Perhaps no subdiscipline of marketing receives more scrutiny regarding ethical compliance than direct marketing, a form of nonstore retailing in which customers are exposed to and purchase merchandise or services through an impersonal medium such as telephone, mail, or the Internet.

Ethical issues in direct marketing cover a broad spectrum because this means of selling is conducted through all forms of communication. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) takes ethics very seriously and has numerous programs to ensure that its member organizations comply with its Code of Ethics.

Go to the Web site for the Direct Marketing Association (http://www.thedma.org/) and type the word ethics in the search box. Discuss the results of your search. How many different ways did you find that the DMA was involved in assisting consumers and the industry to create a more ethical marketplace?