Why should I clean my data?
- GDPR – one of the main principles of GDPR requires that personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay;
- Cleaning your data will enable you to deliver personalised, accurate customer acquisition, retention, and re-activation campaigns.
- Reduce marketing operating costs by reducing returned mail volumes and wasted postage
- Ensure communications reach intended recipients first time, every time
- Produce accurate, analytics-ready data for profiling and targeting purposes
The bottom line is: an address database full of inaccurate or out-of-date data can cost your business time, money and customers.
What is PAF?
The Postcode Address File (PAF) is a database which contains all known “Delivery Points” and postcodes in the United Kingdom. The PAF is a collection of over 29 million Royal Mail postal addresses and 1.8 million postcodes.
How will using PAF help me?
Updating your data with the PAF file improves the accuracy of the addresses which in turn will improve deliverability of your mailing. Having more accurate addresses will also increase the discount available to you with Royal Mail Mailsort options and the Downstream Access services.
What is Royal Mail Mailsort?
Royal Mail Mailsort (often now called Low Sort or High Sort) is a discount postal service offered by Royal Mail on bulk mailings. Your mailing addresses and names will be sorted into Royal Mail selection areas. When we Mailsort the letters into these areas the mailing house can then put each delivery area into separate mail bags or trays. This saves Royal Mail a lot of work, as the mail is pre-sorted for them, ready for local delivery. In return, Royal Mail will give up to 40% discount on the postage cost. The more accurate your data the more discount you will receive on the postage costs.
What is Downstream Access?
- Downstream Access is a new way to handle mail. Previously all letters were collected and delivered by Royal Mail.
- Using Downstream Access however, other mail operators can assist in the delivery of your mail, opening up the mail market to competition.
- Under Downstream Access, Royal Mail only act as the final delivery agent, You are free to select a different carrier to collect the mail and provide logistics.
What’s the difference?
As Royal Mail only provide the final delivery, their costs are less than for current mailsort services. You are therefore able to engage a carrier to provide collection and logistics services at a price that is likely to be significantly less than your current mailsort contract.
What can I save?
Businesses that have switched to Downstream Access achieve cost savings immediately, with some major posters achieving multi-million pound savings per annum compared to their previous mailing expenditure.
What is MPS?
The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is a file of names and addresses of consumers who wish to limit the amount of direct mail they receive. The use of this file by list-owners and cold mailers is a requirement of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing administered by the Advertising Standards Authority. It is also a condition under the Code of Practice of the Direct Marketing Association.
What are Suppression Files?
Suppression files are 3rd party stores of data indicating a record change. These files are used to identify individuals or companies which are no longer at the address held as they have moved or should not be mailed for an alternative reason for example where someone has passed away (deceased).
The validation of these sources is important to the success of a mailing, utilising the right files in the right way enables accurate matching meaning you don’t under or over suppress data?
Why use suppression files?
The use of suppression files can save money, increase response rates, protect your brand image, show that you comply with best practice and protect the environment.
Why use Mortality files (deceased files)?
Using Mortascreen and Bereavement files
Flag or suppress individuals who have passed away in our opinion this is a core element of data cleansing it shows you care about your audience and your brand
What is Mortascreen?
What is The Bereavement Register (TBR)?
Why do I need to remove Goneaways?
Goneaway Files such as – GAS, NCOA Suppress, Purity, Smart Depart
Individuals or businesses that are no longer residing at an address and can be flagged or suppressed this will improve ROI and reduce cost of producing, printing and mailing undeliverable catalogues it also shows a certain regard for the environment in reducing the amount of waste.
What is GAS?
What is NCOA Suppress?
What is Purity?
Change of Address
NCOA Update, Smart Link and GAS Reactive
Another core element on cleansing your own customer database is to update the address detail for customers that have moved, did you know that it costs five times as much to attract a new customer, than to keep an existing one?
