In the context of new marketing, permission refers to the explicit consent given by a customer or potential customer for you to contact them, using an agreed method, with an agreed frequency and agreed type of message.

Although this may seem obvious, many marketers either assume this permission, or abuse it once it has been given. Permission must be given explicitly by the customer or potential customer, and once attained, must be treated as a privilege by the marketer. Breaking or abusing permission can, at the very least, undermine a new marketing approach, and at worst severely damage a brand’s trust and reputation.