DMA Launches Email Authentication Help Center; Gives Marketers a Head Start on Changing ISP Authentication Requirements

New York, NY, April 16, 2007 - The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) announced today the launch of its Email Authentication Help Center, which is designed to help email marketers to comply with the DMA Board of Directors’ mandate requiring DMA members to authenticate all outbound email.

This process is likely to become necessary in order to clear ISP gatekeepers. In fact, authentication is the first step in assuring consumers that a marketer is legitimate, and has a positive impact on the generation of revenues and profits.

“The Help Center simplifies the email authentication process, which many organizations find daunting or complex,” said Pat Kachura, senior vice president, ethics and consumer affairs, DMA. “In addition, the Center raises awareness about why DMA’s email authentication requirement makes good business sense, and how authentication builds consumer trust.”

Email performance is threatened by double-digit non-deliverability rates as ISPs and consumers work to filter out the increased volume of SPAM and fraudulent messages. By using the Help Center to authenticate email, organizations can protect their brands, distinguish themselves from spammers and phishers, and ensure that their email reaches their intended recipients.

DMA’s Email Authentication Resource Center can be found at http://www.the-dma.org/emailauthentication and includes definitions, how-tos, test-tools, and a checklist to help marketers make sense of the information requirements. The online resource center also includes a directory of DMA member companies that have agreed to offer technical assistance at reasonable prices.

Marketers will need to authenticate more than marketing and promotional messages in order to comply with DMA’s mandate and to clear ISP gatekeepers. For instance, domains distributing communications including mailing list, fulfillment orders, customer service messages, shipping confirmations, even newsletters must be authenticated.

“The center clearly communicates that we're not just talking about promotional email,” said Lynn Wunderman, chair of DMA’s ECommerce Integrity Subcommittee. “ALL categories of email require authentication, including customer service emails and emails sent in transit from mobile devices like BlackBerries. DMA research has revealed that many firms think they are in compliance once they've authenticated their marketing messages and don't realize they are still vulnerable for rejection.”

Wunderman adds that authentication can benefit all marketers and their
bottom lines. “Email has become one of the most effective media vehicles for customer retention and increasing customer value - approaching a billion-dollar industry.”

“DMA has already compiled some impressive resources on email authentication,” said Austin C. Bliss, president, Fresh Address, Inc. and member of DMA’s Committee on Environment and Social Responsibility. “The new help center was the next logical step, presenting a clear, step-by-step guide to the what, why and how of email authentication. As email marketers, we need to embrace email authentication and other technologies that will allow recipients to easily identify phishes and other falsified emails.”
DMA has taken a leadership position in educating marketers on the latest developments in technology, including its role on the steering committee and participation in the upcoming Authentication and Online Trust Summit 2007, (www.aotalliance.org/summit2007) taking place April 18-19, 2007 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.
DMA will also host the 2007 Email Policy Summit to discuss developments in legal and policy frameworks, market changes, advances in technology, and the industry outlook on Friday, May 18, 2007 in Washington, DC. For more information, please visit http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/emailpolicy/.

About 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 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 end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2006, marketers - commercial and nonprofit - spent $166.5 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated $1.93 trillion in incremental sales. Last year, direct marketing accounted for 10.3 percent of total US GDP. Also, there are today 1.7 million direct marketing employees in the US alone. Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.8 million other jobs. That accounts for 10.5 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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