Ban on client incentives raises fears over survey participation

The ban takes effect from 1 December. Although newly codified, the MRS says it has been a regulation since January 2008 on the grounds that such incentives could be seen as “promoting the aims and ideals of the client”.

Certainly that is the view of the Information Commissioner’s Office, which told the MRS that it would regard the provision of client incentives “as a form of promotion, which would engage regulations that restrict direct marketing communications”.

However speaking to Research, Simpson Carpenter’s director of major studies Kevin Connolly said he hoped there was “room to push the ICO on this” as a blanket ban on the use of client incentives “is more severe than it needs to be”, particularly in the case of customer satisfaction surveys.

Connolly also believes the ban could have a knock-on effect on survey participation, making “an already difficult environment that much more difficult”.

Meanwhile, BSkyB’s marketing strategy director Danny Russell flagged the possibility that project costs might rise as a result of this more cost-effective means of incentivisation becoming unavailable.

The MRS said its standards board recognised “the usefulness of client incentives in encouraging participation” and noted that the proposal for the ban provoked “significant debate” during the consultation process. However in light of the ICO’s position, it said it decided to retain the rule as proposed. That is:

“Client goods or services, or vouchers to purchase client goods or services, must not be used as incentives.”

The full list of revisions to the code of conduct, plus a number of additional proposed changes, can be viewed online here.