In a blog entitled Last of the Summer Whine I predicted that Nick Clegg would be in trouble if he did not have permission to call 250,000 people with his conference message. Low and behold, John Boy at the ICO has given poor old Nick 500 lines and a detention, or some such punishment. The Lib Dems tried to hide behind a market research angle, but of course it was blatant party promotion.
Remember, you heard it here first!
Then a load of teacher's details go missing, more deja vu. But at least the data was encrpyed this time, and sent by a supposedly trackable couriour system, a definite improvement.
Finally Barclaycard gets hammered for silent calls.
When are these people going to learn?
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3 blogs in one day, a record for me, but sometimes you are just driven to share. Having been searching for a crucial document in my so-called filing system, I was forced into an unplanned clear out, and I came across the form for confirming our household details on the electoral roll. She who must be obeyed had asked me to sort it some days ago, hence its place in my 'in drawer'.
The form openly encouraged you to do it online, for all the best of reasons I am sure, and it was very simple in our case, as there were no changes. However, one thing struck me between the eyes. Two tick boxes, one for me and one for the wife, inviting us to opt out of having our names passed on. Just like that.
What hope do we have? Does no one realises that this just makes it harder for the legitmate data providers to make a living, whilst those who don't give a hoot about regulations or laws will just carry on as normal?
Dennis Bergkamp (My idea of a God), give me strength!
Market Location, a fine business run by good people with an excellent database, have axed their last remaining marketer, with reports suggesting that as the recession bites, it was wasted money. A great shame, especially for a company that sells to marketers, and lives or dies by the success of the medium.
As someone with almost equal experience of sales and marketing it has always amused me that people believe marketing is of no use to them in a downturn. Logic would suggest the opposite, as long as money is well spent. Of course, the frills and the fripperies have to go. Every penny has to count, but a good makreter can gain exposure and generate interest without spending a fortune. And a sales team cannot succeed in a recession just by looking after existing customers and cold calling. You need an in, a warmed lead, a case study...a reason to call.
In data sales, you need to make the phone ring. Not just special offers, although they play their part, but snapshots of the database, packaged and put in front of potential customers to generate interest. And to do this properly the marketing effort has to be consistent. You need a good customer and prospect database to mine. You need some intelligent product development. You need a marketing function. I am sure ML are still doing some marketing. Someone somewhere will be wearing two hats. I hope so, for their sake.
However, if the marketing industry does not show faith in its own territory, don't expect anyone else to value our services either.
2 comment(s)
Good grief, can you think of anything worse than getting a recorded message from Nick Clegg? 250,000 lucky people did. Compo would have been preferable. Isn't it amazing how direct marketing is perfectly acceptable when the politicians want to use it, but scandalous when someone else does?
I do hope the Lib Dems cleansed their list properly, but don't they realise there is nothing more annoying than being called by a robot? Personally I have never got past the first three words before slamming the receiver down, but maybe that is just me. Maybe there are hordes of people who found Nick's dismembered voice on the end of the line and thought 'sod my dinner on the table, I want to hear some cracking new policies from the Lib Dems'.
A B2B101 scoop, a shock, so amazing that it will send a tremor through the whole data industry. When I realised the significance of it, I was unsure whether to go straight to the tabloids, or to break it here...in the end loyalty to Brand Republic won through.
So, brace yourselves. I mean it, sit down, have a coffee, and a few deep breaths. Make sure you will not be disturbed while you read this. Even Gordon Brown will welcome this news. It is so incredible, I almost think I am mad to even dare think it...but, here we go.
So far this week, for the first time since the last time hell froze over, there have been no government data scandals. Of course, the last won is still rumbling on, with thousands of prison staff worrying about their ideintities being lost. But this week, thus far, nothing has been lost, posted to the wrong person, stolen, or given away by mistake.
It is a start, long may it continue...but don't hold your breath.
Naming and shaming, the new DM Commission says, face anyone caught not following DMA guidelines.
Wanna bet?
How about getting off to a good start and naming the list broker who had to pay Thomson £47k in compensation? It won't happen, no doubt after the out of court settlement was agreed, Thomson are unable to talk.
But I have news for the DMC. Most of the charlatans and the crooks won't care. They just disappear, and reappear a few weeks later under a new name. Also, quite a lot of people in the industry are not in the DMA. Try shaming someone who isn't a member. Let's get real here. We cannot police ourselves if some people have gone over to the dark side.
Late last week, catching a bit of the PM show on Radio 4, I heard the anger of the great unwashed, as consumers thoughts on the electoral roll were broadcast for our edification. You will be surprised to hear that no one was in favour. The tone was how dare these tinpot politicians sell my name and address for profit...you probably get the gist.
Not the most balanced piece I've ever heard from a great programme. No one pointed out the alternative. Offer a coffee this weekend, chatting with Vicki, a neighbour and dear friend, she commented that she had several recorded marketing messages on her ansaphone, despite being signed up for the telephone preference service. She asked me if this should stop them calling her.
Of course it should, but only the good guys take any notice of TPS, MPS and CTPS. Everyone else ignores them. If the electoral roll is removed from marketing communications, you will just get more junk, Mr Angry from TW. Not less. Why isn't someone making this point to the BBC?
This is what we have a trade association for. When someone does get caught, like the Thomson case last week, names are withheld to spare the blushes and the reputations of the guilty. I wondered on my last post if the guilty party was a DMA member, and I bet they were. Now we have more bad PR and no voice in the wilderness sticking up for the realities of Direct marketing.
It drives me crazy.
Hugh Bessant
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