Arandell

Home > CataBlog > Archive by tag 'matchbacks'

The Catablog

Posts Tagged ‘matchbacks’

Full Service IMB options, is it right for you?

Posted on September 30, 2009

Susan Pinter, Director of Postal AffairsArandell Corporation has printed and mailed many retail and mail-order catalogs. Both have their own unique requirements based on their marketing objectives.  For instance, retail catalogs have particular in-home dates to meet and are planned in meticulous detail with in-store promotions. Our standard mail-order catalogs often have personalized order forms and inserts that need matchback information to correlate in-home dates and Internet traffic.

With the upcoming changes to the USPS method of tracking mail, specifically transitioning to the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMB) system, the needs of our retail and mail-order clients will be adjusted. Click here to learn more about IMB. We have been surveying our customers to determine how they, or if they, plan to use the Full Service IMB option. As of today, only our retail customers have expressed a desire for Full Service IMB to be used for tracking purposes. Additionally, some retailers are toying with the idea of using the Full Service IMB in lieu of printing Point-of-Sale personalized customer barcodes on their direct mail pieces.

I am writing to learn the opinion and perspective of our standard mail-order catalogers. We have already heard several possibilities on how they might use the IMB services, but at this time have not heard of any immediate plans for mail-order catalogers. Our understanding is most catalogers are just looking at “What if?” scenarios.  

Some of the things we have heard being pondered:

  • Using IMB in lieu of matchbacks
  • Using IMB data for segmentations
  • Of course, retail and standard mail-order catalogers are taking in cost considerations with the different IMB options.

It seems the possibilities center around being able to use the IMB for smaller segmentation of files. I would love to learn what you are planning! Do you believe that Full Service IMB will have a large ROI? What information are you most interested in collecting? If you are NOT considering the Full Service, why? Do you fully understand the file requirements to implement your desired IMB service? What possibilities are there for using the IMB in a standard mail-order world other than tracking?

Look forward to hearing from you!

How Database Marketing is your Catalog Program Solution

Posted on July 08, 2009

Gary Sierzchulski, Vice President, Arandell Marketing SolutionsIn 2009 there is an unbelievably large amount of ways a CMO can spend his/her budget. Aside from the traditional direct mail pieces, tradeshows, T.V. and radio ads… we now have e-commerce websites, blogs, forums, Facebook, Twitter, etc. At the end of the day, just like we had to do when I started in this business,  CMOs are required to investigate their ROI in each effort. Listen to the podcast below or continue reading to learn the latest trends in database marketing and how you can apply new techniques to your marketing program.

 

 

Click on the link below to listen to the podcast.

[download id="3"]

 

Q: In the past, we have always stressed to our customers that the database is the most critical marketing component for direct mailers. Is this still the case?

 

 

 

A: Absolutely. In the last six to 12 months, our customers have been looking to their database for solutions about how to reach their customers more effectively. What we are seeing is that the current make-up of their databases is not working for them as they try to move forward. Our role is to work with the customers to try to develop their database to a point that makes it more relevant and more efficient to perform cross-channel marketing.

(more…)

The Power of Matchbacks: How they will save your direct mail program

Posted on June 19, 2009

Gary Sierzchulski, Vice President, Arandell Marketing SolutionsIn case you haven’t heard this lately, ROI is the not-so-new mantra. Click here to see the latest epiphany from eMarketer exclaiming ROI a must-have. Costs seem to be driving many decisions lately; this is no surprise because many of you are in survival mode right now.  With all the channels / customer touchpoints now in play, it is more important than ever to understand the impact these have on your business and the revenue they generate (and yes…as well as the costs associated to them).  We talked about matchbacks as being a key, but as you all know it’s not an exact science. Tim Perry from CWDKids recently stated his frustration about the lack of conclusive data in an article in MultiChannel Merchant. In my opinion, however, matchbacks do give you a very good handle on what is driving your business and as long as the business rules are constant, the information is extremely valuable and useful in analyzing current campaigns and in preparing future campaigns.The biggest constant resource in all of this is your database. It is also your biggest asset. Your database should accommodate all your marketing channels and any new ones that are being created this week.  By accommodate I mean that each channel can be clearly viewed and measured in terms of your key needs. The database should also support outgoing information as well as incoming information.

Outgoing information includes; dates, costs and event codes for all campaigns; direct mail, retail, email, Twitter, text or even the ancient telephone campaign. It is critical that each time you touch a customer that information is maintained. With the cost of storage and data decreasing as I write this post, there is no reason not to. Detailed reporting can be derived from this information and you can determine the true value of your customers.

Incoming information includes; orders, returns, “take me off your list,” “do not email me,” “do not call me,” change of addresses, survey information, etc. Again the more you have and maintain, the better.

All this information, literally at your fingertips, gives you the knowledge to understand the what, why, who, when, and how much and makes marketing decisions easier. The key is to have a platform that allows you to do all of this. We will elaborate in later blogs.

How to Avoid Flawed Results

Posted on June 16, 2009

Gary Sierzchulski, Vice President, Arandell Marketing SolutionsNow more than ever understanding what each of your marketing channels is driving your orders is critical to your success.

Marketers have attempted various methods to achieve this understanding.  What we have found is that in many cases the results are flawed and as a result, decisions as to how to move forward are based on inaccurate information.  Doing this process internally sometimes leads to personal preferences and emphases on a particular channel over another. 

Even if you decide to keep your matchback process internal, it pays to have an outside company occasionally provide the matchbacks for you. Here are three reasons why:

  • The external company can validate your results. For a few hundred dollars you could receive an external reassurance that you are on the right track, and you can continue to charge ahead. Worst case scenario? You weren’t on the right track and now you have a great resource to help you fix and improve.
  • Ensure your methodology is consistent. Every company has created a system that works for them depending on their culture and the different personalities in the team. An outsider looking in has the ability to find the flaws and the areas that your team might have overlooked or neglected.
  • Review your best practice business rules. There are many different ways to peel an apple. Sometimes your company’s best practice business rules might not be, in fact, the best. A fresh perspective is great to challenge and refine your current approach.

Going through the process, discussing and agreeing to the business rules, understanding where the data is coming from, etc. are all critical to the accuracy of the analysis.  Keep in mind – you should already know the total sales for the period being analyzed.  The matchback fine-tunes those numbers into the proper channel receiving credit for the sale.

Search

Connect with Arandell:

LinkedIn RSS

© Copyright 2012 Arandell. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used without the express written permission of Arandell Corporation.