Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008 - (Page 28)

“DO NOT MAIL” The lessons from consumer response to the registry can no longer be ignored By Debora Haskel So what can you do to ward oﬀ the sharks circling your livelihood? There are seven relatively easy steps you can take. The ﬁrst two steps date back to 500 BC when Sun Tzu wrote, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suﬀer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” 7 Trends steps to combat D o you hear the music from Jaws pounding in your head when someone mentions, “Do Not Mail?” The theme of impending doom — in this case to the direct mail industry — is not histrionics. While there are compelling arguments that suggest a Federal Do Not Mail bill will never happen, the lessons from consumer response to the “Do Not Call” registry cannot be ignored. There are two primary drivers behind the introduction of Do Not Mail bills in state legislatures. One is privacy and the other is the environment. A number of the bills introduced in the last 18 months were in response to constituents contacting senators and representatives after suﬀering some form of identity theft — real or perceived — and blaming direct mail solicitations. Environmental concerns play an equally strong role in the arguments for Do Not Mail leg- islation. The concept that “junk mail is overwhelming our landﬁlls” is used repeatedly as a statement of fact. Yet, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “discarded direct mail represents just 2.4% of municipal solid waste, and the recycling recovery rate has grown 700% since 1990. As a result, while direct mail volume in the US has grown 57% in 15 years, the amount of discarded mail sent to landﬁlls has remained virtually unchanged (2005 Municipal Solid Waste in the US).” And there’s one more thing lurking in the background of Do Not Mail eﬀorts. Today’s consumer receives a mind-numbing number of advertising messages through multiple channels, including the mail. Consumers are becoming more and more comfortable with dictating how they receive marketing messages. In other words, consumers assume they can choose what they receive and how they receive it and regard Do Not Mail legislation as a way to enable that choice. mailmovesamerica.org) has great info in an easy-to-absorb format, including myths and realities, beneﬁts of catalog shopping and the state of US forests. In addition, the site explains consumer options for managing mail and provides FAQs about the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service along with information about opting out of mailing lists. 1 Mail Moves America’s new website (www. Know the facts. are positioning their arguments. GreenDimes (www.greendimes.com), Forest Ethics (www.forestethics.com) and StopThe JunkMail.com (www.stopthejunkmail.com) are some of the loudest voices vying for the attention of consumers, legislators and the media. Both GreenDimes and StopTheJunkMail oﬀer a fee-based opt-out service that promise to reduce up to 90% of “junk mail.” Know what facts they use and don’t let inaccuracies go unchallenged. 2 how proponents of Do Not Mail Make a concerted effort to learn 28 MAY-JUNE 2008 | WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM http://www.mailmovesamerica.org http://www.mailmovesamerica.org http://www.greendimes.com http://www.forestethics.com http://www.stoptheJunkMail.com http://www.stopthejunkmail.com http://www.stoptheJunkMail.com http://www.mailsystemstechnology.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008

Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Peer to Peer It’s an Inside Job Greening Your Mail Center Adopting an Automated Document Factory Intelligent Mail and Address Quality 7 Steps to Combat “Do Not Mail” A Successful Resolution Q&A with Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission The Intelligent Mail Barcode Developing High-Performance Teams Simple Strategies to Save You Money A Powerful Social Network With Change, Comes Opportunity Increasing the Deliverability of Mail Kate’s Slate Products & Services People of Distinction Advertiser Index Sho Time

Mailing Systems Technology - May/June 2008

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