Citing conflicting consumer studies about marketing on the anniversary of Sept. 11, the Direct Marketing Association yesterday urged members to refrain from e-mail and telephone marketing on the anniversary.
The DMA noted in a statement that several companies, particularly those that use broadcast advertising, already have announced their decisions to pull ads on Sept. 11. While direct mailers and catalogers have difficulty controlling the exact time their marketing material reaches consumers, e-mailers and telemarketers enjoy more control over the timing of their marketing messages and should respect consumer sensitivities, the DMA said.
“The DMA is suggesting that its members either refrain from conducting unsolicited e-mail and telephone marketing campaigns on Wednesday, Sept. 11, or conduct those campaigns with the utmost caution and respect on this solemn day of remembrance,” the association said.
According to the DMA, one market study showed that a majority of consumers are ready for “business as usual” on Sept. 11, while another showed that about half thought marketers should “go dark.”
Several e-mail marketers have said they planned to scale back or stop activity during the week of Sept. 11. Many telemarketing agencies have said they planned to close outbound call centers for the day of Sept. 11 and let employees make up the lost time at later dates.
