Personal data is becoming the battleground for digital marketing regulation, with the latest report from the UK’s Direct Marketing Commission showing how industry self-regulation improves standards. Consumer concerns about the use of personal data continue to rise, but in the UK there may be an approach for industry regulation that can be copied for other markets. Here’s what the Commission is saying…
The Direct Marketing Commission (DMC) Annual Report 2011/12, which has just been published, highlights the public’s frustration if their wishes are not respected and stresses the need for good data.
The report revealed that between April 1st 2011 and March 31st this year over three-quarters of complaints made to the organisation were regarding data, privacy and quality issues.
This led Chief Commissioner George Kidd to state that those who sell, buy and use data need to be sure that it’s up to date, accurate and protects people’s privacy.
“The growth of digital marketing, where consumers are less aware of how data can be collected, makes this more important than ever. The DMC is an effective self-regulator and could do more to help the industry and the Information Commissioner’s Office stem the tide of complaints over breaches of telemarketing privacy,” he added.
David Coupe, Industry Member, went on to urge businesses to “check, check, check” the source of the data used in any campaign, while also getting a realistic expectation about the level of response.
The DMA and the DMC will be working together over the coming year to ensure they help industry members better understand the benefits of complying with the DM Code of Practice and ensure it is applied in a fair and reasonable manner.
“Behavioural advertising, location-based services on mobile, and shopping transactions are creating massive volumes of consumer data,” explains Danny Meadows-Klue, the UK Commissioner with a special focus on digital channels. “If companies are to retain consumer confidence, they need to be transparent about how this data will be used, not burying the descriptions away in inpenetrable terms and conditions. Consumers have the right to choose, and organisations who don’t respect this will increasingly lose customers.”
Read the DMC annual report here