket discount offers," Mike Lordan, the organisation's chief of operations, said. "Of course, untargeted and irrelevant advertising mail is not welcome. We are keen to ensure people are able to make an informed choice about whether or not they want to receive advertising mail.

To read the full article visit BBC News or to find out more about the initiative see the DMA website.

Paper vs. Digital Direct Marketing

Earlier this year Liam Bateman, Director at The Think Tank, was invited to make a presentation to marketing professionals at the RIBA Insight Conference, considering the merits of Paper v's Digital Direct Marketing. The presentation was well received and discussed the pros and cons of using direct mail and electronic direct marketing to reach target audiences.
To find out more and to download the full presentation please click on the pdf below.

Paper vs Digital Direct Marketing.pdf (2220 kb)