The Editor’s Take

While simply failing to heed consumers’ requests isn’t necessarily a widespread problem among catalogers, many mailers fail to make midlevel adjustments — namely, giving consumers the opportunity to choose how often and how much they’re mailed.

So I’d like to leave you with a challenge: Make a clear offer in your catalog and in any e-mail you send to customers that empowers them to choose how often they’d like to receive your print catalogs or e-mails. By treating opt-out as an all-or-nothing proposition, you’re not only losing a lot of potential business, you’re also not helping your cause against the radical environmentalists trying to scapegoat this industry.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Check out our Special Report on Sustainability and the Environment to better educate yourself on what you can do, starting with standing up for yourself and your livelihood.