What are the benefits of engaging in database marketing?

• Database marketing will maximize your greatest assets, your customer
• Database marketing allows you to increase sales and gain higher profits
• Database marketing gives you the growth you have been looking for
• Database analysis will create more effective targeting, lowering cost-per-acquisition
• Database marketing creates more efficient use of your marketing dollars for increased sales
• Database marketing provides you with greater customer retention, leading to more dollar value per customer
• Database marketing drives referral and viral marketing at less cost, turning your customers into advocates

How do I start?

It begins with properly harnessing customer information and getting your customer data into an electronic format. We have a team in place that can assist you in developing methods for doing exactly this: be it on-line or through your standard means of working with your customers (shipping, customer service, warranty card etc.).

If you already have a customer database, either transactional, email addresses or actual name and address with other corresponding information, we will start there. We will look at the information you have accumulated and what your objectives are. From there we will determine the optimal strategic approach to turning your data into gold.

What is data enhancement?

This is the process by which we take elements of your customer database (such as name/address) and match it to an outside file of a reputable third-party vendor (the vendor choice depends on what kind of data we are looking for, e.g. business-to-business or business-to-consumer).

Based upon positive matches data is added to the end of each customer record. The data may include demographics such as: age, income, presence of children, buying habits, lifestyle and so on.

This data can then be used for creating pictures (profiles) of what your customers look like by various segments (products, channel, dollar value) and other actionable analyses.

Why is database analysis important?

• Analysis is the means by which you learn about your customer.
• You have to know what your customers are worth to you in order to mover them up the loyalty ladder and get more profits from them.
• You do not always require 100% of your customers to create an effective analysis.
• The most important thing about analysis is the interpretation and actualization of the resulting information. Answering questions is nice, but if you are not able to implement the answers, then all you have is data.

How do I know what kind of analysis I need?

We are Customer Intelligence Specialists™ (CIS). We will guide you to avoid analysis paralysis. First we will identify which questions are going to yield you actionable results. We work with you to establish the correct questions to ask and the optimal analytical strategy to use that will yield the greatest results. Examples of these questions may include:

• Do you know the difference between who your customers really are and who you want them to be?
• Can you identify suspects, prospects, customers and best customers?
• Have you considered them as “individuals” or as a “market”?
• Do you know how to best attract new customers?
• Do you know how to best service your customers?
• Do you know where they live and/or work in relation to your business?
• Do you know the difference between the one-time buyer and therepeat buyer?
• Do you know why they continue or stop using your product?
• Do you know which ones are actually costing you more to retain?
• Are you loosing customers faster than you are bringing them in?
• What is the difference between the look of your customer by product or service?

Can’t I just send coupons and newsletters to my customers to keep me top-of-mind?

Sales are the result of effective conscious planning, testing, analyzing and adjusting your marketing (sometimes internal teams such as customer service and fulfillment) and responding to your customers, not happenstance. Not all customers are created equal. Not all customers will look alike.

Effective database analysis will provide tools that describe the common characteristics among your customers; which ones are of high value and which ones have the greatest potential to move up your loyalty ladder (extending their dollar value to you). Using the right communication tool (e.g. incentives, newsletters) at the right time is a critical element to having an effective ROI (return-on-investment) for your marketing dollar.