Database and Lists
It's true that the quality of your lists and database is often the major factor in direct mail success. That's why we are so thorough and exhaustive in our efforts to ensure your mailing lists are in pristine order. As you can see from our menu of data processing services, we do everything we can to ensure you get accurate matches against outside lists. Services that get your mail delivered. Services that save you money. Services that let you personalize your messages with confidence.
You also don't want to waste money sending mail to invalid addresses. Or sending more than one piece to the same person. And it's not just money. Multiple mailings aggravate the recipient. We have a ton of processes to avoid the aggravation and loss of money.
List Hygiene and Cleansing:
Name and Address Standardization:
When you pass your own file against outside rental lists, you must ensure your own list source is clean and parsed. If it is not, you can't find your customers who might be also be on rental lists. Bad form. So we make sure your mailing files conform to standards.
Cass Certification:
Identify invalid addresses so you can avoid useless undeliverable mail. Cass certification also ensures you qualify for maximum postal discounts. Of course, we also use zip+4, carrier route codes, delivery point codes, street directional verification, zip code correction and Delivery Point verification as well as other standard processes.
NCOA:
This is not only good form it's required to process your files against the USPS National Change of Address file. In addition to helping you qualify for maximum postal discounts, it saves you money. No more wasted production and postage costs for undeliverable mail.
Duplicate Elimination:
Merge Purge, Dupelim—we all have several names for the process that merges multiple files together to identify and eliminate duplicates. It's a huge source of wasted production and postal costs if the dupes are not found. We can customize your merge purge software and fine-tune it for your needs. Ask us about that. You'll be surprised what some companies overlook.
Suppression Records:
You may have internal suppression files. We can handle that. You'll also want to run your names against other files, like Deceased Suppression files, the DMA's Do Not Mail Suppression file, etc.
List Enhancement
All lists can use a little help. Right? You've come to the right place.
Congressional Append:
Many political mailers and non-profits use this regularly to put their customers in touch with the right legislative district and representatives. While it's old hat to us, it could breathe new life into your mailing.
Latitude, Longitude and Radius Appending:
Want to get your customers to your closest office or store? Want to build traffic for specific locations? We use a combination of latitude and longitude as well as Radius sweeps to target the right customers closest to your locations. And to get them to their closest locations. We can get pretty granular with this. Our retail and financial services clients especially love this targeting. (And with our special software, we can even print a map with directions from their home to yours.)
Dollar Calculation/Gift Asks:
Talk to us about an easy way to upgrade donations or purchases (based on previous purchase history or other data). Ask about smart ways to calculate even complex savings. One of our clients uses multiple criteria to demonstrate how much money its prospects can save when they buy new software. We make it easy. And each customer's savings are printed big and bold to make the decisions easier.
Demographic and Life Style Appends:
If gender, age and income help you target and customize your direct mail message, we'll handle the data overlays for you. If employee size or sales volume helps you find the best business targets, we'll do that, too. Whether it's demographics, firmographics or lifestyle, SM&M can improve your targeting and your ability to personalize.
Postal Processing:
We make sure your direct mail enters the postal stream as close to the end point as possible. That saves tons in postage. By taking your sortations to the most granular level, you can qualify for maximum savings. Even down to Assign Line of Travel. That's even smaller than a carrier route. Maximum postal discounts. Maximum savings.
List Rental
If you want rental lists to work harder for you, we can help. Our list specialists can help you pinpoint the best possible list sources. So let us help you target. We listen carefully to your needs, and review your current house list or database. Then we come back to you with the best recommendations, whether it's consumer or business to business. Already have your lists in place? No problem. We'll take it from there and make sure they are clean, deliverable and accurate.
