Advantage List Products & Services

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:

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• Outdated information can remain on file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:

Other selections available include:

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:

1. Subscribers - Magazine and Newsletter subscribers of both paid and controlled circulation publications.
2. Members - Membership lists consist of members of associations, organizations and other affinity groups.
3. Mail Order Buyers - Mail order buyers are people who purchased products such as gifts, fashions and gourmet foods through catalogs.
4. 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:

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