Focusing on good prospects rather than just screening out the bad was the rationale behind magazine and book marketer Rodale Inc. joining Alliant Cooperative Data Solutions' DecisionBase 360, its cooperative database for bill-me marketers.
“The industry as a whole became really good at identifying poor performers, but what we weren't good at was growing our businesses by finding good and high-value prospects,” said Todd Leiser, vice president of database marketing at Rodale Inc., Emmaus, PA. “Alliant has allowed us to find both the positive and negative data. Bringing the positive data to light allows you to tap into that marginal middle group or the 'messy middle,'” as Leiser said it's called by those in the industry.
Rodale began testing different Alliant solutions in the fall on several of its magazine and book offerings, including Alliant's list screening and modeling services.
“The reason we chose to move forward with Alliant is that the results are playing out,” Leiser said. “Not everything works; this is direct marketing. But there are more winners than losers, and we're rolling out.”
Alliant launched TransactionBase for the bill-me segment of the direct marketing industry in July 2004 with five years of transaction and payment history from its nine charter contributors. In September it launched a target marketing database called DecisionBase 360. It is also an industry-sourced cooperative transactional database but does not use regulated credit data. Alliant has 16 active contributors to its databases including Rodale and has data on 110 million U.S. consumers.
Bill-me DMers include magazine publishers; continuity and club marketers; single-shot book, CD or video marketers; catalog marketers and merchandise marketers; or any marketer that lets customers buy now and pay later.
“Rodale really has its choice of who they want to work with in the industry,” said Rick Witsell, vice president of marketing at Alliant Cooperative Data Solutions, Brewster, NY. “For us it's just very gratifying that these large mailers are taking the time to really evaluate the value-added services that we can provide, and in many cases we're able to give them solutions that they haven't been able to find from other vendors.”
Rodale reaches nearly 40 million consumers monthly. Its nine magazine titles are Prevention, Men's Health, Runner's World, Women's Health, Organic Gardening, Backpacker, Best Life, Bicycling and Mountain Bike. It also publishes books on health, fitness, cooking, gardening, spirituality, nature and other topics.
Kristen Bremner covers list news, insert media, privacy and fundraising for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
