Canada Post to act as middleman
Canada Post claims to have found a way to address concerns over ‘junk mail’ and spam by linking consumers and marketers, while protecting personal information.
The Fetch service enables consumers to respond to promotions from participating advertisers via phone, text message or online. Canada Post then acts as a middleman, passing on information, but safeguarding private details.
The postal operator, credited with having gained a high level of public trust, is piloting the partnership with 12 businesses including Safeway, Telus and Domino’s Pizza.
Warren Tomlin, director of marketing and communication, and co-inventor of Fetch, says: “A lot of media have no call-to-action, so there’s no way to respond. For the consumer, it’s about trust; for the advertiser, it’s about a qualified prospect.”
Not all observers are convinced the scheme will be a success. Jay Aber, president of online advertising sales and email list broker 24/7 Canada, says: “Permission processes seem to work for legitimate marketers. But, by and large, it’s not them who are at fault.”
