The Direct Marketing Association (UK) Ltd (DMA) has launched a new Compliance Unit to provide its members with a competitive advantage, by ensuring they are educated about their legislative and other industry self-regulatory obligations. It will also strive to promote best practice within the wider direct marketing industry for the benefit of all.
As part of this, the DMA has appointed a Compliance Manager, Neil Matthews, to work closely with members to help them achieve compliance with the Code of Practice, which is mandatory for all DMA members.
The initiative is part of the DMA’s move to ensure its members and wider industry are continually raising their standards, with the aim of safeguarding the interests of consumers and direct marketing practitioners alike. This is of particular importance as Government bodies and consumer groups put pressure on the direct marketing industry to improve its practices, and the threat of restrictive legislation increases significantly in the UK.
A key part of the process will involve each member company requested to nominate an internal Compliance Officer, with whom Matthews can communicate directly with on all compliance related issues. Regional roadshows are also organised and will consist of a series of half day sessions covering a range of compliance, best practice and other self regulatory and legislative issues. All members will be encouraged to attend one session.
David Robottom, DMA Director responsible for Compliance, said:
The DMA will seek members to self-certify on compliance and a series of compliance audits will be introduced to confirm this. In addition to compliance audits, mystery shopping will be introduced as a tool for the Direct Marketing Authority to use to investigate complaints against members. The Compliance Manager will seek to resolve non-compliance issues with members on a one to one basis, in many cases, necessitating no referral to the Direct Marketing Authority.
The introduction of the new DMA Compliance Unit coincides with the forthcoming launch of the new DMA Code of Practice, which has been updated to reflect recent technological and legislative developments that have had a dramatic effect on direct marketing practices since the last edition of the Code was produced.
DMA members will receive details of the Compliance Unit from the DMA at the end of this week and details of the forthcoming launch of the updated Code of Practice over the next few weeks. Members wanting further information about the Compliance Unit can email Neil Matthews at: neil@dma.org.uk
