Great Britain - Direct Marketing


	Section 1
	Facts and Figures
	Economy
	Direct Marketing

	Section 2
	Language and Cultural Features
	Laws and Customer Protection - Data Privacy
	The British Direct Marketing Association
	The Mail System

	Section 3
	Lists and Databases
	Helping International Direct Marketers Succeed

	Facts and Figures
	Economy
	Direct Marketing

Facts and Figures

Capital:		London
Language:		English (regional: Welsh, Gaelic, Cornish)
Size:		243,000 sq. km (151,875 sq. miles)
Inhabitants:		59.7 million
Currency:		Pound Sterling (1 Euro equals approx. 0.69 PS)
Gross Domestic Product:		1,547.9 billion Euros (2000)
Per capita GDP:		25,949 Euros (2000)
Share in GDP:		Agriculture 1% Industry 29% Services 70%
Exports:		187 billion Pound Sterling
Imports:		216 billion Pound Sterling
Inflation rate:		2.1%
Unemployment rate:		5.3%

Sources: German Foreign Office & Spiegel Annual Abstract of Statistics

Economy

Great Britain did not join the European Economic and Currency Union. However, the official stance formulated in 1997 is still valid, i.e., that Great Britain will participate in the Euro if it is in the country's economic interests. The general population is required to approve participation in the Euro in a referendum. The country already meets the Maastricht Criteria.

According to a British study, Great Britain is the first choice among direct investors within Europe, clearly ahead of France or Germany. London is Europe's No. 1 financial center. All major banks, insurance companies, corporate consulting firms and law firms are present in London. Great Britain also holds a leading position in other high technology sectors.

Sources: FEDMA, Royal Mail, German Foreign Office

Direct Marketing

The British direct marketing industry is one of the most dynamic and best-developed markets in Europe. Great Britain holds a leading position, behind Germany, in terms of total direct marketing expenditures. British companies spent over 9 billion Euros on direct marketing measures in 2001, which represents an increase of 18% compared with 2000!

Individual companies are forced to constantly develop new and refined techniques because of the immense competition among direct marketing services in Great Britain. Hence British know-how holds first place across Europe in the fields of counter-checking, mail sorting, speaking to customers and creativity.

Sources: FEDMA, Royal Mail, German Foreign Office

B2B Marketing:
A reliable number of 1,500 lists with company addresses are available from Great Britain. Compiled address databases and files with customer names and names of prospective customers are also available from publishing companies, mail-order companies and seminar sponsors.

Source: FEDMA

B2C Marketing:

There are approximately 1,500 consumer lists. There are also lifestyle lists for a large number of response & customer files, some of them combined with geo-demographic information. There is also a wide variety of supplementary selection criteria for these lists, e.g., age, gender, purchasing power, hobbies, interests, etc.

Source: PDMS

Telephone Marketing

Tele-marketing among companies and private individuals is permitted in Great Britain. However, it must comply with the following rules, among other requirements:

The purpose of the call must be stated immediately. Sales pitches may not be cloaked as opinion surveys. Customers have a 7-day cancellation right.

Conducting conversations on a cross-sectional basis is prohibited.

Permission for telephone marketing must be obtained from the lists' owners when renting out address lists.

Source: PDMS

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3