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LAS VEGAS, Oct. 15, 2012 The Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Acting CEO and President Linda A. Woolley today announced the launch of a new initiative, named
Data-Driven Marketing Institute .
"The Data-Driven Marketing Institute (DDMI) will redouble DMA's efforts to explain the benefits of the consumer data industry to the public and policymakers," said Woolley, "with the goal of preventing needless regulation or enforcement that could severely hamper consumer marketing and stifle innovation, tamping down unfavorable media attention, and reminding and educating consumers about the many and varied ways that their needs are met and they are thrilled and delighted."
There will be several components to the Data-Driven Marketing Institute's (DDMI) work:
Advocacy
It is clear that the effort to restrict and control data collection and use practices is a bipartisan one that stretches from Capitol Hill across the fifty states. DDMI will bring data-driven marketers together to educate policymakers about the benefits our industry provides to consumers and the economy at large - and to fight restrictions on the collection and use of data that fuels the data-driven economy.
Consumer Engagement and Education
Consumers are thrilled and delighted every day by the responsible use of their personal data. However, they have been frightened by the scare tactics of legislators, regulators, and the media. DDMI will work to engage and educate consumers about the benefits they receive from the use of their data, as well as the privacy protections and preferences available to them.
Research
Data-driven marketing alone comprises a huge chunk of the US economy. When coupled with the activities of client-side marketers, the number increases substantially. DDMI will undertake an expansive research agenda to understand and communicate the value of the data-driven marketing industry to the overall economy; the consumer value that is derived from data-driven marketing; and consumer awareness about the use of data for marketing purposes.
For more information, visit www.the-dma.org/ddmi.
New York Times article
The Data-Mining Industry Kicks Off a Public Relations Campaign (Oct 15, 2012) says
The purpose of the effort is to buff the image and forestall regulation of the consumer data-mining industry. This industry consists of business-to-business companies, known as data brokers, that collect, share, analyze and sell information about consumers' online and off-line behaviors in order to tailor marketing pitches to them.
... About 67 percent of people who answered a recent e-mail questionnaire ... said they felt it was very important for them to be able to see the information that data brokers collected about them, while about 78 percent said they felt it was very important to be able to opt out of the distribution and sale of information about them.