October 2007, the Direct Marketing Association initiated the Commitment to Consumer Choice (CCC) to encourage the direct mail community to become more responsible in this regard. The CCC mandates that you notify your consumers that they have the option to modify or eliminate future mail solicitations altogether. If you are a member of the DMA, your organization must abide by this regulation as of October 2009!

There are a lot of questions you have, no doubt, regarding the impact of this mandate – how it affects a renewal compared to an acquisition mailing, for example. The DMA website www.dmaccc.org addresses all of your questions and more. There is no one distinct verbiage that needs to be included, as long as the message is clear. Some of the suggested options are as follows:

• If you wish to reduce the amount of mail you receive from us, please visit our website at www.yourwebsite.com/consumerchoice
• We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable organizations that may interest you. If you prefer that we not exchange your name with other marketers, or if you wish to modify future mailings from us, please call xxx.xxx.xxxx or go to www.yourorganization.org/customerservice.
• We believe in doing our part to help the environment, and we know many Americans feel the same way. To view our environmental practices and policies or to modify or eliminate the amount of mail you receive from us, go to www.yourorganization.org/environment.

If a member of the DMA doesn’t appear to be upholding this measure, the organization will be contacted and asked for immediate compliance. While there doesn’t appear to be any punitive fees for noncompliance, unanswered requests to adhere to the CCC could potentially cause suspension or expulsion from the DMA. If you have any questions about how you can best include this information in your campaigns, please don’t hesitate to look to PS for help!