The case of Roger Annies, a postman from Barry in South Wales, was covered yesterday by national media ranging from the BBC to The Times to the Daily Star.
They have focused on how Annies faces the sack for distributing opt-out forms, of which 70 were returned to the local sorting office.
Royal Mail recently secured its workforce's consent to up its maximum weekly quantity of door-drops from three to four. Its spokespeople and the DMA yesterday defended the positives of door-drops in the media.
The case has also highlighted consumer demand for an opt-out service covering door-drops. While Royal Mail offers the ability to opt out, a wider ranging service similar to the Telephone and Mailing Preference Services is not yet available.
However, the DMA has been working on a service and said it may be ready before the end of the year.
Robert Keitch, the DMA's director of media channel development, said: "We think we have got the right structure for the programme. It's now a case of the Door to Door Council ratifying that structure. We will also need to talk with external bodies such as Royal Mail, the Newspaper Society and the COI."
The service is not likely to cover material from local sources such as retailers and estate agents, which Keitch said makes up the "vast majority" of items.
There are currently 70,000 people opted out of Royal Mail's door-to-door deliveries, according to a spokesman. The opt-out mechanism only covers Royal Mail deliveries and lasts for one year.
The spokesman added: "Royal Mail delivers less than a quarter of the UK's unaddressed mail and if we do not deliver this mail then rival companies will... The simple fact is that a great many customers respond to the information in unaddressed mail and it's a highly effective form of advertising."
Keitch defended door-drops by quoting DMA research showing that consumers found door-drops were the most interesting form of direct marketing and that 35% responded with an inquiry or purchase after receiving them.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .