New FEDMA leadership cite data privacy strategy as âkey to growing European one-to-one marketing industryâ

FEDMA’s newly-elected leadership have cited the organisation’s strategic focus on promoting businesses’ awareness and understanding of consumer data protection and privacy as key to fostering continual growth of Europe’s multi-billion-Euro one-to-one marketing industry.

Diana Janssen and Dr Sachiko Scheuing were elected co-chairs of Brussels-based FEDMA – the Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing Associations – at the organisation’s recent AGM held in Brussels. FEDMA’s membership comprises Europe’s national DMAs, other industry associations and multinational businesses.

Speaking at news of their election, Janssen and Scheuing said as co-chairs their focus will be to put consumer data protection and privacy at the centre of FEDMA’s public affairs, PR and educations activities to support its mission of driving growth of Europe’s €47-billion (Deloitte, 2013) one-to-one marketing industry.

Janssen, director general of the Dutch DMA, commented that its strategy of focusing on promoting commercial understanding of consumer data protection and privacy will ensure that FEDMA can represent all data-driven marketing channels.

“While acknowledging FEDMA’s traditional stronghold of advertising mail and telemarketing, we embrace the true potential of one-to-one marketing and customer experience across all the data-driven channels such as mobile, social and email, as well as emerging opportunities in television and out-of-home.

“It’s an omni-channel world in which dialogue with customers can take place at anytime, anywhere and through all channels, as preferred by the customers. What an exciting time!”

Consumer data privacy and protection has been high on the European political agenda in the past two years, with the EU currently working on producing a new Data Protection Regulation which is expected to be passed by the European Parliament in 2015. FEDMA has coordinated international lobbying efforts to ensure that lawmakers produce a legislation that balances the interests of consumer data privacy without undermining Europe’s one-to-one marketing industry.

Scheuing, European privacy officer at Acxiom and long-standing vice-president of the FEDMA legal affairs committee, added:

“It’s vital that we continue to provide our tens of thousands of members, and companies in the wider industry, with the support and guidance they need to understand how to build consumer trust so as to thrive in Europe’s booming data economy. With this strategic focus FEDMA will ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of the world’s one-to-one marketing industry.”

Notes to editors

About FEDMA

Through its many activities, FEDMA is dedicated to building the business of cross-border direct marketing, both through its vast network of contacts and businesses within and beyond Europe and by representation within the institutions of the European Union.

FEDMA's mission is to:

Protect the European direct and interactive marketing industry and the interests of our members. FEDMA aims to encourage the European institutions to ensure a healthy commercial and legislative environment within which the one-to-one industry may prosper.

Promote members, governments, media, businesses and consumers about the European direct and interactive marketing industry and encourage education and training for the sector.

Inform members, governments, media, businesses and consumers about the European direct and interactive marketing industry and encourage education and training for the sector.

At the AGM, FEDMA members also elected the following members to the Board of the organisation:

• Mr Chris Combemale, Executive Director of the DMA in the UK
• Mr Christian Dürig, Director European Affairs of Deutsche Post DHL
• Mr Anton Jenzer, Founder and Managing Director of Anton Jenzer Consulting GmbH and President of the Dialog Marketing Verband Österreich
• Mr Martin Nitsche, Founder and Managing Partner of Solveta GmbH and President of the Deutscher Dialogmarketing Verband e. V.
• Ms Marine Pouyat, responsible for legal and environmental affairs at the Fédération Française du E-commerce (FEVAD) and representing the Union Française du Marketing Direct & Digital
• Mr Alexander Singewald, CEO of Singewald Consultants Group BV

Mr Ivan Vandremeersch, former FEDMA Secretary General, has been asked by the new Board members to remain special advisory to the Board.

Contact

Ed Owen, Head of PR
Tel. 020 7291 3324
Email ed.owen@dma.org.uk