The UK DMA is a trade organization which seeks to advance all forms of direct marketing . It is based in the United Kingdom , but its members include companies from other countries as well. The DMA promotes direct marketing, informs consumers of the safeguards that exist, and promotes the DMA as their protector, contact point and regulator. The DMA also tries to ensure that its members create consumer confidence. It gives advice how to use data protection under the UK Data Protection Act .
The UK DMA conducts the industry’s preference services: eg: The Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) These services are designed to make the customer aware of the services that stop email, email, and fax marketing to them as individuals
Members
- 1,000 corporate members made up of major brand clients, charities, advertising and digital agencies and suppliers of direct marketing. The DMA has a London office and three regional offices and represents the United Kingdom, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Agency / Broker vs. Direct Customers
- An agency is defined where a third party is involved in the decision making process, typically an agency / broker will be available to the client and 10-20% will be a negotiable commission typically, agencies are ultimately making the decision maker a strong influence in this process, market research agencies fall into the agency / broker where the data is used by an end user.
- A direct customer is defined where there is a direct relationship between the data owner and the decision maker, this market is not commissionable in these circumstances, market research agencies can be classified as direct where the results of a campaign shared but not the data, call centers are defined as a direct customer, the data is being used on behalf of customer (s), or the call center owner, and the relationship is direct between them and the data owner.