Businesses accused over wasteful direct mail marketing

"Sloppy" processes are leading many firms to undertake poorly targeted direct mail marketing campaigns, which result in wasted paper and carbon emissions and run the risk of alienating increasingly environmentally conscious customers with a deluge of "junk mail".

That is the view of Keith Jones, group leader of multi-industry solutions and services at data marketing company Acxiom, who this week argued there was an urgent need for wider adoption of best practices when developing direct mail marketing campaigns.

"Over the past 15 years, printing and raw materials have got cheaper, so firms can accept a lower response rate to direct mail campaigns and still see an economic return," he observed. "But as a result some firms have forgotten the basics and got sloppy."

He added that many firms were failing to undertake analysis of customer data to ensure mail is properly targeted, were failing to structure campaigns to suit customers and were in some cases not even taking measures to ensure customer data is accurate.

"They need to tighten up these practices, not necessarily for economic reasons, although they will gain economic benefits, but because of the environmental waste these practices represent," he said.

Consequently, Jones welcomed Acxiom's involvement in the launch last month of a major alliance between the Direct Marketing Association and the BSI designed to develop an environmentally conscious best practice standard for direct mail marketing campaigns.

Jones argued that the standard, which is likely to come into effect within 12 to 18 months, would help firms ensure their direct mail is "carbon efficient" and provide them with a means of accrediting their campaigns as environmentally responsible.

The move is likely to be perceived in many quarters as a defensive move from a sector of the marketing industry under growing competitive pressure from lower carbon online alternatives.

However, Jones is unapologetic about the new standard's dual goal of raising environmental standards and heading off potentially onerous legislation.

"We believe direct mail is an important part of the marketing mix," he said. "But when you have pressure from government and consumers over junk mail, there is an urgent need to become more efficient in what we do as a sector."