[Re: Loose Cannon: A “Dear John” Letter, Direct Newsline, Aug. 16, 2004]:
The DMA is a self-serving market-driven marketing company first and foremost. The products and services they offer are expensive, especially in terms of the value they provide. This would be fine in any free market enterprise, but not when masquerading as being on the side of direct marketers, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
The only side they are on is their own. They were weak, silent, and ineffective during the run up to the national do-not-call list, which gutted the industry, and destroyed jobs, families, and lives. Their only interest was in protecting the revenue stream derived from the state’s lists they provided, for a fee, of course.
If they were truly an industry resource, they would not greedily attach a steep price to every bit of information they provide. You can find the same information all over the web for free.
I say, if you can make money dispensing information, more power to you, but let’s call it what it is.
I think it’s difficult to change an entire corporate culture with one swipe. Different membership options [with different dues based on the amount of information a member wants to receive] are certainly a consideration for information, but I think the DMA needs to be an advocate for the direct marketing community, not simply an information broker.
An example would be an article I read recently which headlined something like “DMA Encourages Direct Marketers to Unite and Negotiate Better Post Rates.” Duh! Why doesn’t the DMA take the lead, organize direct marketers, then spearhead the effort? Are they afraid they might anger the Post Office, which needs postal revenue to survive, and to whom the DMA provides the do-not-mail list? (At a cost to the Postal Service, no doubt, because they don’t charge consumers. Don’t want to endanger that revenue stream.)
They just ride the fence on every issue, but lead in none of it. The fees would not be such a concern if I was truly getting representation, and advocacy.
Tony Kudalis
TDR Corp.
Nashua, NH
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