Data industry urged to tackle consumer opt-outs

phone call 2The data industry has been challenged to respond positively to soaring consumer opt-outs or face death by a thousands cuts as pressure mounts on the list rental market.
The call follows the launch of a new policy from DBS Data which forces clients to use any information they have been supplied within 28 days or return it to be rerun against suppression processing.
According to DBS, companies can often take up to three months from purchasing data to actually running a campaign; longer where data has been purchased on a multiple use licence.
It claims the new initiative will ensure that the information which companies use in their campaigns is protected against data decay.
The move follows a major rise in Telephone Preference Service registrations, with nearly 22 million people now signed up to the scheme, equivalent to about 3,000 people a day opting out of receiving calls. Pressure is also growing on the list market following the clampdown on charity marketing.
DBS insists that using only the freshest data gives campaigns the best possible chance of success, reduces wastage and provides the highest standards of adherence to regulatory compliance.
DBS managing director of Adam Williams said: “We believe this policy is a first for our industry and we encourage others to follow suit. Shortly we will release our self-serve suppression tool which will give clients ultimate control over updating their files and remaining compliant.”
For clients that lease data on a 12-month basis, DBS will suppress data prior to each use.
The 28-day suppression policy is the latest initiative from DBS Data in its campaign to support organisations in ensuring regulatory compliance, whilst eliminating dirty data and bad ethical practices from the marketing industry.
In December, the company launched its new 2.5 million charity donor database, limiting usage to one charity delivering one communication per month to each donor.

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