As many readers of Marketing Direct will know I'm fairly vocal in my support of self-regulation and in particular the pivotal role that MPS plays in helping to maintain the legislative framework surrounding direct mail. I won't repeat the exact words I used but I'm happy to summarise and say that if we didn't have a robust and well-funded self regulation system then the government would enforce their version of regulation. And it wouldn't look pretty. We would all suffer.

So I was delighted to hear that, as of this month, TNT Post are starting to collect the mailing levy on advertising direct mail. As someone involved in the DM industry at a number of levels I took this as extremely good news. Also very importantly I make my living from direct marketing. A well supported and funded self regulation system will improve my chances of not retiring in poverty.

The problems surrounding the collection of the mailing levy were really an unforeseen consequence of postal deregulation. When mail was a monopoly  Royal Mail was the sole collector of the money. The system worked extremely well partly because Royal Mail had the processes and systems in place to ensure compliance and collection. Whatever else you may think of them, Royal Mail have been a faultless and diligent partner in their support of self regulation. The new entrants to the mail market quite understandably had some other key priorities. Like most companies growing quickly from a small base their focus was elsewhere - it's only natural that their obligations to customers, regulators, staff and shareholders should come first. That this list didn't initially include self regulation should surprise no one and there was never an indication that the new mail operators didn't support the self regulatory system.  For many new companies self regulation tends to come as "nice to have" rather than "essential". I might, over a beer, suggest forcefully that the opening up of the postal market should have included self regulation as a key area of focus from a public interest perspective. But it's not in the legislation nor is it in Postcom's remit. Hindsight -  fabulous isn't it?

However the move by TNT Post to collect the levy on the same basis as Royal Mail should be applauded and, if you are a TNT customer, supported. It's a very significant move from the biggest competitor to Royal Mail and one that shows a mature approach to protecting and developing the direct marketing industry. Thank you, TNT.