It is a mistake many companies have made – American Express being the latest to be fined by the ICO for it – sending a message to your customers that you decide is a service message but is in fact a marketing message and it has been sent to those opted out.
This can cause a company time and money, especially when it is done on a large scale – £90,000 in the case of American Express – but it rarely can cause any real harm.
But what if you turn this around – you don’t send a message to a customer because you have incorrectly decided it is a marketing message!
This has happened to Sainsbury’s who sent out a product recall on some cat food that was potentially toxic, but some customers did not get the message as they had previously opted out of marketing.
This is not a marketing message. This is a service message, providing important information about a product the customer has purchased.
Sainsbury’s may be the subject of legal action from cat owners whose pets have been affected.
Don’t make the same mistake – if you don’t know the difference between a service message and a marketing message, ask for legal help.
We can help you get this right!