What makes customers opt in to marketing communications?

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and imagine what they think of your marketing consent policy and what encourages them to opt in – and opt out.

Royal Mail’s Mike West and DVL Smith’s Patrick Young go one better and give consumers a voice, talking to them to find out their likes and dislikes, from wanting to choose which type of direct marketing they receive – with 95% of respondents stating their preference for this level of control – to their dislike of impenetrable legalese.

Using 2009 research, they explore the four main factors involved in putting together an engaging and effective policy – choice, control, clarity and benefit – and detail the actions required to ensure your clauses win maximum consumer consent. They explain:

• Why giving consumers control over how their personal data is used is so important.

• How a separate third-party opt-out clause can boost consumer confidence.

• How making the data collection process transparent wins trust.

• How the focus on data protection compliance has got in the way of selling the benefits of direct marketing to consumers.