NEW YEAR'S MAKEOVERS? DON'T FORGET YOUR MAILBOX! DMAChoice.org Puts Consumers In Charge

New York, NY, January 18, 2010 — As consumers renew and review their life choices for 2011, it is important to make the right decisions about managing their mail. There is a solution to unwanted advertising mail — and that solution is DMAchoice.org. The Direct Marketing Association’s DMAchoice (www.dmachoice.org) free online website is among the offerings that enable consumers to remove their names from marketing lists.

DMAchoice.org, which already serves more than 4 million registered consumers, is a powerful consumer preference service allowing consumers to truly manage their mail — providing tools for a mailbox makeover. Through DMAchoice.org, consumers can choose — from among categories of advertisements or individual businesses — what commercial communications they receive in their mail and email boxes, and thus, get more of the mail they want and less of what they do not want. We encourage consumers to check out DMAchoice.org and take control of their mailboxes, both physical and electronic.

Remember

Some advertising mail is very welcome, especially if it contains promotions and bargains during these challenging economic times . . . and shopping directly is convenient. Consumers would be well-advised to think before they cut themselves off completely from this helpful information.

Caution

DMA cautions consumers to be on the alert for online services that charge fees and make unsupported claims. “We are concerned that some companies in the marketplace may exaggerate their services in order to profit from consumer’s reactions to unwanted mail,” said Senny Boone, SVP DMA Corporate & Social Responsibility. “The DMA’s privacy policy is very clear — the DMAchoice.org site is meant for name removal only, and is not used for other purposes such as fundraising or generating new business opportunities. DMA is comprised of companies and organizations that seek to do the right thing and honor consumer preferences. We are concerned that other similar services offered by non-marketers may mislead consumers and may not actually help them with their mail choices,” Boone continued.

Issues to Watch for

1. Is the service provided for free or for a nominal processing fee? DMAchoice.org is offered to consumers for no cost and for a minimal $1 fee for mailed-in requests. If a service is offered for a fee, consumers should learn more from the company regarding how their fees will be used for consumer requests.

2. Does the service claim to help the environment? If so, does the company offer specific information about what they do?

3. Is the privacy policy statement regarding the use of the consumer’s contact information clearly stated? What consumer information is being collected, and who has access to such information? Is it shared with any third parties and for what purposes?

4. How much mail is claimed to be impacted? DMAchoice.org offers mail choices for promotional offers sent through the mail. Does the service claim to stop all mail? Does it provide a timeframe for stopping mail?

5. Do companies claim to reduce pre-screened credit offers? Since this is already a free service (see www.optoutprescreen.com), consumers should not be charged for such a service.

6. Do the services claim that they can stop unwanted phone calls for a fee? Since the FTC’s national Do Not Call registry has been in effect, (see www.ftc.gov) consumers should not be charged a fee for this federal service provided to consumers at no cost.

Online Registration

Consumers can register at DMA’s consumer website: www.DMAchoice.org. There is no fee for online registration, and registering online is the fastest way to see results. Online, DMAchoice.org offers consumers a simple, step-by-step process that enables them to decide what mail they do and do not want. DMAchoice.org also directly links the consumer to a company so that the consumer’s preferences can be managed; that way, the consumer and company can have a good business relationship by communicating effectively with one another.

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About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2009, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.3% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales. In 2009, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2009, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.9 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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