“With something as nuanced as suppression, it pays to think about what you’re doing as you often get an uplift with a few tweaks.”
Luci Penn, Product Development Manager, REaD Group
“The importance of really understanding
suppression, or working with a partner who does, is utterly paramount,” agrees helpIT Systems Sales Manager Graham Clark. “A lot of marketers are really getting to grips
with suppression now and they know about the various files and which ones they should use for which jobs, and that’s what will drive results. It’s all about doing it smart these days – simply ticking the box that says you’ve ‘done’ your suppression is no longer good enough.” So it has taken a long time, but the industry has finally come around to the notion of what ‘negative’ data can do for them, the curious concept of paying not to mail. Day again: “Traditionally, suppression has been a ‘just in time’ pre-campaign option – a case of getting the data right before mailing. Whilst this remains an important element in
correct suppression, the various databases now available offer broader scope, allowing users to be more proactive in their use of ‘negative data’.”
In other words, the scope for bureaux to
introduce a little art and craft into the suppression process has never been wider. “We would always recommend that clients go
through a bureau because doing suppression properly is a real art,” says Mortascreen Commercial Director Jo Bell. “They’ll even offer you a free data health check to give you some insight into what sort of state your data is in, and if they don’t offer that, I’d be very wary. And you’ll want to talk to them about what files they use, and why. In the current economic climate, clients need their mailings to be working as hard as possible for them and that won’t happen without efficient suppression.”
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
The REaD Group’s Penn believes that more and more bureau now use their expertise in suppression as a competitive advantage: “The way that many of today’s bureaux carry out suppression can be extremely sophisticated and they will often use these skills as points of difference so it’s worth seeking out a bureau to work with who demonstrate this kind of knowledge and commitment.” The quality of the files a bureau uses is
paramount, so understanding how the data on those files is collected, validated and verified is clearly a benefit. On average, for example, around 170,000 mailings are delivered to people who are deceased every day leading to untold distress as well as significant brand damage, not to mention wasted cost – and all easily avoided. On this point, Bell argues strongly that deceased matching should always be carried out at an individual level and not at a household level.
“Of course, every bureau operates
differently,” she says, “but there are some best practice issues like this that you should expect of any bureau, and never be afraid of asking them about anything that concerns you.”
“Every bureau operates differently but there are some best practice issues you should expect of any bureau, and don’t be afraid to ask about what concerns you.”
Jo Bell, Commercial Director, Mortascreen
Day agrees on the benefits of using a bureau that will work with the client to understand ááá
www.dmarket.co.uk
April 2010 29
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