It is not often that one can accuse lawmakers of coming up with a bit of legislation that seems to attack a perceived problem without causing too much collateral damage but every now and again comes a law that confounds. Mind you, the title is not too reassuring: The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, 2003, … READ MORE »
The heading is not strictly descriptive of this article, something I would argue against in normal circumstances, but I couldn’t let such an opportunity pass. I knew you would realise I was talking about those little ‘tags’ that allow tracking of user activity on websites. Email marketing software depends to a great extent on them. … READ MORE »
We recently mentioned the advice given by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) on what can and cannot be claimed in non-broadcast advertisements, including the best email marketing. Our suggestion was that you should still push the boundaries. However, throwing caution to the wind has never been the sensible option. Whilst we all enjoy the … READ MORE »
Every now and again the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issues advice on specific matters. Almost always it has been well worded, easy to read, devoid of too much superfluous information and, most importantly, useful. The ICO has recently issued a booklet giving guidance on direct marketing. Should I suggest that it is one of their … READ MORE »
The most important tool in retaining email marketing subscribers is your database. Both law and sensible list management requires it to be accurate, up to date and devoid of irrelevant and confusing detail. On the matter of which details should be kept, those involved in email marketing are by no means unanimous. There are those … READ MORE »
We need, first of all, to clarify what is meant by a squeeze page. It’s a landing page with the sole purpose of getting visitors to subscribe to an email marketing list or an enewsletter. The big difference between it and any other page which contains a sign-up form, is the word sole. It is … READ MORE »
There has been a lot of coverage in the press and TV news lately on what they suggest is the new ‘right to be forgotten’, or more correctly the right to erasure of personal data. We’ll stick with RTBF for this article. Despite most outlets focusing on the implications for social media, not only in … READ MORE »
Is it anything to do with email marketing? The proposed European Data Protection Regulations (DPR), replaces the Data Protection Directive, and the change from Directive to Regulations is significant. It means that it does not require ratification by each individual member country. Once passed it become law. For a common market, having various regulations in … READ MORE »
DPA: three initials to strike fear into the heart on anyone with a business which includes processing personal information, including email marketing. But in practice it is little more than a set of rules which would be sensible to comply with anyway. It strikes what many feel is a reasonable balance between the interests of … READ MORE »
The problem with rules is that they regulate. Cars mostly look the same nowadays not (only?) because coachwork designers have lost the art, but because constraining factors, such as the construction and use regulations, crash testing and the straightjacket of the laws of physics, especially as they apply to aerodynamics and limit their options. It … READ MORE »