However, I wanted to use this series of pieces to highlight some of the areas in which I think there will be the biggest changes affecting the industry, in five, 10 and 15 years' time. While I won't be so bold as to call them predictions, these opinions are instead a suggestion of the direction I feel the industry is heading.
Although 2010 is only five years away, much can change in a short space of time. I'm confident in mooting the idea that the industry will have a permission marketing model as standard practice. There is already strong evidence of a move in this direction as more consumers than ever sign up to the MPS and TPS and companies try and stem the number of people opting out. By employing this as best practice across the board, in 2010 marketers will inevitably deliver to consumers' communication of choice.
Alongside this, great in-roads will have been made (but we won't have utopia) towards homogenisation of opt-in legislation across channels, "tidying up" the current complexity that exists. While permission marketing will ensure consumers have the choice of receiving communication, bringing all channels under an opt-in banner will make it far easier for marketers to keep track of which channels consumers have requested contact through.
While this is good news for consumers, there will be implications for the industry -- by giving consumers choice there is potential for larger numbers to opt-out from any marketing communications.
I don't see this as a massive threat however; we currently have the MPS which is relatively well publicised. Just because the industry makes a bold move to put legislation in order, and goes the extra step of bringing in permission marketing as standard, it doesn't automatically mean every consumer will say no. Instead it will give the industry the impetus to treat every relationship with a consumer with much more reverence.
But I'm by no means under the illusion that consumers will be happy about everything. An important challenge will be the sympathetic utilisation of digital channels such as SMS, MMS and email. Excessive use of these channels will turn consumers off, and could result in a technology-driven backlash, as consumers go back to basics and choose simpler mobile devices (that can make calls and receive text messages, but disallow MMS) and email browsers that block email from unknown recipients (which email programmes are already beginning to offer). Marketers need to focus on keeping the number of consumers saying no to communication to a minimum and think very carefully about how they use each and every available channel.
Legislative constraints will shape the future of the industry and I think that the major decisions will be presented within the next five years. We have to lobby the right channels now to create an environment in 15 years' time where we have instilled consumer confidence by delivering approved communication in an ethical and, most importantly, revenue generating environment.
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