DMA To Launch Identity Theft Campaign

New York, NY, June 21, 2006 – The Direct Marketing Association announced today that it will partner with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its "AvoID Theft" campaign. The goal of the campaign is to provide information to consumers on how they can avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and what to do if they suspect their personal information is being misused.

"The message of the AvoID Theft campaign is practical, clear and concise: Deter. Detect. Defend," said DMA President & CEO John A. Greco, Jr. "We’re committed to helping the FTC get those words out into the public and understood by as many consumers as we can."

To help spread the word, DMA is developing a series of template materials that will be provided to its member companies. The brochures, bill stuffers, online content, and other materials can then be co-branded and offered to customers.

These materials will include tips for consumers on how to guard against identity theft and recognize when they might be at risk, as well as the appropriate steps to take if they believe they have become a victim.

"Our members know how to reach consumers – it’s what they do every day," said Patricia Kachura, DMA’s senior vice president for ethics and consumer affairs. " What DMA will do is to provide them this consumer-oriented information, which they can adapt and disseminate using their own existing and effective tools and channels."

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The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of business and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates industry 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 entire direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today has more than 4,800 corporate, affiliate, and chapter members from the US and 46 other nations, including 52 companies listed on the Fortune 100.

In 2005, companies spent an estimated $161 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated an estimated $1.85 trillion in increased sales in 2005, or 7% of the $26 trillion in total sales in the US economy (which includes intermediate sales). All together, direct marketing accounted for 10.3% of total US GDP in 2005.