Data, holding, data analytics, data mining, data cleansing, and data quality – We all have a need or an issue with one or all of them – or we should have.
Today I visited a company that was looking to put in place a data cleansing solution to comply mainly with the 1988 data protection act. They were looking for a solution that did not cost the earth but complied with the act. We were given a file to test and we reported back matches. They then brought us back for a final presentation before deciding what route to take and what resources were required. How disappointed they were when I said although I knew the act and what it stood for and it was good they were trying to comply, but it was not something I could advise on. So great for thinking about the data that they held, great that they wanted to comply with the act, great they were looking at both in-house and bureau solutions, but what they really needed was an lawyer specialising on the act for advice on "What" before we started down the route of "How".
This was a complete contrast to another story that hit the headlines in Marketing Direct 2nd June
Rogue direct mail campaigns by charities could spur Government to impose opt-in, fundraising body chief warns
This was a warning was from Steven Pidgeon warning of around 10- 12 rogue charities breaking the Iof's code of conduct which is neatly summarised "charities need to ensure that direct mail is decent, honest and transparent, providing potential supporters with the tools to make an informed decision about whether to support a cause"
Now this is a worry. We all need to ensure that we keep our industry squeaky clean. I know that we are 99% compliant as an industry, but we must stop any intervention or positive opt in for mail or our industry will be hammered. I know it is like preaching to the converted, but this Armageddon would mean countless printers and mailing houses going to the wall mass layoffs. We all need to follow the DMA's code of conduct and any mailing house that gets wind of any rogue campaigns must not be a part of it – Short term gain could mean long term loss.
Well that is it – hopefully next week we will end on a more cheery note.
