Baby Mailing Preference Service (Baby MPS)

Baby MPS is a free service which allows individuals to register not to receive baby related mailings.  By checking the information Baby MPS makes available to them, companies are advised how individual's circumstances have changed as well as their preference not to receive further mailings about baby products and services.

Since Baby MPS information is updated daily, companies have access to the most up-to-date information possible. They will, of course, respond in a sympathetic way, and remove registered names from their mailing lists. For Baby MPS registered individuals, it means they will still get the post they want. They'll just receive significantly less of the post they don't want.

Business Suppression File (BSF)

The Business Suppression File (BSF) is the easy and cost effective way of helping you to tackle the real problem of 5.7 million company and individual detail changes every year.  The file comprises the leading business databases including data identified from D&B's complete UK business file; The REaD Group's consumer and SoHo data plus verified gone aways from Wegener Direct Marketing and Experian to create a file of over eight million companies and individuals. The file enables all UK company changes to be tracked.

The file does not rely on assumed data such as postal returns or profiling and identifies:

• Out of business companies
• Company relocations
• Changes of employees
• SoHo relocations
• Unmarketable data
• Employee deaths

The Business Suppression File provides the widest coverage of the UK business market and gives unsurpassed levels of accuracy.

Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS)

The Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) is the central opt out register whereby corporate subscribers (see definition below) can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls to either all their organisation's telephone numbers, or to certain numbers. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the CTPS.  It takes 28 days for the registration to become fully effective.

If you register any of your telephone numbers you need to be aware that you may not receive unsolicited telephone calls from other organisations which you and your colleagues may find useful and would be interested in receiving  For information on the Regulations which dictate this new legal requirement please refer to the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2004, as well as the Information Commissioner's Office for their guidance on the Regulations.

Before you register you should be aware of the fact that registering may well prevent your organisation from receiving information which your colleagues would really like to have - thereby preventing your organisation from hearing about relevant and worthwhile opportunities.  If you are registering your organisation's phone numbers on to the Corporate TPS, you must be authorised to do this on behalf of your organisation. If you are registering a range of telephone numbers, please make sure you gain the relevant authorisation from each area of your company (ie, one part of your organisation may wish to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls, but another department may wish to opt out of receiving such calls).

A corporate subscriber includes corporate bodies such as a limited company in the UK, a limited liability partnership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or any partnership in Scotland. It also includes schools, government departments and agencies, hospitals, PLC's and other public bodies.

You can continue to register your residential telephone number on the Telephone Preference Service. The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a central opt out register whereby individuals can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls. The term individual under English law includes sole traders and except in Scotland partnerships as well as consumers at residential addresses.

Once a number has been registered it will become effective in 28 days and it's free to register on the CTPS.  No money is received from the Government to run the CTPS, the direct marketing industry pays for it by purchasing the CTPS data file.

Direct mail

Probably the most commonly used medium for direct marketing is direct mail, in which marketing communications are sent to customers using the postal service. In many developed countries, direct mail represents such a significant amount of the total volume of mail that special rate classes have been established. In the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, for example, there are bulk mail rates that enable marketers to send mail at rates that are lower than regular first-class rates. In order to qualify for these rates, marketers must format and sort the mail in particular ways.

Direct mail permits the marketeer to design marketing pieces in many different formats. Indeed, there is an entire subsector of the industry that produces specialized papers, printing, envelopes, and other materials for direct mail marketing. Some of the common formats, include:

• Catalogs: Multi-page, bound promotions, usually featuring a selection of products for sale.
• Self-mailers: Pieces usually created from a single sheet that has been printed and folded. For instance, a common practice is to print a page-length advertisement or promotion on one side of a sheet of paper. This is then folded in half or in thirds, with the promotional message to the inside. The two outside surfaces are then used for the address of the recipient and some "teaser" message designed to persuade the customer to open the piece.
• Postcards: Simple, two-sided pieces, with a promotional message on one side and the customer's address on the other.
• Envelope mailers: Mailings in which the marketing material is placed inside an envelope. This permits the marketeer to include more than one insert. When more than one advertiser is included, this is often called "marriage mail."
• Snap Mailers: Mailers that fold and seal with pressure. The sides detach and the mailer is opened to reveal the message.
• Dimensional Mailers: Mailers that have some dimension to them, like a small box.
• Intelligent Documents: Programmable mail pieces built dynamically from database information, and printed digitally for faster production.

Direct marketing

Direct marketing is a form of marketing that attempts to send its messages directly to consumers or executives, using "addressable" media , such as mail. Therefore, direct marketing differs from regular advertising in that it does not place its messages on a third party medium, or in the agora , such as a billboard or a radio commercial would. Instead, the marketing of the service or commodity is addressed directly to the consumer or executive.

