Delivering Success
When shopping for mailing or tele-marketing lists, be aware that there are some pretty lame files out there. Duplicates, bad addresses, mis-spelling and phone number errors are just a few of the problems.
Our intent here is to give you some insight into the compilation, cleansing and updating of marketing lists. We’ll follow that up with our own methods of solving many of these problems:
Compilation: There are hundreds, if not thousands, of list compilers out there. Some deal with general data such as age, residence, vehicle, and income lists, while others compile or manage more specific lists like magazine subscribers, association members, buyers-by-items, etc.
Here, we will deal with compilers of the more general information:
The main source for name, address and age information is the individual state’s driver’s license bureau files which, for a price, most states provide.
A second source for this information comes from voter registration files. Still others include vehicle registration and census data.
This information is loaded into computers and the applicable data appended to the individual.
For example we have John Smith:
DOB: 12/03/1950 (driver’s license)
Income range: 50K + (census)
Homeowner (county deeds)
Home value: $200,000 (county deeds)
Recently moved (U.S. Postal Service)
Owns an RV (Motor Vehicle Records)
Has a computer (mail order files)
Reads health magazines (subscribers)
Business owner (product registration)
and on and on.
The data is then matched up against the U.S. Postal Service’s “National Change of Address” (NCOA) files to correct any address errors. Then, the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certified software is used to accurately apply zip+4 information.
This is an over-simplification of the compilation process, but you get the basic idea.
There are several categories of list cleansing. We will touch on just a few of the more important ones:
Movers: Typically a quarterly affair whereby the compiler runs their data up against the Postal Service’s change of address records.
U.S. Postal Service changes: The postal service, on occasion, decides to change zip codes or start using physical street addresses in place of rural routes. These updates are usually performed monthly.
Periodic general updates: On a varied schedule, these are new files obtained from the main sources: state driver’s license, county deeds, etc.
Eliminating duplications: A misnomer. There are no compilers that score high on our list in this important category. Typically, the compiler will eliminate duplications by name and zip code only. This fails miserably because Bob J. Smith, Robert J. Smith and Robert J. Smith, Jr., all at the same address, would escape the de-duplicating process. Hence, you are paying for the same name 3 times.
Ancillary selections: Optional selects such as income, net worth, home value, etc. are nebulous at best. It’s the best the compiler can do with the lack of access to private records (obviously, the IRS is not going to make their records public and no bank in it’s right mind is going to release client data.)
Home value is determined by the original deed records but values change up or down annually. A house purchased in 1950 for $12,000 may easily be worth $150,000 today. The deed records will not reflect this.
So, what’s a compiler to do? In a word...guess. Estimate, if you will.
How?
Census data: This tells the compiler general information by
neighborhood “blocks.” These census blocks are broken down by area depending on population, land size, etc. Each is then given income ranges, home values, net worth, etc. Not perfect. However, you play the hand you’re dealt.
Product Registration Cards: These are the warranty cards that you send in when you’ve purchased a new refrigerator or whatever. There is an
amazing amount of personal information on these little cards...it’s amazing what people will disclose.
Note: You don’t really have to send these cards in. The warranty holds regardless.
That’s our brief summation of the compiler’s mode of operation.
Now, here’s what we do at The Directory, Inc: While we are restricted to the same information that is available to compilers, we take our cleansing process several steps further.
Cass Certification: Every client’s list that we process is matched against the most current USPS records...every time. We generally lose 2-3% of the names in this process.
Duplications: This is one area where we excel. We match not only name and zip code, but birth dates, name variations (Bob vs. Robert,) telephone numbers and more to find the elusive duplications that make it through the compiler's process. Our method often kicks out as much as 8% of the names.
However, income, net worth and home value still present us with problems. If you can get us access to those darn IRS records, we’ll be forever in your gratitude.
Targeting Your Market
Facts About Purchasing Marketing Lists