is this a good offer?

[ltw]

Hi all,


I wanted to re- introduce myself. Lead the Way is my financial introducer company which deals with finance leads for remortgage, loan etc. however I also have a day job in direct mail marketing that I would like advice on- is this product/service attractive to amrketing companies? I personally think its great!..


Theydo Ltd is a direct marketing company which specialises in direct mail. We own our own database of over 52 million consumers and our partner company profiles the data so you can profile on income, property value, gender, age, family composition etc.


The database is accessible online for our clients through a secure login and you can pay for access on a postcode district basis, so small comapnies can target their local area, whereas larger companies can reach the whole of the UK if they wish.


The client is given access for a 12 month period and during that tuime they can benfit from unlimitied download of the dtaa and theycan also profile the data as many different ways as they want, so a company may send mailers every week for 3 different products- this would normaly cost you for 3 different profiles and you would have to pay for every use. We charge you once for 12 MONTHS and UNLIMITED USE. And heres the great thing- marketing companies can use it ojn behalf of all of their clients- at no additional cost!


If you would be intersted in finding out more about the system and database please email me kateouthwaite@theydo.co.uk

[belimited]

I can see the offer is better than your competitors, but how effective is direct marketing?

I know personally, anything I receive through the post or as junk email, unless it's something I'm expecting, it goes straight into the bin.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm just interested in finding out if it's something worth pursuing in the future.

[ltw]

Direct mail is a lot more responsive than people think. i wrote an article on it recently which highlights the responsiveness of such campaigns if done effectively (see bottom)

The system itself has had great feedback and the profiling which we use is industry leading. It allows effective targetting on income, gender, geographics, directors SIC code etc.

I am confident it is a much more cost effective way for brands and especially marketing agencies to market, however I need to know what motivates companies to choose a solution like this where they ahve total control of how much they use it, what profiles they choose etc. over a one off list purchase which offers no where near the same functionality.

Any feedback would be great.

THEYDO DIRECT MAIL SYSTEM BANISHES THE MYTH THAT DIRECT MAIL MARKETING IS TOO EXPENSIVE!

Direct Marketing has received bad press in the past. The common myth is that the cost is high and the responses are too low to make it worthwhile, yet the truth is far different.

In truth Direct mail can be an extremely effective method of delivering a marketing message and generating new customers if done accurately according to Kate Outhwaite, Business Development Manager at Theydo Ltd. who specialises in direct mail marketing.

In fact, DMIS Response Rates Survey 2005 showed direct mail achieved an average response rate of 6.7%, with the average response for business to business mailings generating 6.2% and consumer campaigns bringing in a 7.1% response rate. They went on further to declare 80% of businesses to consumer direct mail campaigns were deemed a success.

A massive 60% of consumer direct mail is actually opened and 40% of it read which means a massive audience can be targeted. If the profile of your target audience is analysed and determined effectively then responses can be impressive.

In most businesses a relatively small number of customers account for a disproportionately large volume of profits. Often you will find that 80% of your profits come from just 20% of your customers. This is known as the 80:20 rule or Pareto Principle (after the Italian economist Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto). This means that if you can just find another 20% of the right sort of customers, you can increase your profits by 80%! Profiling is essential.

Kate Outhwaite, who recently joined Theydo Ltd – a direct marketing and sales Management Company believes direct mail marketing is misunderstood and used effectively is imperative to a company’s successful marketing strategy. "Direct mail marketing is hugely undervalued within companies marketing strategies at present. Direct mail can be costly, so unless it is carried out effectively to a specifically profiled database companies are wasting money on mail shots. With evidence to prove direct mail marketing is an effective marketing choice the emphasis clearly needs to be on price and the usage and this is where Theydo Ltd has the answer.”

Theydo Ltd uses a direct mail system of 52 million consumer records, which they allow their clients unlimited access for 12 months, allowing them to find more of their best customers. “Our system is accessible online so the data is in real time and is updated daily and not only gives access to millions of consumers but it also allows companies to create their profile themselves. The client can change the profile of the database to suit their needs as and when they like, for example a marketing company could create 3 different profiles for 3 different clients every week if they wished. They can do this for no additional charge and with the click of a button- it saves a lot of money and gives the client full control”

The system allows clients to profile on socio economic information (income, family composition, age etc.), wealth information (income, investments held and financial risk), geographical information and council, tax banded data.

The main benefit of the system is definitely the cost. Theydo Ltd bases their costs on postcode district access to make it easier for small companies to use, although larger companies can access the whole of the UK if they require. 1 license gives the client access to 10 postcode districts, costing just £2,500. The client is then given login details to access the database online. Once they are logged on the client is able to profile with the click of a button as often as they like for the full 12 months- there are no additional charges for the data.

Theydo Ltd understand to increase response rate companies should consider contacting each prospect more than once - and at least quarterly. Increasing the frequency normally increases the response rate and many direct marketers now prefer to contact prospects monthly. According to The Royal Mail Guide to Direct Mail for Small Businesses, a follow-up mailing arriving 10-14 days after the initial mailing will normally increase response by 25-40% so a system allowing 12 month access is hugely cost effective.

Kate Outhwaite believes the cost and 12 month access overcomes all of the objectives associated with direct mail marketing and hopes that many more clients will consider using the system in the future, “we have had great success in the automotive industry, estate agency and financial services industries and I am now introducing it to marketing companies and brands direct”.

Theydo Ltd Head office is at 4-5 Peppercorn Court, Quayside,
Newcastle Upon Tyne and Kate Outhwaite can be contacted at kateouthwaite@theydo.co.uk, mobile 07920 20 8222.

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Thanks ltw.