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“A market has never bought things. Customers buy things. That's
why database marketing's ability to target the individual consumer in the crowded marketplace is so
valuable.” - (Tom Peters)
Targeting today’s niche customers. The myth of the monolithic mass market has been laid to rest. The best a particular product or service can hope for is that it satisfies one or a few market segments or niches. Today’s excellent companies strive to deliver a mix of products and services that complement each other and can be effectively packaged, distributed, promoted and sold to as many customers in as few markets as possible.
Defining what those markets are, which individual consumers populate them, and how their purchasing behavior can be classified or differentiated are three of database marketing’s key contributions to a company’s success.
Turning data into a powerful business tool. A database contains data. It’s just a very expensive collection of bits and bytes until the raw data is processed into a value-added management information and decision-making tool. Sophisticated analytical techniques such as database overlays, forecasting, statistical regression analysis and modeling transform data into management information that helps shape marketing strategies that concentrate on the best payoff alternatives.
Building long-term customer relationships. Database marketing is more than an analytical tool for profiling your best customers and prospects. It allows a company to develop and build relationships with those people by opening and maintaining a timely and relevant dia- logue with them. A sophisticated database tracks what and when each individual or company buys, and often can provide insight into why and how purchasing decisions are made. This information is the foundation of a marketing action plan that contacts the right individuals at the right time with the right factual and motivational information about products and services they are likely to have a genuine interest in.
“Most marketers have not realized the asset
value of knowing who their actual or competitive users are.” - ( Joel Tucciarone)
The marketing database can also help you analyze and design sales territories, determine site locations for sales, distribution and dealer locations. The effectiveness of your media expenditures can be assessed with much greater rigor than ever before. Increased understanding of your company’s market dynamics can make your sales force more productive and more able to be responsive to customers and prospects and reduce their chief complaint, “too much paperwork”.
What’s so tough about creating a computerized Rolodex? Many organizations have discovered that building a marketing database from scratch is not a simple task, nor is revising an existing database that was designed to meet sales, accounting or production priorities. Populating the database with the right information, maintaining the data’s currency, accessing the information in a quick, easy, and useful way are also significant challenges. As with any activity, the simple factors of more practice and experience can give you the edge. Often you can do it better, cheaper or quicker by the judicious use of outside experts who can call upon their experience, trials and errors to help you avoid repeating their mistakes.
How do you pick a database marketing consultant? Hundreds of companies now claim to be involved in database marketing. However, their origins and point of reference determine the approach they take and the extent to which they exploit the capabilities of the database.
Service bureaus make their money by processing, merging and cleaning mailing lists . . . so their primary interest is in passing as many records as possible. They do not typically bring a balanced marketing or analytical perspective.
Printers and mail houses are now also in the database business . . . but their pri- mary interest is still in printing and mailing as many pieces as possible.
The management consulting arms of major accounting firms have branched into marketing and database consulting . . . but their primary interest is in creating high- level conceptual recommendations. Seldom do their consultants have in-depth line management experience as marketing, direct marketing or database marketing professionals.
“E = MC ( squared) ” - (Albert Einstein)“Effectiveness = Marketing’s Challenge (squarely) ” - (Craig Sharrow)
How do we do it? Sharrow Davies Townsend can help your company’s marketing efforts through strategic consulting, database planning and analysis, coordination of analytical research, preparation of targeted marketing and advertising programs, and direct marketing services. We have the expertise to bring together the right team of experts appropriate to your company’s particular requirements. This may include computer and database experts who’ve designed and revised effective marketing databases for other clients, market researchers, analysts and statisticians with the ability to provide actionable recommendations, as well as communications professionals who can assess your current programs or recommend and create im- proved relationship-building advertising, direct marketing and sales promotion that are tied in to an integrated marketing strategy.
