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Goods and services bought as a result of direct marketing activity now equate to approximately £60 billion a year, and the amount spent by organisations on direct marketing services continues to rise with expenditure reaching £11.85 billion in 2002. However, it is pointless to deny that despite the significant contribution DM makes to the UK economy, the industry's reputation is still not where we want it to be, and there are a number of key issues that need to be addressed if we are to rectify this.

Although spam represents a considerable economic waste and a consumer nuisance, there is now an awareness that the majority of it comes from outside the European Union.

By contrast, UK direct marketers adhere to permission based marketing principles, which are now enshrined in law. The recent Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations have set a proper industry framework for conducting email marketing campaigns. Over time, we hope it will defeat the rogue spammers and highlight the difference between genuine email marketing and those engaged in illicit and often fraudulent activities.

However, despite the difficult tasks that lie ahead, the DMA is positive that the reputation of DM will continue to improve if we work together to ensure best practice in direct marketing. The DMA joined forces with Planet Ark last year showing consumers that the industry was taking responsibility for its actions by raising awareness of the Mailing Preference Service and the need to recycle direct mail, yet at the same time it successfully highlighted the difference between accurately targeted direct mail and "junk" mail.

The second phase of our environmental campaign with Planet Ark is now underway. By focusing on the need for better targeting and the use of suppression files we aim to show consumers that their negative perceptions of direct mail are no longer justifiable and that as an industry we are committed to the continual improvement of the DM marketplace both for those operating within it and the public at large.

NO - Jonathan Clark, co-founder and chairman, Clark McKay and Walpole

No, or at least not in the short term. Yet how I wish it could be otherwise. I know what direct marketing can do for its clients and their consumers. I have also seen the creative sea-change in recent years where the work has improved almost beyond recognition. This has been a virtuous circle as it has attracted (and helped retain) an ever improving calibre of creative.

It therefore saddens me when commentators, even within our own industry, snipe at what we do. More than biting the hand that feeds it, they resemble Peter thrice denying their allegiances. Watch their cowardice at dinner parties avoiding the issue by saying euphemistically that they work in the communications industry. How much easier this is than to face feeling humiliated before their peers (or neighbours) when they learn that they work in direct marketing. The stigma runs deep.

And herein lies the crux of the problem. What's desperately needed - and let's all savour the irony - is awareness building, advertising and PR initiatives to start to reframe people's views of direct marketing. Is this likely and if so what would be the brief?

First we would need to identify and address some of the barriers to improving the image of our industry and ask ourselves how surmountable they might be. A straw poll of dissidents provided me with some stereotypical issues. Creativity (or lack of it), junk mail, second-class citizenship, more tactical than strategic, too data-oriented, intrusive and so on.

And yet the evidence of the power of DM is overwhelming. To our shame though, we are not communicating this either clearly enough or with as much gravitas as we should.

There are plenty of positives for us to focus on. For starters, how we work multiple levers to drive business forward; combine hugely intellectual thinking with innovation and creativity to optimise consumer response; enhance the client's brand in highly imaginative ways across multiple channels and use sophisticated modelling techniques to really get under the skin of consumers.

Direct marketing is crying out for somebody who above all will trumpet the pioneering spirit of the people who work within our industry. It could be argued that we have made some progress. I would have to disagree. This state of affairs saddens me. In the meantime, in readiness for the next dinner party, you'll find me dusting off my bullet-proof vest!