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Published on: 2/11/2008
Last Visited: 2/12/2008
Rob Sanchez, president of list management and interactive services at MeritDirect, said that once upon a time a marketer would draw up a direct marketing plan, rent a list and send out a mailing; but that model is disappearing.In its place: a more complex process that involves the pursuit of deeper data intelligence.
"We see an increase in using data for analytics and lead generation, so the traditional list rental model, more and more, is being chipped away," Sanchez said."There's a lot more drill-down [today]."
For example, many customers want custom databases built for them to help them target customers with more precision, he said.
"There's a lot more multichannel going on, where you're connecting the data sources between postal and e-mail," Sanchez said.
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Sanchez said the company is also doing a lot of database segmentation and analytics work alongside the marketing departments of many of its clients.While he said it is important for list companies to expand and diversify services in order to grow and evolve as the marketing world changes, he added it is equally important to stick to one's knitting.
"You can get into new businesses and services, but they have to be close to the core of what you are doing," Sanchez said.