Bad times
just around
the corner?
Notaccording
toMARKROY.
Canthisrecessionbegoodformarketing?Thinkaboutit.When
money’stootighttomentionandbigisnolongerbeautiful,could
leveragingmorefromyourdataindeedbeacannywayto
surviveandevenprosperduringthisgod-awfuldownturn?
Necessityisthemotherofinvention,afterall.AsmanyDMI
readerswillagree,I’msure,therulesofbusinessengagementhave
alteredsoradicallyinrecentmonthsthataparadigmshiftin
marketingisurgentlyrequired.Toughtimesmeanweneedanew DIRECT MARKETING INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
and–dareIsay–morerespectfulrelationshipwithcustomersby
notplayingfastandloosewiththeirinformation,mailingdeceased
personsand/orboringpunterssenselesswithmismatchedoffers.
Thebenefitsofusingsuppressionfileshavelongbeena The only
mainstayofmydatamanagementmantra.
Suppressinggone-awaysanddeceasedssavesmoney,the
DM magazine
environmentandenhancesbrandimage.Sure,there’sanup-front
cost.Butifyouhadtochoosebetweenoutlayingafew
that brings you
pence/centstosuppressthenameandaddressofagone-awayor
deceasedcustomerandneedlesslypayingupwardsofa
your world (every
pound/dollar/euroinfulfilmentandpostageforanofferwhichis
destinedforthenearestlandfill(yourcustomer’smovedordied,
hour, on the hour).
remember?),whichwould itbe?
Statisticswouldsuggestthelatter,unfortunately,giventhat
morethanhalfofallUKcompaniesdon’thaveanyformofdata
qualitystrategyandanestimated50billionitemsofunsuppressed
DMaredispatchedthroughouttheUSeachyear.
Withthesedamningstatsinmind,it’sperhapslittlewonder
thathouseholdersaroundtheworldarelamentingthejunkmail
tsunamithat’spouringthroughtheirletterboxes.
Brighterfuture
Suppressionisjustthebeginning,however.Responseratesand
ROIcanalsobeincreasedbyditchingavolume-based‘biggeris
better’approachtomarketinginfavourofmarcomsstancesthat
aremoretargetedandchannel-appropriate.
Abrighterfuturebelongstothosecompanieswhosemarketing
messagesreassureconsumersandwhoseproducts/servicesare
perceivedtoaddvalue,Ibelieve.Nowisdefinitelynotthetimefor
expensivestuntsormarketinggimmicks.
Understandwhatandwhenyoursector’sbuyingandyou’llbe
abletocutyourmarketingclothaccordingly,inmyopinion.
Anddatathatisup-to-date,secureandappropriatelymined
shouldbethecornerstoneofeverymarketingcampaign.
Because,ifthisrecession’steachingusanything,it’stobetter
understandandutilisedataasaveryrealandalltoovaluable
businessasset.
Evendark,recessionarycloudscanhaveasilverdatalining.
MarkRoyischiefexecutive,TheREaDGroup.www.readgroup.co.uk
www.dmi-news.com
www.dmi-news.com May2009 21
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