If you have specific co-op database models that consistently perform well above your prospecting breakeven threshold, consider reusing unique names from those models in your next drop if your circulation plan calls for additional prospects.
Whichever co-op the names you decide to reuse names come from, these should be your very best first-round models—your best-performing prospects, in other words. Just as your best buyers can handle receiving back-to-back drops, these prospects should as well. Remember these prospects are some of the best mail order buyers out there.
The performance of a reused unique name will generally decrease 20%-40% depending on three factors:
- A cover change and/or repagination between the first and second drops;
- Time between the first and second drops; and
- The strength of the season in which you’re mailing.
On rare occasions, a unique reuse in the second drop can outperform the first drop. If that is the case, I typically would recommend saving these unique names for the stronger, second drop rather than using them twice. An additional bonus to a reuse is that they are usually priced 20% cheaper than standard, pre-merge modeled names.
Post-merge balance models are often the first choice when looking for additional prospecting names. While balance models can refresh the prospecting pool by including new names added to the database, these names are often from lower segments of your models, whereas a unique reuse is a tried-and-true name. I recommend a small head-to-head test to determine which is the best solution for your additional prospecting needs.
Anna-Lisa Ulbrich is circulation and marketing manager at San Rafael, CA-based catalog consultancy Lenser.