DIGITAL MARKETING
Digital Marketing 24 March
24-03-2006
by Ciara O'Brien
Microsoft joins anti-spam group | IAB proposes lead generation guidelines
Microsoft joins anti-spam group: Microsoft has joined a new initiative designed to help reduce spam and e-mail abuse. The company has signed its Outlook Exchange and Hotmail e-mail services up for the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG), and will serve on the board of directors.
The members of MAAWG work together to help develop best practices to limit spammers' network access and identify new e-mail threats. It includes internet service providers, telecoms and broadband operators from Europe, the US and Canada.
With the new addition, MAAWG now represents over half a billion mailboxes worldwide.
"We believe that threats like spam, phishing and malware must be addressed on several fronts, including technology innovation, industry and government collaboration, and user education and guidance, to help ensure online trust and confidence," said Craig Spiezle, director, Microsoft Technology Care and Safety Group.
The key issue for marketers will be how this organisation ensures that legitimately requested information makes it to the customer and does not become a casualty of the war against unsolicited spam.
IAB proposes lead generation guidelines: The Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Lead Generation Committee have teamed up to come up with a list of proposed online lead generation best practices. The recommendations lay the basis for ethical practice in lead generation, with consumer transparency and data integrity coming to the fore.
The list includes the need for all lead generation to be permission based; only sending consumers information that fits what they have requested and providing clear privacy policies.
Advertising agencies, marketers, online publishers and technology firms have the chance to give their input on the recommendations, with a 30-day review period before the guidelines become final. "Direct Marketers are increasingly relying on online lead generation as an integral vehicle in their performance marketing campaigns." said Greg Stuart, CEO, IAB. "We applaud the diligent efforts and foresight of our lead generation committee in taking this leadership role in answering an industry call for best practices in this fast-growing segment of Interactive."
The full list of recommendations is available here.
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