It is the purpose of this post to report on how we’re doing, to address a fundamental misconception pertaining the service, and to give a sneak peak at the exciting things ahead.

Looking back: Prior relationships

In the comments of a recent Catalog Choice blog post, some people have critically argued that Catalog Choice did not have relationships with merchants prior to launching our service, and therefore misled our consumer members. We’d like to set the record straight.

It is most certainly a fact that Catalog Choice did not have a relationship with the majority of merchants when we launched. The misconception, however, is that the existence of such relationships at the time of launch was intended or even necessary. It was neither. Catalog Choice was designed to work *regardless* of the existence of a relationship with any particular merchant.

1. It works with a relationship. For merchants who want to establish a relationship with Catalog Choice, by signing up for a free account, we offer the ability to download their customer opt-out data in a computer-friendly CSV format. In addition, such merchants can look forward to a roadmap of additional services planned to add value and enhance the consumer/merchant relationship.

2. And it works without a relationship. Some merchants, for any number of reasons, will chose not to have a relationship with Catalog Choice. That is fine. For these merchants, we forward our member’s opt-out requests to them by email or by delivering a password protected file on a CD. In that way, Catalog Choice simply acts as a delivery agent.

We would never criticize a merchant for choosing not to work with Catalog Choice in the sense of signing up for a merchant account. That’s completely up to them.

On the other hand, we do expect all merchants to honor opt-out requests made by our members. Merchants may not refuse opt-out requests delivered by the United States Postal Service (a delivery agent), or called/faxed in via the phone company (a delivery agent), and therefore they should not refuse opt-out requests delivered by Catalog Choice on behalf of consumers.

(As a side note, the DMA argue that, by not requiring a credit card number like them, we’re not sufficiently validating the identity of our members. Well, we use industry standard security measures and email validation; the same used by the US Do Not Call service.)

Where we stand today: It’s working (despite the best efforts of the
DMA)!

We can assuredly report to you that CATALOG CHOICE IS WORKING. Over 160 merchants have signed up, and that number is growing daily. Presently, over 675,000 consumers have confirmed the need for a service like Catalog Choice, as well as their frustration with existing services. We have received thousands of emails from members reporting that after years of ineffective attempts to use the DMA and other services, their mailboxes are finally becoming uncluttered.

At the same time, there are strong forces at work against Catalog Choice, namely the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Shortly after launch, the DMA sent a vicious letter, full of false accusations, to all member merchants urging them to, “Just Say No!” to Catalog Choice. Our organization, along with an entire nation of consumers, was
shocked and left wondering why the DMA, who proclaim to be “committed to the advancement of consumer choice”, would take such a stance.

On reflection, however, it’s not really a surprise. The DMA sits squarely in the center of an industrial operational model that has ineffectively serviced both merchants and consumers for the past 35 years; a model which Catalog Choice is now positioned to change.

(It must be said, however, that Catalog Choice has even had a positive effect on the DMA. They’ve recently launched a service with a name coincidentally fashioned after our own, and have found a way to live without that dollar they’ve been charging you all these years. But they do still want your credit card number.)

Looking forward: A better world for consumers, merchants and the
environment.

We have a vision of eliminating waste by fundamentally improving the way an industry works, by:

* Putting choice and control in the hands of the consumer.
* Facilitating a merchant/consumer relationship that was never before possible.

We’ve accomplished the first step: Over 675,000 consumers are enjoying the ease-of-use and convenience of centralized mail preference management, having registered over eight million requests.

And now we begin the second step. Consumers have said they want more choice, and a finer level of control. They have made it clear that catalogs and commerce are not the problem; waste is. Merchants have just as much desire to eliminate waste as consumers. But they don’t want to be excluded from the relationship and conversation with the
consumer, as that relationship has often been earned over the years through good faith and delivered value.

In support of these compatible interests, here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store:

1. Just last week, we launched the first of a series of relationship- enhancing features, by allowing merchants to upload a photo of their catalogs, and customize some text that is shown on the opt-out screen, thereby allowing them to participate in the “conversation” during the opt-out process. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

2. Very soon, consumers will be able to manage what they *do* receive, in addition to what they *don’t* receive, as we introduce the ability to opt-in to catalogs, and ultimately manage the frequency with which you receive catalogs. Since launch, this has been the number one requested feature from both consumers and merchants, and we’re excited to let you know it’s going to happen!

3. In the famous last words of Steve Jobs, there’s “Just one more thing!”. That service, however, is just a little too important to risk unveiling at this time.

And all of these future enhancements will be delivered in a way that supports the fundamental objectives of our service; improving our lives, while eliminating waste.

So, there really is a win-win-win scenario — for the consumer, merchant and the environment — and Catalog Choice is dedicated and committed to delivering it. Thanks for your participation, and, as always, please keep the feedback coming.

“Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.”

An innovative program was launched by the USPS in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego this week.  The program, in association with Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics, provides pre-paid mailers that you can pick-up at the post office and use to recycle  small electronics and inkjet cartridges.

Read the entire press release here.

In a continued effort to reach out to merchants, Catalog Choice Project Director April Smith is attending the New England Mail Order Association conference this week. She will be hosting a round table discussion about Catalog Choice on Friday and is available to speak to any merchant or industry representative at the conference.

If you ask April, she will tell you about the cost savings merchants will discover when they sign up for a free Catalog Choice account and no longer send unwanted catalogs to the consumers that have submitted requests through their secure, verified account. Join the growing list of merchants that are honoring consumers mail preferences - save money, save natural resources and respect the consumers choice.

Today I learned that the City of Napa is using Catalog Choice to promote “precycling” to city residents.  You can read the entire article by Jill Decker over at the Napa Valley Register.

The article was prompted by a suggestion from Napa resident Lisa Jaynes.  What caught my attention was that Lisa learned about Catalog Choice when she saw a flyer for our site in her garbage bill.

The flyer went out earlier this year to about 26,000 Napa city and south county garbage customers, according to the city’s Napa Materials Diversion Administrator Kevin Miller.

“The city and county of Napa are true believers in waste prevention, sometimes called ‘precycling.’ In the case of unwanted junk mail, recycling is good (and certainly better than sending it to be buried in a landfill),” Miller said, “but avoiding the junk mail in the first (place) is much better for the environment.” It’s the reduce part of “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

An important point that Jill makes in the article is “the site (catalogchoice.org) promises not to share your personal information beyond what is needed to take you off their list.”  That’s right - We only send your personal information to the merchant to request that they remove you from their mailing list.  As part of the transmission of your information, we require that they not rent, sell or use your name for any other purpose.  This remains a voluntary process and we continue to see more and more merchants updating their systems to accommodate consumers’ mail preference requests.