Our capabilities. We’re not a typical consulting firm. The professionals assigned to your project have developed and managed successful marketing programs, run marketing departments, designed database systems and conducted research. We don’t simply make recommendations then disappear. We’ll roll up our shirtsleeves and work along side your team to get the job done. We serve our clients in areas such as:
“We’ll tell you where we can do the most good
and where and how you can and should do it yourself.”- (An Honest Consultant)
Craig Sharrow, president and senior consulting associate has held senior account management, marketing and strategic planning, and creative positions with regional and national advertising agencies and consulting firms. He headed direct marketing at Hewlett-Packard’s U.S. Computer Marketing Operations and the U.S. Test & Measurement divisions. Mr. Sharrow has worked with Pacific Bell’s directory publishing subsidiary overseeing a multi-million dollar direct marketing budget. He developed programs which provided lead generation, account development, and direct sales support. As part of his consulting work he planned and directed the development of advanced analytical database capabilities.
He has worked with major corporations including Ford Motor Company, General Motors Research, Burger King, Citicorp Savings and DHL Worldwide Express. Further his client experience includes health care, securities & investment, pharmaceutical, publishing, software development, telecommunications, broadcasting, hotel & hospitality, and retailing organizations.
Mr. Sharrow has extensive experience in the development and application of database, geo- demographic and micro-econometric modeling and analysis for site planning, new market potential forecasting, market segmentation and sales development. He has been speaker at national Direct Marketing Association conferences on database marketing. He received his M.B.A. in marketing at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Sharrow Davies Townsend has working relationships with local and national experts as well as with database, research, and design organizations. This ensures that your company’s project receives the attention of the appropriate group of professionals with the skills necessary to get the job completed with the minimum appropriate investment of time and resources.
“To pick the right expert you need to know
what you want help with.” - (Consulting Rule #1)
Reduce direct marketing costs via development and use of analytical and statistical capabilities. Improved targeting of business-to-business direct mail programs by subjecting programs to financial and marketing review process to eliminate both marginal prospects and programs while identifying new marketing opportunities. Annual direct marketing budget savings of over $500,000.
Boost retail traffic and sales. Developed the concept and creative execution for sales incentive, consumer traffic-building, direct mail, couponing and motivational sweepstakes, and point-of-purchase programs for Ford Motor Company, Ford Vehicle Division, Lincoln-Mer- cury Division, Ford Parts & Service Division, and Ford Motor Credit Company. Some of the direct marketing programs had consumer response rates in excess of 7%.
Increase leads and sales. Developed the strategic advertising plan for, and supervised the advertising programs for the leading health care complex in Lansing, Michigan. Campaigns generated 3,800 referrals to a new Women's Health Center in its first 6 months of operation and increased obstetrical delivery market share from 47% to over 60%.
Increase market share thru customer & site analysis. Analyzed the psychographic and geo-demographic characteristics of one of America's top 20 retail furniture chains. This analysis enabled the retailer to identify new site locations, and to redirect its advertising in order to increase market share to over 25%.
Identify new market opportunities. Developed a micro-econometric and marketing model to forecast the market potential of new markets for a multi-state midwestern residential mortgage corporation. This analytical tool enabled this corporation to allocate its resources to markets having the greatest sales opportunity.
Marketing-oriented media budgeting. Created a computer-aided media analysis program for a major multi-state automotive aftermarket retailer. The program was designed to determine which markets (i.e. ADIs) should be targeted for broadcast advertising support, to determine the ratio of television-to-radio usage in each selected ADI, to define the por- tion of total broadcast budget to be allocated to each ADI, and to identify the potential sales contri- bution required to justify incremental increases of advertising dollars.
Combat aggressive marketing competition. Prepared a 3-year direct marketing plan for a major international air express company. Objective: protect current client base and increase market share 25% in the face of escalating industry competition.
Cut sales force costs. Developed direct response sales program to reduce field sales force costs by $1,000,000 annually, maintain marginal customers’ sales revenue and free-up or eliminate 9,500 sales rep work days annually.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific marketing goals and help you decide whether we can help make a difference to your programs.
For more information about how Sharrow Davies Townsend strategic planning support, database and direct marketing capabilities can help your organization, please call Craig M. Sharrow at 415-xxx-xxxx.
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