Permission-based Mail?

With the establishment of the national Do Not Call registry in 2003, consumers were given a mechanism to opt-out of telemarketing sales pitches. This legislation was followed quickly by the CAN-SPAM Act (requiring email opt-out mechanisms) and more recent Do Not Email registries in Utah and Michigan.

Is the same fate in store for direct mail? As of March 2008, 11 states were considering Do Not Mail registries to stem the tide of unsolicted consumer direct mail. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) expects more to come.

In an effort to preempt Do Not Mail legislation, the DMA launched a Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC) initiative, giving consumers more "choice over the types and volume of mail they receive."

What does the future hold? Here's what we think...

• expect some sort of legislation
  
• unsolicited direct mail is wasteful - an easy target in today's environmentally-conscious world
  
• what's good enough for phone and email will be good enough for mail

• legislation will drive innovative new forms of customer acquisition

• marketers adopting permission-based communications, regardless of delivery channel, will come out ahead...
  

We will know soon enough.