By Outi Tuomaala
The recent passing of an opt-in law by the European Parliament has resulted in a number of debates in the European press. The new opt-in law, which is part of the Directive of Data Protection, passed on May 30, 2002, states that the recipient's permission must be obtained prior to sending an e-mail - also referred to as permission-based e-mail marketing. However, one of the recurring arguments in this ongoing debate is that the opt-in law would restrict further development of e-mail marketing.

Contrary to this, we believe that opt-in is a prerequisite for e-mail marketing.

Today, e-mail is not just a tool to send and receive messages. It is also an accepted communication channel for business purposes. Companies have realised that e-mail complements their marketing mix in an efficient and cost-effective way. However, unlike traditional direct marketing, the recipient pays to receive e-mail. This factor, combined with evidence of an increasing number of recipients deleting unread messages, has put unwanted commercial e-mail under intense scrutiny. The European Parliament's new law on opt-in, which is expected to be implemented in all EU member states by the end of 2003, is therefore a step in the right direction for more desirable e-mail communications and a further guarantee of this media's future effectiveness. The Parliament's ruling will not prevent all spam, but the passing of the law is an important break-through in the development of e-mail as a marketing tool. It also creates clear rules for the growth of the e-mail marketing industry.

Today, commercial e-mail is so common that some aspects of e-mail usage should be regulated. Opt-in is not a threat to e-mail marketing. On the contrary, it is an incentive for better planning of campaigns and a prerequisite to reach better end results. Companies that already apply professional e-mail marketing and consequently support the opt-in method are naturally not affected by the new opt-in law. For the remaining companies that now have to apply permission based e-mail marketing, it is a step in the direction of ethical e-mail communications. L-Soft cannot see why an opt-in ruling would affect the e-mail market negatively.

It is essential to maintain confidence in e-mail marketing and its business value which would be at risk of depreciation without the new opt-in law. Opt-in is nothing else but a pillar for professional e-mail marketing that fosters customer relations.

Outi Tuomaala, Vice President of Marketing, L-Soft Sweden. You can reach her at outi@lsoft.com