Paper campaign calls on Telstra to rethink online push

Industry action group, paper – part of everyday, targets Telstra over its urge for shareholders to switch statements into electronic format.

In a letter to David Thodey, managing director and chief executive of Telstra Limited, Tim Woods of paper – part of everyday, highlighted the group’s concerns:

“We have recently been advised that Telstra shareholders have been receiving from Telstra a request to switch their receipt of shareholder information to an exclusively electronic format,” he wrote.

“That should be of concern to Telstra because there is a considerable body of evidence that print-based communications are far more effective in delivering a message than electronic communications.”

Woods took issue with Telstra telling customers that “Telstra shareholders can help tackle climate change by reducing waste and cutting carbon emissions” by becoming “ … an e-shareholder today and ceasing paper documents altogether.”

He pointed out that: "In its communication, Telstra does not advise its shareholders of the basis upon which it has made the carbon calculations that it uses to make these very bold assertions in its correspondence. Given the astounding nature of the claims, it seems likely to us that proper calculations have not been made."

The group have requested a response or the chance to discuss the matter further.

Telstra were not available for comment to Print21 at the time of going to press.