The rules for emailing Canadians were made clear in 2010, yet many organizations continue to send unwanted emails. That is the very definition of spam-sending unwanted emails. Marketers have to step up and tell the compliance people what they can and cannot do under the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and take on the tasks of updating their email practices. Early results (2014 -2017) indicate that cleaning up your email practices is actually good for your business and your brand!
The fact is your organization is likely sending unwanted emails and 7 years into the enforcement of CASL, it is high time to revamp those outdated practices and use email the way the Canadian public expects you to.
The Response Marketing Association has partnered with Newport Thomson to bring you CASL Keep™, an efficient process for coming into full compliance with CASL. The 5 stages of CASL compliance are relatively easy to understand and may not be quite as easy to accept, but the reality is, that people own their own inboxes. Our CASL Keep@ Program walks your staff through a set of proven processes to change how and why you email Canadians.
It does not mean you cannot use email. Indeed it helps you use email in a way that deepens relationships with your trusted consumers and reduces the wasted messages that result in spam.
CASL Compliance Programs
The Bottom Line: can you PROVE how every individual came to be on your email list? Most of us don’t KNOW let alone PROVE it!
No matter how small or how large your email list is, you are expected to know the source of every individual you are emailing. In fact, under CASL, you must also understand your organization’s relationship with each one. Are they EXPRESS CONSENT (and can you prove it)? Are they IMPLIED CONSENT (if so what type and can you prove it)?
CASL compliance is a detailed process involving 5 distinct stages:
1. AUDIT of Current Email Practices,
2. DESIGN of a CASL compliant process,
3. DOCUMENTing that process in detail,
4. Deploying TECHNOLOGY that allows you to track real-time changes, and
5. Conducting STAFF TRAINING on a consistent basis.
If you do not have all bases covered YOU ARE NOT COMPLIANT!
WHY IT MATTERS
1. Your customers and prospects expect you to be relevant to their interests and concerns. It’s the BEST PRACTICES for customer engagement.
2. CRTC can fine or enter into undertakings (negotiated fines) up to $10M based on your disregard for the new Canadian Anti Spam Legislation (CASL)
ABOUT US
We wrote the book on CASL compliance. As Chairman of the Response Marketing Association (RMA), Derek A. Lackey, has been deeply involved in CASL since before it began being enforced. In addition to writing the only private-sector book on CASL (CASL Compliance: A Marketer’s Guide to Email Marketing to Canadians), Derek has led live seminars, Master Class Webinars for DMNews and spoken at many industry conferences about CASL and its implications for your organization.
Let us help you take great care of your customers while reducing your business risk. Contact casl@responsema.org today and we will schedule a Zoom call to understand your current situation. From there, we can tell you what will be required to use the CASL Keep™ logo with your brand.
