| om-link"> | | | | numbers to business addresses. This |
| | | | processing rarely costs extra and will become |
| As the multi-channel marketplace grows in | | | | mandatory in August of 2011 so adding it now |
| complexity there are a few bedrock principles | | | | has virtually no downside. |
| that continue to make sense. | | | | The USPS Move Update regulations require that |
| Making use of industry best practices will always | | | | NCOALink be run on all files mailed within 95 |
| pay off because a company's peers and | | | | days. The licensed change of address database |
| competitors are setting the standard and | | | | (COA) updates addresses and identifies |
| validating the actions that become known across | | | | non-forwardable moves before a piece is mailed. |
| the industry leaders. Understanding a 360 degree | | | | There are both 18 month Limited NCOALink |
| view of a customer, which is just the modern | | | | processors and 48 month Full Service NCOALink |
| term for knowing the guy who comes into your | | | | processors. As a general rule running the Limited |
| store, be it retail, online or virtual, means collecting | | | | Service will keep a mailer compliant, however, |
| more data as it becomes available and using it the | | | | some Full Service processors have reported that |
| right way. Handling that data so that you avoid | | | | some weekly updates contain moves that are |
| the garbage in and garbage out dilemma is | | | | older than 18 months, meaning they will not be |
| another critical element in marketing efforts. As | | | | available in the Limited process. In addition, many |
| a result of attending a recent Experian webinar | | | | mailers can cost justify running NCOALink within 2 |
| on data hygiene, a few little known tips for | | | | weeks of a mailing, simply to catch last minute |
| improving the handling of data will be shared in this | | | | moves before a marketing effort. The savings |
| article. | | | | in the mail are considerable and mailing to the |
| Data processing and cleansing is the foundation of | | | | proper recipient dramatically improves response |
| good marketing strategy and the tools in place to | | | | rates. |
| support effective communication are typically | | | | While the USPS COA database is required and |
| available at most of the nationally known Service | | | | very effective there are still many people who |
| Bureaus. Making the most use of these tools is | | | | move and do not report it to the Post Office. |
| an overlooked area. While CASS certification is | | | | These movers can number up to 30% of annual |
| well known to most direct mail companies, the | | | | movers, making a Proprietary COA service a |
| use of multiple CASS certification engines is an | | | | valuable commodity. Some Service |
| effective way to increase the number of records | | | | Bureau’s, like Experian, will partner with |
| that will be standardized and receive Plus 4 | | | | publishers, catalogers, and other clients to receive |
| coding. The impact on records mailed comes | | | | COA notifications that can be passed on to their |
| from higher postal discounts and more reliable | | | | clients. These match rates are usually around |
| deliverability, which translates into higher response | | | | 1% of the customer database and the improved |
| rates. But improved address quality also has an | | | | response will quickly justify the added expense. |
| effect on matching to suppress files, internal | | | | While none of these tips alone supply the means |
| duplicates, and demographic files used in modeling | | | | to drastically change marketing costs they are |
| and targeting, so the benefit doesn’t just | | | | each an incremental improvement to traditional |
| exist for mailers. | | | | processing. In a closely monitored environment |
| A new tool added by the USPS in recent years | | | | where every improvement to the bottom line |
| for improving business addresses is the SuiteLink | | | | success of a company is noticed, it makes good |
| application. As a component of CASS certified | | | | sense to adopt these strategies into your best |
| processing it applies missing secondary address | | | | practices. |