Response Capture / Back end Analysis

Smart marketers don't "throw it against the wall" and see what sticks anymore. There are too many easy, smart ways to measure response, so why would you use general advertising that can't be accurately measured?

If you're a Retailer, even if you don't have a "smart" point of sale system, you can measure response on the back-end of a direct mail or email campaign:

Printed or electronically delivered coupons can be collected at point of sale and measured for back end analysis. A three-of-nine barcode and sequence number can be printed on the mailer, or on a coupon to facilitate data entry. The sequence number or barcode will match the addressee so that on the back end the following can be analyzed and reported for customers and prospects:
- Overall response rate
- Response rate(s) by version
- Response by distance from the store
- Response by drive time
- Cost per response
- Cost to retain a Customer
- Cost to acquire a Customer
*(premium + mailing cost / # of responders)

When you rent an acquisition list you can rent a list that has household demograhics for each record. Often it is less costly to rent a list with demo's than to append demo's on the back-end of a mailing. Plus, you can analyze the non-responders as well ... what do they look like ?

Demo's are useful, but not really the holy grail of targeting. Behavior - how, when, where and what people buy - is really what matters most.

Tracking and measuring response is a pretty deep subject ... but it's not rocket science. A customized approach that allows you to test, measure and test again is how you can find an advertising method - offer, target and timing - that turns a an expense into profit for your business.