IAB adopts DMA best practice guidelines

IAB adopts DMA best practice guidelines for Email Marketing -
Frequently updated advice will help IAB members raise industry standards

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that it will endorse the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Email Marketing Best Practice Guidelines, which aim to raise industry standards and stimulate the positive development of email as an effective and respected marketing channel. The IAB’s endorsement marks an important step towards establishing a consistent industry approach to email marketing standards with dotMailer’s Tink Taylor, a member of the Email Marketing Council both at the DMA and also the IAB having been instrumental in bringing the two bodies together.

The Best Practice Guidelines, relaunched in June 2007 following a comprehensive update, provide the most up-to-date summary of regulation and legislation that applies to the email marketing industry, as well as comprehensive advice on how to improve deliverability and maximize the Return on Investment from email campaigns.

Tink Taylor comments,  “This is a landmark agreement for the industry, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining high standards through uniformity and consensus that will help to add credibility to this fast growing and highly-effective marketing channel.”

Rupert Harrison, chair of the DMA Email Marketing Council's Best Practice Hub, said, “As email comes of age, it is vital that the industry adopts a self-regulatory approach to avoid the introduction of further legislation.  The DMA Best Practice Guidelines provide a valuable and up-to-date industry benchmark, ensuring marketers can take advantage of this cost-effective, measurable medium to engage their customers and build their brands.”

Dan Redfearn from the IAB said,  “Best practice is more important than ever to safeguard such a successful medium. To be truly effective, we are keen that as many companies as possible are following the guidelines – setting a true standard for email marketing.”

A broad range of issues are covered in the guidelines, from collecting and managing data to creating and sending an effective campaign with practical advice on how to ensure that an email campaign arrives in inboxes and is read.

Notes to Editors

dotMailer is a UK-based, industry-leading provider of email marketing solutions, backed up by a dedicated client services team to help customers get the most from their investment in email marketing programmes. The dotMailer permission-based email marketing system allows users to create or edit high-impact HTML emails and manage all aspects of their email campaigns from the desktop via a secure web interface.  dotMailer offers the industry's most powerful campaign measurement tools, including conversion and ROI tracking.  dotMailer is a division of Ellipsis Media, a web design and development company.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is the largest trade association in the marketing communications sector, with over 900 corporate members. The DMA’s mission is to maximise value for members, whilst maintaining and enhancing consumer trust and confidence in the direct marketing industry. 

To assist, the DMA administers a portfolio of Preference Services that allow consumers to register their contact details, free of charge, should they choose to reduce the amount of direct marketing approaches they receive via mail, telephone, fax and email. 

DMA members benefit from added protection, intelligence and growth, which together we call the Power of Association.  Within these three areas, DMA member services include government lobbying, free legal advice, training & development, representation on DMA Councils, networking opportunities, regular updates of current dm issues/legislation, research, use of the DMA logo, promotion of member companies and discounts on a range of dm products/services.

For further information please visit www.dma.org.uk. For details on the benefits of becoming a DMA member please call 020 7291 3388 to speak to the membership team, email membership@dma.org.uk, or visit www.dmamembership.org.uk. 

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is the trade association for online advertising. With over 360 members, it's run for the leading media owners and agencies in the UK internet industry. Online is an exciting and fast-growing medium and our job at the IAB is to work with members to ensure marketers can identify the best role for online, helping them engage their customers and build their brands. Through the dissemination of research and the organisation of regular events, we aim to put online on the agenda of every marketer in the UK, acting as an authoritative and objective source for all internet advertising issues.