New Delhi, Sept 17: DO you have a mailing list that is current? People die, change residence, job and (heaven forbid) even their spouse. So savvy companies allocate a reasonable proposition of their budget to maintenance of their mailing list. We did talk about buying out lists from existing sources. How about a cost-effective, innovative way of collecting a database on your own? How about using a summer project trainee (who costs next to nothing) to physically collect names and addresses, even as he works on a project? Restaurants traditionally encourage their patrons to drop their calling or visiting cards in a strategically placed box. The incentive to the lucky card owner being dinner for two. All around us are opportunities to innovate. And a mailing list offers great opportunities to improvise. Start today to build a mailing list. Of course, the more sophisticated term is a database which is why often enough this activity is referred to as database marketing. Having got a mailing list or a database in place, the next important aspect would be “the offer” itself. Here’s the 40-40-20 rule for success in direct marketing. 40 per cent — using the right mailing list. 40 per cent — mailer and offer 20 per cent — everything else – postage rate, format, paper, colour, graphics. The offer is crucial to a response programme. Think about some successful programmes that you have responded to. Programmes that have made you a customer. It could have been for a credit card or for a magazine. Some of you may have subscribed to A&M, the magazine and I can almost visualize the change in your expression on reading this. For you may be like some of the participants in my seminars who complain loudly and bitterly about the magazine’s (non) delivery of gifts and or copies. “You can’t get both. You either get the gift or the magazine,” quipped a disgruntled sales manager.

Let me talk briefly about loyalty programmes. Today airlines, hotels, credit card companies and retail chains have their own programmes. And no loyalty programme is unique or exclusive. If Jet Airways comes with an offer for its frequent fliers, Indian Airlines quickly follows suit and vice-versa. So the relationship efforts are already neutralized. So companies must always be on their toes to ensure that they keep coming up with some offer or the other to keep their customers happy and with them.