Direct marketing is attractive to many marketeers, because in many cases its effectiveness can be measured directly. For example, if a marketer sends out one million solicitations by mail, and ten thousand customers respond to the promotion, the marketeer can say with some confidence that the campaign led directly to the responses. By contrast, measurement of other media must often be indirect, since there is no direct response from a consumer.

Direct Marketing Association (UK)

The Direct Marketing Association (UK) is Europe's largest trade association in the marketing and communications sector. The DMA was formed in 1992, following the merger of various like-minded trade bodies, forming a single voice to protect the direct marketing industry from legislative threats and promote its development.

In a market where there is a need to protect consumers from inappropriate, unethical behaviour by unscrupulous or ignorant practitioners, the DMA is dedicated to the protection and development of the UK direct marketing industry.  On behalf of its members, the DMA lobbies against adverse legislation from government and other regulatory bodies, and promote the expansion of national and international markets.

Direct Marketing Association (US)

Founded in 1917, the Direct Marketing Association (US) is today the largest trade association for businesses interested in direct, database, and interactive global marketing, with about 5,200 member companies from the United States and 44 foreign nations on six continents.

Both consumer and business-to-business marketers are the users of direct marketing techniques. These marketers employ a number of media, including telephone marketing, catalogs and other direct mail pieces, television, radio, newspaper, magazines, and the Internet to market directly to their customers. The suppliers, of course, are those companies that provide users with supplies and services.

The DMA shapes the way that organizations apply direct/interactive marketing methods to all marketing, sales and customer service activity. The DMA's mission is to encourage the education, growth and profitability of our members and their adherence to high ethical standards.

Direct marketing channel

A direct marketing channel is any medium that can be used to deliver a communication to a customer can be employed in direct marketing. Direct marketers often refer to such media as "addressable" to distinguish them from "mass" media, such as television, radio, and print.

Direct response

A related form of marketing is direct response marketing. In direct marketing, the marketer contacts the potential customer directly, but in direct response marketing the customer responds to the marketeer directly. Its most common form today is infomercials. They try to achieve a direct response via television presentations. Viewers respond via telephone or internet, credit card in hand. Other media, such as magazines, newspapers, radio, and e-mail can be used to elicit the response, but they tend to achieve lower response rates than television.

Order forms or coupons in magazines and newspapers are another type of direct response marketing. Mail order is a term, seldom used today, that describes a form of direct response in which customers respond by mailing a completed order form to the marketer. Mail order is slow and response rates are low. It has been eclipsed by toll-free telephone numbers and the internet.

Fax preference service (FPS)

The Fax Preference Service (FPS) is a central opt out register whereby businesses (and individuals if they wish) can register their choice not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing faxes. It is a legal requirement that companies do not send such faxes to numbers registered on the FPS.  The original legislation was introduced in May 1999. It has subsequently been updated and the relevant legislation is now the Privacy and Electronic (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

The Service is primarily aimed at businesses as individuals have protection under the law and should not receive sales and marketing faxes unless they have given prior permission . The term individual includes consumers at the residential addresses, sole traders, and except in Scotland, partnerships. However, if individuals wish to register on the FPS they may do so.

Once a number has been registered it will become effective in 28 days and it's free to register on the FPS.  No money is received from the Government to run the Service, the direct marketing industry pays for it.

Gone Away Suppression file (GAS)

The Gone Away Suppression file (GAS) was established in 1992 to address the problem of targeting people who have moved house. Put simply, it represents the most accurate, up to date and most widely used solution for identifying genuine Gone Aways and is now responsible for cleaning over half of all direct mail in the UK.

With an independently audited accuracy rating of 98.2%, it represents the pinnacle of suppression accuracy.  3,200,000 people move house every year - up to 7,000 every day

List broker

A list broker buys and sells lists of customers addresses. A customer address is occompanied with a name and often aggregate transaction information. Most promotional mailings such as catalogs, coupons, promotional offers and credit offers utilize lists purchased through brokers.

List Warranty Register

The List Warranty Register is a central database of list owner and user warranties. It helps to eliminate paperwork within the industry by negating the requirement for list owners and users to supply separate warranties every time a list is rented. It promotes best practice within the list industry and helps to raise standards for the benefit of the industry and the consumer. The warranty is an assurance that the data has been collected lawfully, is up to date and complies with relevant Codes of Practice. It should not be taken as a guarantee of responsiveness.

There are four types of warranties: consumer list owner, consumer list user, business list owner, and business list user. Warranties are renewed every year.  By signing a warranty the signee agrees to comply with the Direct Marketing Association's Code of Practice and in case of a complaint to be bound by the decisions of the Direct Marketing Authority.

Mailing list

A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers are referred to as "the mailing list", or simply "the list".

