Direct Marketing Advisory Board

The Direct Marketing Advisory Board is a standing group with active membership made up of designated operators of Universal Postal Union member countries and private-sector companies and industry associations. It functions under the auspices of the UPU Postal Operations Council and is self-financed.

The mission of the DMAB is to foster the growth of direct marketing through the Postal services, contributing to economic and market expansion by increasing market knowledge and developing the expertise of postal stakeholders at all levels. Its vision is to empower every member with innovation direct mail and digital marketing solutions that grow enterprises of all sizes in any location.

Created in 1995 as the Direct Mail Advisory Board, its mandate and activities have been renewed at each successive Congress and have evolved over time. Initially focusing on direct mail only, it was remodeled to include other postal direct marketing channels at the 2012 Doha Congress, with the name changed to Direct Marketing Advisory Board to reflect its growing mandate.

Participate in the discussions on the LinkedIn UPU - Postal Direct Marketing group.

Explore the latest insights from the Direct Marketing Advisory Board's comprehensive study on the evolving direct marketing landscape. This research report analyzes market trends, the rise of digital channels, and the shifting role of direct mail. Discover key findings on industry performance, cross-border challenges, and strategic recommendations for designated operators to enhance their services. Stay ahead with data-driven insights and expert analysis.

📥 Download the full report now to unlock the future of direct marketing!

The Direct Marketing Advisory Board has created a brochure which highlights its activities and projects.

There are global trends illustrating average annual international advertising mail volumes per region, and trends analysis with data from the UPU’s postal statistics database indicating the volume of annual international direct marketing.

The DMAB mission and vision statement as well as the value proposition are clearly defined.

The membership fees are outlined, together with the benefits of membership in terms of detailed, relevant, up-to-date information on direct mail markets worldwide, and the chance to network and benchmark with fellow members that are key direct marketing industry players and postal executives.

📥 DMAB brochure

Major highlights 

• DMAB tech sessions
• Webinars (Innovation Talks)
• Global Panorama
• Direct marketing seminar
• UPU direct marketing course in French
• Cross-border DMapp system review
• Direct marketing case studies

The DMAB case study knowledge base is designed to serve as a repository for quality knowledge and information to support policy, strategy and operational interventions and the exchange of best practices in the area of direct mail and digital marketing. As the case study knowledge base platform grows, the repository will be made more dynamic and interactive to enhance user experience in searching for and reading case studies and other knowledge materials. 

Case Study: South African Post Office - Impact of the lack of a digital platform for direct mail (English)

At its meeting of October 2024, the POC Committee 3 approved the dissolution of the DMAB as an entity by end of 2025. The International Bureau (IB) was mandated to develop an appropriate transition plan, to either move all current DMAB activities to the CC or move some of its activities to the POC C 2 PSEDG and/or POC C 3 DTIG, a hybrid solution dubbed option ‘C plus’. 

This questionnaire has been developed as part of the feasibility study to determine the most appropriate and optimal solution regarding keeping some or all of the current direct and digital marketing activities within the framework of the UPU, if at all necessary. 

• For information about the DMAB Rules of Procedure, please click here
• For information about the CC Rules of Procedure, please click here
• To preview the whole questionnaire before answering it, please click here

The DMAB membership is open to all designated operators in UPU member countries, as well as companies and associations in the wider direct marketing industry.

As a member, you will have access to detailed, relevant and up-to-date information on direct mail markets worldwide, and will have the chance to network and benchmark with fellow members, who are key direct marketing industry players and postal executives.

You will have privileged insight into direct mail practices and have the opportunity to exchange up-to-date information on new developments in the industry. You may also benefit from exciting new business opportunities: vital for Posts and for the direct mail industry.

Additionally, Direct Marketing Markets Development Workshops are conducted worldwide in DMAB member countries. The workshops are a very effective educational tool aimed at promoting the importance of direct mail marketing and developing the market, both domestically and internationally.

The first step to becoming a member of the DMAB is to fill out an application form. The membership fees are shown on the form. Upon approval by the DMAB General Assembly, and payment of the joining fee and membership fee for the first year, the new member can participate in all DMAB activities.

The DMAB hosted an online workshop entitled “Direct marketing in a disrupted world”.

With its series of five virtual sessions, the purpose of the workshop was to focus on how to build an omni-channel strategy for direct marketing, and the main success factors in doing so, as well as how to apply direct marketing techniques as part of Posts’ digital transformation in marketing their services.

Artificial intelligence, data revolution, cultural changes, offline and online integration were among the topics addressed during the virtual workshop. 

Click on the photos below for the videos of the five sessions.

The Direct Marketing Postal Platform (DMapp) project aims to develop a technical and operational solution to facilitate customized offers and services for cross-border direct mail.

The main purpose of DMapp is to act as an online marketplace where requests and offers for cross-border direct marketing campaigns can converge and cross-border transactions can be carried out between the platform’s participants.

 DMapp brochure

The DMAB conferences are designed to educate, inform, and provide benchmarking and networking opportunities for participants. One main theme, with an educational content, is chosen for each conference.

Members present different aspects of their direct marketing programmes, and related UPU groups are invited to make presentations. Stakeholders in the direct marketing industry share their expertise and confer on pertinent issues that impact the industry.

Discussions are programmed into each conference, providing DMAB members with an invaluable opportunity to discuss subjects of interest in an interactive environment.

Since 1995, the DMAB has held its conferences biannually at UPU headquarters in Berne.

The UPU also organizes training workshops for the direct marketing managers of designated operators. These expert-led workshops aim to provide access to insights from global experts and business leaders on trends and innovations, take an in-depth look at the success factors and essential aspects of constructing an omnichannel strategy, and provide an opportunity for participants to exchange their experiences and knowledge.

TRAINPOST is a training programme designed by the UPU for the employees of postal administrations.

A complete training package on direct marketing is available on the Trainpost platform.