DMA masterminds B2B Best Practice Alliance

The B2B Committee of the Direct Marketing Association, together with six other associations, is creating the first ever best practice guidelines for the B2B marketing communications sector.

This joint initiative, the 'B2B Best Practice Alliance', will cover 14 distinct areas of B2B marketing.

It initially involves the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB); the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA); the Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM); the Association of Business-to-Business Agencies (ABBA); the Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP); and The Market Research Society (MRS) as well as eight DMA councils.

It is expected that the dialogue cemented by this initiative will continue into other areas and that more associations will join the Alliance.

The eight DMA councils involved in the initiative comprise the Telemarketing Council; the Field Marketing Council; the Agencies Council; the Email Marketing Council; the Mailing Houses Council; the Data Council; the Inserts Council; and the Fulfilment and Response Council.

The working party has been led by Steve Dyer, managing director of Clockwork IMC and a member of the DMA B2B Committee.

He will be the first chairman of the Alliance.

Malcolm Whitmarsh, formerly director of Reed Exhibition's International Direct Marketing Fair and a past chairman of the B2B Committee, has also been instrumental in coordinating and progressing the initiative.

Michael Howe, agency head of 100 Percent Direct Marketing and deputy chair of the B2B Committee, commented: "The DMA B2B Committee has done a lot of work to raise and set standards for B2B direct marketing.

"The Best Practice Alliance will enable us to build on those standards to create the first and most comprehensive set of guidelines for the whole business to business marketing communications sector.

"Steve and Malcolm have done a tremendous job in getting so many organisations on board and we hope to welcome several others into the Alliance as we progress".

Rosemary Smith, chair of the DMA, commented: "The DMA is thrilled to be playing such an instrumental role in raising standards in B2B marketing communications.

"The wealth of expertise and knowledge that such an alliance can bring to the table will create a truly comprehensive set of best practice guidelines in the B2B arena".

Created in 1998, the DMA B2B Committee is made up of experienced business to business practitioners from all sides of the industry.

Its remit includes the strategic and operational development of the business to business direct marketing industry, standards and best practice.

The Committee is chaired by Vic Godding, Managing Director of Developing Data.

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