Direct Mail Combats the Right to Privacy Challenges

Not so long ago, digital marketing was cited as the death knell for Direct Mail but opinions have been changing and a report from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, published on 3 November 2019, raises significant concerns over The Right to Privacy (Article 8) and the Digital Revolution.

The issues in a nutshell

The report itself makes very interesting reading but to summarise, the committee says the “consent model is broken” and should not be used as a blanket basis for processing, as it puts too much onus on the individual to understand the risks associated with web-based services.

Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP, Chair of JCHR said:

“Individuals are giving away lots of information about themselves when using web-based services and the expectation is that they should know about the risks of using the internet. Individuals cannot be expected to know whether their data is being used appropriately and what risks this poses to their right to privacy. Instead there should be adequate regulation in place to ensure that everyone’s privacy is protected online.

“It should be simple to know what data is shared about individuals and it must be equally easy to correct or delete data held about us as it was to us to sign up to the service in the first place. These rights already exist, but they clearly have yet to be effectively implemented by companies and enforced by regulators. The Government must address this, urgently. We say it often, but it bears repeating again now: rights are meaningless if not enforced.”

What’s going to happen?

Changes to online data collection and sharing are being called for and this will impact on digital marketing and how companies reach their customers online. As more organisations consider the success of GDPR compliant advertising mail it will raise its profile for future campaigns. JicMail stats reveal:  65% of all addressed mail is opened. On average each item is passed on 1.2 times and read 4.2 times by each person who receives it. Not surprisingly the more people in a household, the more a piece of mail is shared and passed on.

Where do I start?

Whatever the size of your business, there are lots of opportunities to benefit from direct mail, from advertising to customer engagement, acquisition to renewal. Citipost Mail can help you with every aspect of the process, including printing and delivery. We will give you access to the best prices and incentive rates to make sure you are never paying more than you need to. Our team will be delighted to talk to you about our range of services including our hybrid mail solution, Digi-Mail, which allows you to upload, print and post your mail without leaving your desk.

Talk to us on 0203 2600240 and let us help you to make the most of compliant advertising opportunities.