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ADDRESS MANAGEMENT
Damian Morris
UK Sales Manager,
Satori Software
result in ROI. Address management is the most impression of the organisation. Good address the recipients’ realisation they already use this
pain-free and economical method to improve management includes standardising each product and the mailer hasn’t bothered to
a mailer’s impact on the environment. address so that each element is similarly check. That passing irritation can turn a current
Many organizations perform this process formatted regarding abbreviations. This makes customer into a former customer.
rarely, if at all, because it is often time- it easier to find and remove these duplicate
consuming, expensive and merging the data addresses. Even loyal customers prefer not to SAVE MORE ON POSTAGE
can be difficult and prone to error. This can be receive duplicate messages. Mailers can address concerns about the
avoided by choosing an integrated address environment by participating in programmes
cleansing and updating solution. Integrated USE DIRECT MAIL RESPONSIBLY like Royal Mail Sustainable Mail™. The
solutions eliminate the need to export then Improved address quality, combined with Sustainable Mail product is designed so that
import and merge address data. This makes smart list targeting, helps reduce one of the participating organisations whose mailings
even daily updates economically practical. biggest issues facing the direct mail industry: meet certain environmentally friendly
If an organisation is not convinced their its perception by many as being a distributor requirements can benefit from substantial
address quality can be improved, they should of environmentally-unfriendly junk mail. Good postage discounts—up to 4.7% below regular
include return addresses on all outgoing mail address management respects the wishes of Mailsort®. To achieve this best rate, the mailing
for a month. Most would be surprised at how consumers who prefer to receive fewer or no materials used must meet strict requirements
much mail is returned and would look to mailings. It may seem counterintuitive, but for recycled content and recyclability. The
improve their address quality. Undeliverable there is no better way to gain the trust of address data used for the mailing must also
mail without a return address is directed to the potential customers than to respect them - meet strict quality measures including
National Return Letter Centre which processes even if it means not mailing them. Trust cleansing and updating as well as correctly
60 million items a year. Though much of it is combined with need is key to turning a formatting the printed address. Though this
recycled, all that undeliverable mail represents prospect into a customer and a customer into programme is currently under review by
wasted materials and money. repeat business. Removing non-prospects can Postcomm, reception has been favourable.
only improve the ROI for a mailing.
IDENTIFY AND REMOVE DUPLICATES The most relevant mailings are those sent to MAKE ADDRESS QUALITY SECOND NATURE
Duplicate address entries cause more problems an organisation’s house list. A list made of The best address quality solution requires little
than wasted materials. They waste time and people who have purchased products or training or extra effort. Integrating a validation
may lead to poor customer satisfaction. requested information directly from the mailer. solution into common entry points and a batch
Imagine the problems and ill-will generated This list is built through other lead generation cleansing solution on the backend makes
when a customer record is duplicated as a techniques: search engine advertising, display maintaining address quality less onerous. The
prospect. This can happen when a contact ads and direct mail to rented lists. When renting benefits in saved time, resources and money
comes through a call centre but purchased lists, mailers who take the extra step to eliminate affect more than just marketing or IT, as
through a website. That customer may get current customers from the prospecting mailing forward thinking organisations are starting to
promotions for a product they already own, are more successful. Nothing takes the steam realise, with the net result: more profitability
perhaps at a lower price, resulting in a poor out of a well-crafted personalised mailing than and a reduction of your carbon footprint.
OPINIONS ON DATA | MAY 2009 11
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