New lists

| MCM staff

The names of almost 13 million epicureans, 65% of which are men, have been assembled for this list. Data is sourced from publishers, online retailer, catalogers, Websites and surveys.

Cruising for co-ops

| Tim Parry

Here’s some advice for anyone looking for a co-op database: Play the field. That is, don’t rely on only one. Try them all, and go with the ones that work.

Hello, again

| Linda Formichelli

Looking for new customers? Forget outbound telemarketing as a means of getting them. Prospecting for new business via phone is a low-percentage activity,

When A “10” Isn’t Perfect

| Tim Parry

In scoring model files and ranking potential prospects on a scale of 1 to 10, sometimes 9 is better than 10. Maria Marsala Herlihy, senior vice president of strategic consulting and analytics for direct marketing firm KnowledgeBase Marketing, says you need to think like a computer programmer when assigning values.

New LDS Products

| MCM staff

I-Centrix has unveiled a postage optimization service which helps marketers make the most cost-effective use of different postal rate tiers, while increasing response potential of each mailing by adding names from the Abacus Alliance.

Adjust Mailing Volume by Reducing Depth

| Bill Nicolai

We have all discussed at great length the negative effects of the recent postal increases. Now we have to get over it and move forward with adjusting our mailings to the new cost structure.

One tactic you can use to offset your postage increase is to adjust mailing volume by reducing depth. This is really Circulation 101, but it is the first place to start.

Integrating New Data Sources to Grow Your Universe

| Ozgur Dogan

Many marketers are spending more, only to experience decreasing response rates. Competition for eyeballs and market share is making it more challenging for marketers to remain top of mind with prospects, grow relationships, and retain customers.

In Praise of Postcard Prospecting

| Tim Parry

Catalogers naturally prefer to mail catalogs to prospects to give a potential customer a full scope of what it has to offer, and a sense of urgency to place an order.

But mailing post cards to prospects can be as effective, says Joy Gendusa

Making Sense of the New DPV Requirements

| Mike Yapuncich

There’s been considerable confusion in the industry regarding the new U.S. Postal Service’s delivery point validation (DPV) requirement going into effect on Aug. 1.
Some mailers are under the impression that a piece that is not delivery point validated will not be delivered, and that is not the case at all.