Email marketers get cookie guide

Email marketers are being urged to study a new guide – a collaboration between the DMA and the IAB – which aims to show them how to ensure their communications comply with the cookie law.
So far, most of the advice regarding the revised EU ePrivacy Directive has concentrated on getting websites compliant, even though many businesses appear to be dragging their feet. There is just over a week to go before the May 26 deadline.
A recent study claimed that 95% of firms had done nothing about changing their sites yet, meanwhile a separate report showed 90% of consumers backed the new law, even though most hadn’t even heard of it.
The new DMA and IAB guidance covers approaches to clearly explain to consumers how their data will be used if they agree to receive emails and sets out good practice guidelines on what constitutes acceptable use of cookies and other technologies.
Marketers are being encouraged to ensure this information is easy to access when consumers agree to receive emails, and is clear and simple to understand. The paper advises on the viability of a number of ways to give consumers informed choices.
Tim Roe, the email marketing representative on the DMA’s Cookie Compliance Working Party and director of data segmentation and email deliverability for RedEye, claims that the guidelines are essential reading for email marketers.
He said: “The DMA has produced separate guides on the ePrivacy Directive for website owners and email marketers because of the differences in between each of the media.
“Unlike website visitors, email recipients have already given their permission to use their data for marketing purposes. However, marketers cannot assume that this gives them carte blanche to use their data for all forms of use.
“Trust needs to be at the heart of marketing. Email marketers following our guidance will give their customers the confidence that they understand how their data will be used when they agree to receive emails.”
The DMA-IAB ePrivacy guidance for email marketing can be downloaded for free from the DMA’s website: www.dma.org.uk and on the IAB’s website: www.iabuk.net