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Direct marketing advice generator

Has the person or organisation specifically asked you to give them some particular marketing information?

For example, has a customer asked for your pricelist or a brochure, or information about an upcoming event.

The person or organisation must have asked for that specific marketing message, rather than giving a general agreement to receive marketing. This means you can send them the information they have requested, but you cannot send future marketing messages. If you’ve received a general agreement for marketing instead, click “No”. 

Do you want to send a service message?

A service message tells people important information they need to know - for example, service interruptions, delivery arrangements, product safety and changes to terms and conditions. If you also include information that promotes your aims, products, services or campaigns, or encourages a person to do something; that is likely to be considered marketing information and this would mean that your message was no longer ‘a service message’. 

Are you contacting people or organisations for market research purposes only?

If your market research messages include promotional material, including where you’re incentivising people to take part by offering discounts or vouchers for your products and services, this will be direct marketing and you should click “No”. You must follow the rules to send the marketing. 

If you’re completing market research with the aim of sending marketing later to the people involved, then this is also direct marketing and you should click “No”. It’s unfair and unlawful to give people the impression you’re gathering their information for one reason and then later changing it to another. 

Are you a public authority?

For example, a local authority school or a parish council. To check whether your organisation may be classed as a public authority, check the list in Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, or for Scotland, Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Is your promotional message necessary for your public task or function?

Where sending promotional messages is necessary for your task or function and proportionate to your aim, it won’t count as direct marketing. But you must consider whether you could reasonably achieve the same objective without sending the communication to people.

Examples of promotional messages that may be necessary for delivering your task or function could include those that promote:

  • New public services
  • Online portals
  • Helplines
  • Guidance resources

Promotional messages that are not likely to be for your public task, and so would be direct marketing could include:

  • fundraising; or
  • messages promoting services paid for by the user, eg leisure facilities (unless these are service messages).