Get Real With Your List Expectations

So Balloon Boy was a hoax.

This got me thinking: When you put your money down and take your chances on data rentals, are you sure you’re gettin’ what you think you’re gettin’? Or, are you getting the balloon boy equivalent of a list?

Before I get too far along on this balloon ride, let me state that the responsibility of being sure about data has two equal sides. Both have common sense factors attached to them and both require a lot of belief and communication.

One of the most well known tag lines in advertising holds true for data marketing, “an educated consumer is our best customer.” If, as a client, you understand what is possible in a data pull--and what is not--your request will net a far superior result. If you ask for fantasy data, then you really can’t be too upset when the result isn’t optimal. To get a real result you have to get real in terms of the audience you’re asking to reach with your message.

I recently saw a campaign come in for a short message service (SMS) pull on CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in a specific geographical area.

Really?

C’mon, get in the balloon and let’s take a ride and chat about where most SMS data originates from in the first place.

Most SMS lists are generated through downloads from sites offering ringtones, wallpapers, etc. Ya think a CEO of a Fortune 500 company is looking to spice up its SmartPhone with some Kanye or Flower Power wallpaper?

The blame for this dismal campaign was two-sided. The requesting client should have used common sense and known this was not the best media for its message. The data company should have never even tried to fill the request because it was doomed from the start.

As professionals, it is our responsibility to jump onboard and really look into that balloon and see what’s really in there. If you ask questions about the origin of the data and you are getting smoke and mirrors, source your data someplace else. If a data company is truthfully delivering what it says, then that provider will be happy to let you look into their balloon. If it doesn’t, or is giving you the equivalent of “he’s in there,” realize the data is in the attic and move along.

Similarly, a data company can only give you what you are requesting. Make sure you understand the medium you are working with and what is actually possible. Understand how data for that medium is aggregated so you are making educated decisions.

With budget cutbacks and staff layoffs many firms are looking for cheaper routes and--sad to say--have fewer people to really delve into what they are getting for their money. But the need to be vigilant and not just accept data at face value is more important than ever because of these cutbacks. You have to ask yourself what IS being cut back?

When I worked on a specific catalog’s holiday campaign I shocked everyone by wanting to go line by line through my data company’s postal and e-mail recommendation. For years and years the manager of data marketing had just signed off on whatever was presented to him. The problem was that the holiday book’s return on investment stopped growing.

I asked, “ya think the lists (both prospect and consumer) need to be looked at more carefully?” I was told, “Nah, they’re fine.” Well, I don’t have to tell you my response back was “ya sure?”

So, I dove into that balloon--taking my data company with me--for two full days. Line by line we went through that recommendation and uncovered a ton of non-performing lists that were eliminated and replaced with new tests. Same with the in-house consumer data. Don’t take things at face value. Ask questions and know for sure.

Dive into your data balloons and look at what you are getting. Ask questions. It’s your money, or your client’s money, and you deserve more than a good story. Because at the end of the day, you deserve to be sure.

Carol Lustig is a Boca Raton, FL-based direct marketing consultant.