Advantage List provides direct mail and email services
through the following types of marketing lists:
Resident Mailing Lists
Consumer Mailing Lists
Business Mailing Lists
Vertical Mailing Lists
Email Lists
Resident Lists
DESCRIPTION -
Resident Lists are lists of all non-business postal patrons. In other words,
all resident addresses to which the post office delivers mail. These are lists
of addresses, not people. They are typically addressed as "Resident"
or "Occupant". Other address lines that you may have seen are
"Single person at" or "The Family at".
COMPILATION -
Resident Lists are compiled by the United States Post Office and maintained by
Resident Mailhouses that concentrate on occupant mailings. Two national
companies that dominate the occupant mailing market are Advo and Harte Hanks,
which together account for nearly one-third of the market.
Resident lists are compiled from address and walk sequence schemes provided by
the post office addressing services. Resident mailhouses update address
information by contacting local post offices for changes.
SELECTS -
Generally speaking occupant lists are used to saturate areas with mail.
Regional resident mailhouses can select geographically by zip code and carrier
route. The more sophisticated national houses overlay census or other
geo-demographic data onto their files in order to select zip codes or carrier
routes by median income or age.
Consumer Lists
DESCRIPTION -
Compiled Consumer Lists are databases of names and addresses of households.
Compiled databases are an amalgamation of several sources of data, which are
used to add name/address information and selection criteria.
COMPILATION -
These databases are built on a foundation of several different sources of
public records such as credit bureau data, telephone directories, voter
registrations and drivers licenses.
The major compilers are Experian , Equifax , Donnelly & Transunion.
SELECTIONS -
Demographic selection is the major strength of a compiled database. There are
many types of selections available. The following is a partial list of
selection criteria in a general marketing priority sequence:
Estimated HH Income
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Age
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Gender
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Type of Dwelling
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Length of Residence
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Presence of Children
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STRENGTHS:
- Strong
demographic and geographic selectability
- Large counts in
small areas
- Inexpensive,
fast turn-around
- Names with all
addresses
WEAKNESSES:
- Outdated information
can remain on file
- Not targeted in
terms of consumer preferences
- Unreliable,
incomplete phone number info.
Business Lists
DESCRIPTION -
Compiled Business Lists are databases of business name and addresses.
COMPILATION -
Databases are compiled through yellow page directories, industrial directories
and credit information. The major compilers of business databases are InfoUSA
and Dun & Bradstreet.
SELECTS- All
businesses, professions and institutions in the U.S. have been classified by
the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census using the Standard Industrial
Classification System. This system is an index that identifies businesses by
four digit Standard Industrial Classification Code. This code is referred to as
an SIC Code. The SIC system categorizes businesses into 10 major groups
identified by a numeric range as follows:
SIC CODE
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DESCRIPTION
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0110-0971
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Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
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1000-1499
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Mining
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1500-1799
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Contractors/Construction
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2000-3999
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Manufacturing
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4000-4971
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Transportation, Communication &
Public Utilities
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5000-5199
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Wholesalers
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5200-5999
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Retailers
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6000-6799
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Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
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7000-8999
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Services
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9100-9721
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Government Offices
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Other selections available include:
Contact Name
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Number of Employees
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Annual Sales Volume
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Telephone Number
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Months/Years in
Operation
|
Fortune 500
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Headquarters
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Web Site Address
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And More...
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STRENGTHS:
- Several
Selections
- Large numbers in
small areas
- Inexpensive,
fast turn-around
- Most records
offer contact names and phone numbers
WEAKNESSES:
- Outdated
information can remain on file
- Not many numbers
for contacts below CEO/Owner level
Vertical Lists
DESCRIPTION -
Vertical lists are proprietary lists of people whose names have been captured and
maintained based upon a specific action, request or purchase. In other words,
names of people who have made a commitment through the mail, phone or TV for a
product, service or cause. These can be either consumer-based or
business-based.
Vertical lists can be categorized in four groups:
- Subscribers -
Magazine and Newsletter subscribers of both paid and controlled
circulation publications.
- Members -
Membership lists consist of members of associations, organizations and
other affinity groups.
- Mail Order Buyers
- Mail order buyers are people who purchased products such as gifts,
fashions and gourmet foods through catalogs.
- Donors - Donor
or Contributor files are lists of people who responded to political or
charitable appeals.
COMPILATION -
Lists are compiled through the direct action of the consumer. Lists are updated
regularly - often multiple times per year.
SELECTS- Selection
availability can vary greatly between lists due the size and/or the
sophistication level of the list owner or their computer service bureau.
Selections that are often available:
Business-Based Consumer-Based Title or Job Function Actives/Expires Industry
Recency / Frequency / Monetary Value Number of Employees Multi-Buyers Sales
Volume or Annual Revenue Hotline Business Address Gender Purchasing Influence
Age & Income
STRENGTHS:
- Inherently
targeted based upon action of the consumer.
- Strong
selections
- Updating by list
owners is strong due to the level of communication with their customers
WEAKNESSES:
- Small numbers in
small target areas
- More expensive,
slower turn-aroun
- Sample Mailpiece
and Minimum Order required
- Phone
information often unreliable, incomplete
Email Lists
DESCRIPTION -
E-Mail address information is captured when a user registers at a website. The
user is usually presented with an option to receive email offers for similar or
related products/services. These are "opt-in" files. It is important
to make sure you request only "opt-in" email lists. Otherwise, you
may be mailing to names on an unauthorized database.
COMPILATION -
Lists are compiled through web site user registrations or purchases. Lists are
updated regularly, although update schedules vary widely among list owners.
SELECTS -
E-mail lists have come a long way. They usually can offer all the same
demographic selects as postal lists.
Selections that are often available are:
Business-Based
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Consumer-Based
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STRENGTHS:
- Direct
transmission from list owner to recipient - no "in the mail"
delay
- Mailer avoids
printing and postage costs
WEAKNESSES:
- Messages can be
discarded by recipient before being seen.
- Less availability