Archive for the ‘Direct Mail’ Category
Having been in the direct marketing business for more than twenty five years I (like nearly all of my colleagues), am all too familiar with new mover data and its value to marketers. For those unfamiliar with direct marketing – new mover data is a highly valued commodity and the names and postal and email addresses are bought and sold at premium prices.
It should not be all that surprising that contacting a new home, co-op or condominium owner gives the marketer a golden opportunity to offer the right product or service at the right moment to people that have just moved into the neighborhood. Local eateries, services such as dry cleaners and tradesmen often tap new mover data in order to reach potential new customers. Even car dealers like to use new mover data in order to drum up new sales. New movers data can be segmented rather rigorously so that marketers can better target what they hope are the most likely new customers.
So it comes as a surprise to me that in the nearly four weeks that we’ve lived in a ‘new house’, there really has not been much in the way of offers for local (or even non-local) products and services for us – new movers. We are all too familiar with the data on both new and existing home sales here in the United States. All the more reason I say that a new mover should be more highly coveted than ever before.
I remember when we had just purchased our first home a number of years ago. At one point the Welcome Wagon lady (she had to be pushing seventy-five) came to our house while I was home alone painting. I answered the door and she asked if the owner was home. Nice. We both regrouped and she offered a basket of ‘goodies’ from local businesses (hair salon, pizzeria, dentists etc.). It was nice to get that and we definitely used the coupons and began to patronize local businesses – some that we even still patronize today.
Despite the fact that I’ve spent many years in the direct response industry I am on the do not call list. I imagine that I am far from unique in this aspect even for people in the industry. So that precludes our being called at home by local businesses. Email could be a way to reach us. But email data is not as easily matched to a new mover address – at least not anywhere as seamlessly as a postal name and address and corresponding mail piece.
Mail volume is down substantially and set to continue that trend. Perhaps we don’t make the grade as a good prospect to mail. However I sincerely doubt that.
Are there any other new movers out there? If so have you been seeing offers from local business that you can tell are aimed at you because you recently moved?
