March 2010 – Column: Your Association, Your Bottom Line

Reflecting on Great Ideas

The days following ERA’s twice-annual conferences always present an opportunity for staff to decompress, debrief and reflect on the event. And while there are always aspects that we can–and will–improve upon, it’s with a sense of satisfaction that I look back upon The Great Ideas Summit 2010.

I must confess that there was a certain amount of trepidation leading up to the summit–which introduced not only a new name, but a new venue (in fact, a new host city–New Orleans) and an entirely new education program, as well. But I am pleased to report that the industry embraced the changes. More than 750 members of the direct-to-consumer commerce community were in attendance, setting a new standard for ERA’s mid-winter event. It was a gathering of industry leaders, with c-level executives making up more than half of those in attendance. Some 350 companies from around the world were represented. In fact, international attendees–from 40 countries–comprised more than 25 percent of the total, confirming again the truly global nature of the industry and your association.

While the statistics are impressive, it was the attendees’ level of engagement and the quality of the dialogue across a variety of crucial industry topics that set The Great Ideas Summit apart. Panelists from the education program–including industry leaders who regularly speak at conferences around the country–were consistently impressed with the level of audience interaction and the quality of the discourse. For example, there was the session on online best practices where the questions began 30 seconds into the presentation and continued until 10 minutes past the allotted hour. Or the “bonus” and up-to-the-second briefing by legal experts regarding MasterCard and its position on post-transaction marketing. Or the spirited question-and-answer session following the keynote address presented by the FTC’s David Vladeck. This truly was a conference characterized by vital and dynamic debate, where the most critical issues were not only discussed, but advanced.

More needs to be said regarding post-transaction marketing. ERA has been proactive in addressing member concerns about MasterCard merchant accounts and has been in direct communication with MasterCard’s leadership team. They have indicated that they do not anticipate introducing new guidance and do not currently endorse or plan to endorse the guidance of any individual, corporation or association. Your association will continue to keep you abreast of relevant developments as they occur.

There also has been intensifying interest in government regulation of online marketing and post-transaction activities. The Senate Commerce Committee, the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general are examining the use of pre-acquired account information, free-trial offers, free-to-pay conversions and other forms of advance consent marketing. During the summit, Bureau Director Vladeck addressed his concerns about emerging practices, noting that “the Commission strives to keep up with developing technology and ensure that marketers are held accountable for their actions.” In anticipation of future activity, ERA is working to educate relevant parties about appropriate industry practices. As part of this effort, ERA is actively consulting an issue-based task force to consider revisions to ERA guidance. As proposed legislative or regulatory changes are formed, you can be certain that ERA will respond in a way that supports appropriate marketing practices.