For all the likely presidential candidates in 2004 – ten, at last count, if you include the incumbent – one political outcome is already certain: The direct marketing industry is going to face legislation that will continue to restrict its activities.
Which is – no surprise – rather hypocritical of our elected leaders. They recognize the power of direct marketing: Nestled in most laws governing it are provisions exempting charities, religious groups – and politicians. And as long as politicians keep exempting themselves, they really don’t have to listen to industry concerns.
For inspiration on actions that would catch legislators’ attention, I pulled out my copy of Aristophanes’ play Lysistrata. If marketers would follow the lead of the women of Athens, legislators would be hit right where it hurts: Their wallets.
(Not what you expected? According to Aristophanes’ play, at the same time the Athenian women were denying their intimate favors to the male population in hopes of ending the Peloponnesian War, they had also seized the Acropolis – which contained the treasury.)
All right, that’s not what the play is best known for. But even acknowledging its more notorious plot point, the mental bridge from "no male" to "no mail" is a small one to cross.
Think about it: If all direct marketing suppliers, including call center managers, mail houses, list brokers and copy writers refused their services to political candidates as a means of protest, you can bet Capitol Hill would reconsider its positions. What they’ve accomplished legislatively – the aforementioned exemptions – DMers could negate through solidarity.
The industry would have to compensate direct marketers largely dependent on political revenue. This could be done through a war chest generated from donations, or through special consideration for contract work, from the rest of the DM community. Marketers eligible for these considerations could be taken from listings within Campaign & Elections magazine’s sourcebook and suggestions from the American Association of Political Consultants.
On the flip side, any company caught breaking the boycott would be ostracized. (Shaving heads went out of fashion in 1946.)
Yes, the direct marketing community would take a short-term hit. But the long-term benefit – reconsideration, and possible rollback of some of the more damaging legislation -- would make up for that soon enough. And if the industry doesn’t do a better job of getting legislators’ attention, we’re all going to be paying – and getting very little for it.
To respond to the opinions in this column, please contact rlevey@primediabusiness.com
