The New Zealand Direct Marketing Association this week revised its code of practice to include a number of Internet marketing-related provisions, including anti-spam measures as well as guidelines for disclosing data gathered online and compliance with privacy principles.
The new code, which is applicable to all members of the country's DMA, was developed in conjunction with New Zealand's Advertising Standards Authority and is backed by the New Zealand Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The DMA's code is based on five general principles stating that marketers in New Zealand must abide by “all appropriate industry codes of practice” and that they must conduct their businesses “in a way that is socially responsible.”
The DMA said all forms of electronic media, including the Internet, e-mail and databases, are covered by the code's guidelines. It noted that “e-mail spamming … is regarded as a poor business practice.”
“Unrequested marketing communications must not be sent by e-mail unless they are relevant to the existing relationship between an organization and its customers,” the code says.
It also notes that every e-mail offer must clearly identify the marketer and provide a “simple and easy-to-use” method for opting out of further communications.
The New Zealand code also lays out privacy protection measures, stating that consumers must be given an opportunity “in every location, site or page” to choose not to have marketers collect data that can identify them.
“When information is being gathered from individual consumers that could identify them and which will be linked with clickstream data [such as that obtained from their behavior, pathway or choices expressed when visiting a Web site], they must be advised what information is being collected and how it will be used,” the revised DMA code states.
It further notes that this information must be given to consumers before they send data that could identify them.
