Prepare for the e-marketing revolution
Jun 18 2002
Small marketing companies need to start preparing now for a major change in direct e-marketing legislation that will become law in less than under 18 months.
A European directive on electronic communications approved by the European Parliament will make it illegal for commercial enterprises to send unsolicited emails to named individuals from October 2003.
This effectively means that marketing material can only be sent via e-mail or SMS text messaging to consumers who are already existing customers or who have been previously contacted and are prospective customers. James Milligan of the Direct Marketing Association highlights the fact that the legislation applies to all individual e-mail addresses, even business addresses.
Although this will obviously severely limit the scope of electronic marketing, Milligan says that if media SMEs start preparing now, the damage to their business can be restricted.
More than anything else, he urges SMEs to use the time between now and October 2003 to build up the most comprehensive list of prospective customers using unsolicited direct marketing methods. Until then, this is a perfectly legal method of operating.
All such campaigns, however, must be organised in such a way so that SMEs avoid "over-targeting and bombarding" people with marketing material.
He advises limiting marketing campaigns to "when you actually have something to say," when there is a new product, service or offer that consumers may be interested in. He does remind companies that an "unsubscribe" option must be included in these e-mails.
Milligan also points out that existing customers are now very "precious" and it is important not alienate them with excessive marketing.
All these factors, he says, should be taken into consideration when building or updating customer relationship management systems.
For more information on e-marketing strategies visit the DMA at www.dma.org.uk.
With thanks to Lloyds TSB Success4Business. For more news and information visit www.success4business.com .
(13/6/02)
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