First of all, Happy New Year. I feel like I'm repeating myself from 12-months ago when we were all looking forward to the brave new ex-COVID world, but here's hoping and praying that 2022 delivers for us all.
I can imagine a lot of companies are in the same boat currently, on one hand getting marketing plans in place for the coming year and on the other hand, keeping a close eye on which card the pandemic plays next. It's an awkward place to be. Plan B, no way, many of us are already on G, M or even Q!
Pleasingly, the first week back showed us that many of our clients are ploughing on with their plans, living by the mantra of continuing marketing and sales promotion, rather than putting everything on hold. Granted, in certain sectors, I appreciate a pause is inevitable, almost obligatory.
Right, what are my expectations for this year? I'm certain on a couple of fronts, the focus on data enhancement and a string of clients launching in new sectors will continue.
Existing Database Work
With some sectors putting marketing on hold for 12 or even 24 months now, their own client databases have become very old. This means high bounce rates, lower interactions and missed sales opportunities. As a result, we will continue to focus a lot of our time on cleanse and append work of existing data. After all, why would you focus on looking for new data, when you haven't even got the up-to-date contacts for your existing customers and hot prospects.
New Sectors
We have seen many clients change their traditional focusses over the past 12-18 months. This will continue. We've all been under the pump since March 2020, meaning seeking out new possibilities in unchartered audiences has been a necessity. Personally, I've done a great deal of work recently with clients who are launching news services, targeting new sectors or widening their audience, so brand new data is their key focus.
Help me size up my new audience
But what else?
Whisper it quietly, but direct mail will be coming back into the spotlight. I do think the days of mass postal campaigns are numbered, but targeted, highly focussed direct mail campaigns will be back. There's a clear appetite for a home/office balance amongst us. Office working won't die out and therefore quality DM will continue to have its place. This same redressing of the balance will also boost telemarketing returns as well.
I don't have a crystal ball. I'm certainly not expecting anyone to re-invent the wheel. What is certain is that we are here to help. Databroker can offer clear, independent advice on list acquisition, data enhancement and sizing potential new audiences. We're friendly, we're helpful and we're raring to go!
Contact us today and we'd be happy to provide more information.
