Dirty Data's Domino Effect

The "Domino Effect": a compounding repercussioninstitutions misfortune and fuel all the collateral
or chain-reaction, which originates from whathemorrhaging as it evolves.
many consider an innocuous event.THE REPERCUSSIONS
Maybe the best way to illustrate this is byReprinting and re-mailing a retraction offer for
example. Here's how the "Domino Effect" canprior direct mail material?
adversely impact a business. Granted, this(Cost: $5,240,000) Plus, production rush charges
example may seem a bit of a stretch, but it's(Cost: $900,000)
intended to illustrate how costly dirty data couldInstitution hiring consultant to manage new ad
actually become. Agreeing with the dollar amountsagency selection process; securings the services
is insignificant. Understanding the devastatingof a PR firm for "brand damage control" and to
impact, which dirty data has on your organization,manage the mounting negative press coverage at
is.$150 per hour for an initial 90 days?
THE PLAN(Cost: $1,250,000)
A large national financial institution, using itsBrand damage causing BDI and CDI to fall more
proprietary database of 4,500,000 high valuethan 40 points, mirroring an 18% loss in market
domestic retail customers sent out, via US mail, acap?
$250,000 pre-qualified 3.5% home-equity line of(Cost: 3,343,005,000)
credit offer. The campaign's cost: $5,240,000The institution hiring outside council specializing in
(postage, paper, printing, power, people). Theadvertising law at $170 per hour; securings outside
strategy behind this marketing tactic was to buildcouncil specializing in class-action suits at $250 per
a tighter bond with these customers whilehour to address a suit brought on by "injured" mail
generating incremental revenue. However, therecipients; retaining law firm specializing in
inverse actually occurred.employment law at $225 per hour; contracting
THE FLAWwith council specializing in executive compensation
Nearly 23% of the database, which the marketinglaw at $300 per hour?
department used, included individuals no longer(Cost: $1,756,000)
meeting the institution's specific criteria necessaryCourt fining in favor of "injured" mail recipient
to receive the offer. Here's the hitch: the offerplaintiffs?
stated the named recipient on each piece of(Cost: $18,750,000)
mailed collateral was already guaranteed toFTC fining institution for deceptive business
receive the $250,000 line of credit based on theirpractices?
prior credit activity. So, the financial institution's(Cost: $250,000)
exposure was $1,035,000 in wasted marketingCourt Fees?
funds for mailing to the wrong individuals-right? No(Cost: $200,000)
exactly.Confidentiality of multi-year corporate marketing
THE DOMINO EFFECTstrategy compromised?
"Injured" mail recipients (those no longer meeting(Cost: $70,000,000)
the qualifications) file a class-action suit against theMedical premiums rising as a result of an increase
institution citing discriminatory and unfair businessin claim activity, which the institution promptly
practices.passes along to its employees?
Investigations started by FTC, FDIC Bank(Cost: Additional $178 per month increase in
Examiners and the USPS mail fraud department.employee paid healthcare premium)
DM agency was saddled with the blame for usingInstitution contracting with an out-source HR
dirty data prompting the relation between theservice company to manage influx of new job
financial institution and the agency to bepostings as a result of the employee exodus
terminated.stemming from initial employee firings and
A contractual breech occurs in the employmentdramatic rise in medical premiums?
contract between the institution and its CMO as a(Cost: $200,000)
result of all the bad press surrounding this matter.Institution securing the services of an executive
The senior executive immediately seized therecruiting firm to conduct a global search for a
moment to extricate herself from the relationshipnew CMO, new board directors and other key
and promptly joins a competitor, taking with herexecutives?
all the "first-hand knowledge" of the financial(Cost: $1,120,000)
institution's business strategies she had amassedIncreasing advertising expenditures to stabilize
during her 5 year tenure.brand equity?
Several of the terminated marketing department(Cost: $75,000,000)
employees file a multi-million dollar suit against theInstitution hiring off-shore call-center to handle
financial institution, citing discriminatorydramatic increase in customer service calls?
employment practices.(Cost: $2,000,000)
Individuals in the marketing department, not firedRe-training of recently hired off-shore Customer
from their jobs as a result of the direct mailService call-center's employees to speak
debacle, and being fearful for their jobs, begin tounderstandable English?
suffer post-traumatic-stress-syndrome and seek(Cost: $3,000,000)
counseling or take extended leaves of absence. InRepairing branch vandalism?
effect: a paralysis occurs in the marketing(Cost: $985,000)
department as a result of the anemic leadershipPostponing "indefinitely" Multi-billion dollar merger?"
direction trickling down from the executive suite(Cost: $12,000,000,000)
after the departure of the CMO.Institution securing a law firm specializing in
Employees file worker's compensation claims orChapter 7, 11 and 13 filings?
disability insurance as a result of headaches and(Cost: $ 4,560,000 paid in advance)
neck problems brought on by excessive jobFrom this embellished scenario, one can certainly
stress and mental anguish directly related to anappreciate the potential negative ramifications of
increase in customer service issues stemmingusing dirty data as. The point being made is;
from the offer.preemptively invest in your company's future
Customer Service quality levels plummet as asuccess rather than attempting to rescue your
result of reductions in staff.business later.
The financial institution's HR department becomesThe average US company has anywhere
over-whelmed by employee attrition as a resultbetween 25 and 40 percent bad data. Not only is
of employees pursuing alternative employment.this worthless data, it's a dangerous data liability
Stockholders demand immediate action to resolveas well. However, this risk exposure can be easily
the multiplying issues and restore stock value andaverted for a fraction of the costs of just the
brand equity.original printing costs referenced in this document
High profile "captains of industry" who sit on theby leveraging the power of a robust integrated
institution's board, seeking to distance themselvesdata management software solution. Investing in
and their companies from the troubled financialhigh quality data standardization and business
institution, resign their board of director posts.intelligence analytics software will help mitigate a
Merger discussions with a multinational financialbusiness falling prey to a dirty data disaster.
institution are put on "temporary hold" citing aIt's difficult to put a value on investing in highly
need for reevaluation.scalable data management software because,
Financial institution's property becomes a focus forwith the right software you may never know
vandalism by disgruntled employees and irateexactly what it made for you, much less, saved
citizens.you.
The media promptly begins to follow theHaving a whistle clean data base?