- My client has permission to e-mail their customers. They wish to get unbiased reactions, but as the 2nd party research firm, do I need to identify my client when sending e-mails?
- Does IMRO have a set of profressional standards we can employ as guidelines?
- Where does IMRO stand on the idea of aesthetics versus functionality?
- Is there any current info available about completion rates for pop-up surveys?
- Where can I find out about new trends in Online?
- I’m new to online. Where can I get a good basic understanding of when and where to use online research?
- What are the primary advantages and disadvantages of using online?
- Can IMRO direct me to parallel studies – online quant vs. phone?
- What is mobile marketing and what role will mobile research play in this industry?
My client has permission to e-mail their customers. They wish to get unbiased reactions, but as the 2nd party research firm, do I need to identify my client when sending e-mails?
Answer:The identification of the sponsor of the research is not specifically required by CAN SPAM, but it is inferred, and should be considered a best practice element. Without identifying the sponsor, the contactee is unable to determine whether the contact is legitimate or not. Therefore, even if one or both of the CAN SPAM pre-cursor elements are in place (e.g. either an EBR or an opt-in condition) the recipient cannot be expected to recognize the condition of these elements without the identification of the sender.
Points for Consideration: Some controversy has been generated as to whether companies can give their client lists to some other entity to contact potential panelists and respondents without revealing the source of the information. IMRO has traditionally recommended against this procedure (others forbid it), because without establishing an EBR or opt-in condition, the invitation will appear to be spam to the recipient. While some argue that this is not technically in conflict with CAN-SPAM, the potential for damaging the image of research is clear: by appearing to be spam and casting doubt on all future invitations.