The Mail Trail

It’s all about the right to choose…whether or not to receive junk mail, that is. Beth Ringdahl, organizer of the Red Dot Campaign, isn’t anti-advertising—she’s a Vancouver marketing executive, for heaven’s sake. But Beth does think people should know they don’t have to accept ad mail that they really don’t want.

The Red Dot Campaign started as a business case for Beth, who opened her own marketing firm, ecoeco, a year ago. She wanted to show her clients that the future of marketing isn’t in printing reams of paper that don’t get read—it’s in being more responsive and responsible to the community and the environment.

Beth launched the Red Dot site to give people the information they need about Canada Post’s Consumer Choice program, which she applauds. After all, statistics indicate that unaddressed advertising mail only gets a two percent response rate. If you are one of the majority of people who don’t even read the mail, you can download a sign for your mailbox or letter slot that will tell your mail carrier that you are only interested in receiving mail addressed to you personally. There is also information on signing up with the Canadian Marketing Association’s Do Not Contact registry, which also helps reduce the number of unwanted marketing offers you get at your home.

Even mail carriers are on board with the Red Dot campaign (at least the one who delivers to our Savvy Vancouver tester). It’s not only a more eco-friendly choice but carting fewer pounds of paper means less wear and tear on the carriers. And because Canada Post keeps track of the number of clients opting out, advertisers reduce their printing quantities accordingly, saving trees and money.

Beth is hoping that people who don’t like getting ad mail will sign on with the Red Dot Campaign as one of their Earth Day promises for 2008. Already there have been 100,000 unique visitors to the website from all across Canada.

Control the clutter and save trees. Another small way to improve your environment and the one at large. Savvy indeed.

Red Dot Campaign
www.reddotcampaign.ca

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