At least two quite different types of mailing lists can be defined: the first one is closer to the literal sense, where a "mailing list" of people is used as a recipient for newsletters, periodicals or advertising. Traditionally this was done through the postal system , but with the rise of e-mail , the electronic mailing list became popular.  When similar or identical material is sent out to all subscribers on a mailing-list, it is often referred to as a mailshot.  In mailing lists, the individual can subscribe or unsubscribe themselves.

Mailing lists are often rented or sold. If rented the renter agrees to use the mailing list for only the agreed upon times. The mailing list owner typically enforces this by "salting" the mailing list with fake addresses and creates new salts for each time the list is rented. Unscrupulous renters may attempt to bypass salts by renting several lists and merging the lists to find the common, valid addresses. Mailing list brokers exist to help organizations rent their lists. For some organizations such as specialized niche publications or charitable groups, their client list may be one of their most valuable assets and mailing list brokers help them maximize the value of their lists.

Mailing Preference Service (MPS)

The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is a free service set up 20 years ago and funded by the direct mail industry to enable consumers to have their names and home addresses in the UK removed from or added to lists used by the industry. It is actively supported by the Royal Mail and all directly involved trade associations and fully supported by The Information Commissioners Office.

The MPS Consumer File is a list of names and addresses of consumers who have told us they wish to limit the amount of direct mail they receive. The use of the Consumer File by list-owners and users is a requirement of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing administered by the Advertising Standards Authority. It is also a condition under the Code of Practice of the Direct Marketing Association.

The MPS can remove your name from up to 95% of Direct Mail lists. It will not stop mail that has been sent from overseas, un-addressed material or mail addressed to The Occupier. You can expect to continue to receive mailings from companies with whom you have done business in the past.You may also receive mailings from small, local companies. If you wish these mailings to be stopped, you must notify these companies directly. It will take up to 4 months for the Service to have full effect although you should notice a reduction of the mail during this period.

Registering with the MPS is FREE

National Suppression File (NSF)

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) wanted to design a product that would improve the image of direct marketing in the eyes of the consumer. The creation of the National Suppression File (NSF) allowed advertisers to radically improve the accuracy of their databases thereby raising standards in the industry and adding value to direct marketing campaigns.

The DMA brought together a consortium of key players from the within the Direct Marketing industry whose knowledge and expertise created the NSF; the most comprehensive suppression file to date.

Confirmed Gone Aways are compiled from:

• Gone Away Suppression File (GAS)
• National Change of Address File (NCOA) move out data

Assumed Gone Aways compiled from:

• Quantified Postal Returns within the NSF.

Telemarketing

In telemarketing, marketers contact the customer via telephone calls. One of the original attractions of telemarketing was the speed with which marketing campaigns could be executed. While direct mail is cost-effective, it is relatively slow, since marketing pieces must be shipped by mail.

Telemarketing also lends itself well to products and services that are complex to buy, such as switching to another telephone company orpurchasing a financial service. Certain types of transactions may also be subject to government regulation; telemarketing permits a company representative to walk the customer through the purchase, while ensuring compliance with laws.

While not as varied as direct mail, telemarketing can take several forms.

• Outbound telemarketing: Calls made to customers. By using autodialers and predictive dialers, call centers can call a large number of customers.
• Inbound telemarketing: Promotions and offers made when a customer calls the center.
• Voice messages: A number of firms employ special technology to call customers' answering machines.

Telemarketing became increasingly popular in the 1990s, as telephone deregulation and competition among telecommunications companies led to decreased costs.

Telephone preference service (TPS)

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a central opt out register whereby individuals can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS.

The original legislation was introduced in May 1999. It has subsequently been updated and now the relevant legislation is the Privacy and Electronic (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.  The term individual includes consumers at their residential address, sole traders and, except in Scotland, partnerships.

Once a number has been registered it will become effective in 28 days and, it's free to register on the TPS. No money is received from the Government to run the Service, the direct marketing industry pays for it.

The Bereavement Register (TBR)

The Bereavement Register (TBR) was launched in February 2000 as a service for members of the general public and was designed to remove from databases and mailing files the names and addresses of people who had died. It has one simple aim: To reduce the mail sent to those who have died and consequently make the passage of bereavement that much easier.

580,000 people die every year in the UK - up to 1,600 every day. On average, 80 pieces of direct mail will be sent out to each of the 580,000 people who die in the UK each year - nearly two a week. Obviously these mailings will not reach the person they were intended for; instead they will be the cause of unnecessary additional grief to the relatives and friends of the recently deceased.

TBR Call Guardian provides access, via a BT network to the live TBR database containing records of people who have died in the UK (other network alternatives are available). Where a match is found between the number called and the TBR database, the call is intercepted and barred without ever getting through. Where there is no match, the call will continue as normal.  TBR Call Guardian does not remove the telephone number indefinitely; it simply blocks calls during the most sensitive times.

TBR Call Guardian can block calls for a period of three or six months, depending on the consumer's preference, immediately following registration and is reactivated for two weeks either side of the anniversary of the death.