Are you maximizing your data?

“Big data” is a hot topic not only in marketing, but also in business because of the potential it offers in helping to make smarter, more efficient decisions. At JD, we’ve been using data analytics for years to boost campaign results. We frequently work with our clients to help them use their data to better understand and target their audiences.

For example, predictive modeling is a proven technology that has been used for decades by many large retail and financial institutions to improve audience targeting for customer acquisition and cross-selling. One of the challenges with traditional analytics and modeling processes is they typically involve weeks of analysis, expensive tools and high levels of statistical expertise.

At JD, we use an automated solution for analytics that speeds up the process to make it practical for just about any marketing campaign. Instead of spending weeks on the analysis process, we usually can complete it in a matter of days. By statistically identifying what is unique about existing customers, responders or donors when compared to the general population, we can uncover strong cues that indicate who the best prospects will be for future campaigns.

In one recent campaign for a nonprofit, we generated a healthy 1.6% response rate from prospects who became new donors by profiling and modeling the organization’s existing donor list.

Two key analytics reporting tools we generate include: Profile Reports and Model Reports. Profile Reports provide a snapshot of the audience by identifying common characteristics such as age, gender, affluence, geography, propensity to donate, interests and more. They provide helpful insight for audience segmenting and creative development. Model Reports are predictive and provide information about attributes that will signal behavior such as a response or donation.

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Model Reports are created by analyzing hundreds of variables that can be attributed to those in your file with a patented automated process that uses genetic algorithms to create a scoring formula. They include a lift chart that illustrates how much more likely it is that model prospects will respond, along with a graphical summary of the attributes and/or behaviors that signal response and contribute to the model. The model itself is not delivered, but resides in a system as a resource for generating lists, so there are no confusing algorithms to decipher.

The availability of information today can be intimidating and overwhelming, but if you have the tools to process and understand it, it can be exciting and extremely beneficial. It can provide insight that helps to better allocate budgets and increase ROI. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can maximize your data, download our FREE guide to data analytics.

No, the banner ad is NOT dead and yes, content is “the new black”

This recent CMO.com headlineThe Banner Ad Is Dead: Content Is The New Black, Marketers Say — grabbed my attention and compelled me to write this “response.” Actually, the article had a lot of great statements and insights from big-brand CMOs. But the headline really stirred a reaction in me (nicely, done Ms. Abramovich).

Look, if banner advertising was dead, our results-focused clients wouldn’t be investing in it. And, the type of cookie-free, IP zone-based digital marketing we’re doing for our clients reaches nearly 100% of our target segments, no matter when or where they are online. Sure, there are times when even our SmartZones online ad campaigns can’t breathe new life into a suffering or stagnant market segment. That’s where the true value of testing comes in. SmartZones is nimble and quick; we test creatives, messaging, market categories, placement timing…you name it.

Take a look at how this SmartZones digital advertising campaign came together to produce exceptional results:

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Pay Attention to Your Media Mix

Old habits die hard.

Take the out-dated and inefficient mass media model to advertising along with its corresponding mindset. No longer works. It hasn’t in years.

Or, the single-channel preference that so many direct marketers still insist on using in hopes that the results will return to the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s. Times have changed.

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Make Your Marketing as Unique as Your Chili Recipe

Dear  Marketing Innovator,

After doing successful marketing for nearly three decades – over 26 years – the kind of marketing you can track and measure, measurable marketing, you end up discovering a few things as time passes.

For instance, I’m sure that your product or service is unique. If it is not different, then the situation you currently find yourself in, good or bad marketing-wise, is surely not the same as the majority of your competitors.

That is specifically why what works in one market for one company, won’t likely work for you in your market…

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