| Marketing efforts are impacted more by the | | | | Address file is strictly supervised, the matching |
| conversion of records from the source than | | | | logic utilized follows rigid regulations. A small |
| many companies realize. Many companies don't | | | | deviation will cause a record to be classified as a |
| even know how their provider's convert works. | | | | NIXIE, a "likely" but unconfirmed match to the |
| For many years the direct marketing industry has | | | | NCOA database. Most companies drop |
| accepted the fact that when converting incoming | | | | NIXIE’s from their prospecting efforts. If |
| files from one layout to another only a certain | | | | an NCOA match had been returned the record |
| percentage of the information will be successfully | | | | could have been mailed. |
| captured. It may be the result of a human error | | | | Additionally, these inaccuracies will impact how the |
| when entering the data to begin with or it may | | | | mail files match each other in a merge purge |
| be a result of an error when processing the data | | | | environment and how they match demographic |
| at its source. Even with today’s modern | | | | databases in append processes. Mailing duplicates |
| technology, the 90-10 rule still holds true. Many | | | | or not properly recognizing a household can |
| companies that receive files the blame the | | | | damage response rates. Without proper |
| provider, some go the extra mile to make | | | | demographics, model scoring can be impacted and |
| corrections, and some fall in between. This | | | | basic targeting decisions are made without proper |
| portion of the overall solution is not glamorous and | | | | information. |
| does not appear significant but upon further | | | | Finally, postal savings are lost when records |
| review the impact of a proper conversion is | | | | cannot be sorted to the proper levels due to |
| exponential. Moving data from one layout to | | | | missing or inaccurate information. Carrier route |
| another is mostly a manual process, dependant on | | | | walk sequence discounts or saturation discounts |
| human examination of the layout generated from | | | | can be lost as a result. These costs along with |
| the source company providing the list. But even | | | | the loss in revenue from lower response rates |
| the cleanest lists have instances where data | | | | are much greater than any additional cost for |
| doesn’t match the layout exactly; street | | | | properly loading and converting a file. |
| directionals can easily be omitted, titles can be | | | | Furthermore, this attitude cuts against the spirit |
| misidentified, and personal names and business | | | | of one to one marketing. If a mailer |
| names can be transposed. Small inaccuracies | | | | doesn’t care enough to properly identify |
| may not seem unimportant on the surface but a | | | | who they are mailing at the outset, the financial |
| deeper look at traditional processing exposes the | | | | impact can be significant. However, the |
| truth. | | | | psychological impact can be much greater if a |
| Inaccurate information at the source affects all | | | | customer or prospect doesn’t feel the |
| aspects of traditional data preparation. Data that | | | | company is invested in a one to one marketing |
| is not in the proper field or is missing completely | | | | strategy. Taking this first step at the beginning |
| affects the match rates to postal and proprietary | | | | of a project is more significant that many |
| hygiene services. The National Change of | | | | businesses realize. |