Jaki Gaudet

Data. It can be such a beautiful thing. All it takes is someone to care enough to collect it, and then cultivate, and you’ve got an ROI you can be proud of.  If we all make smart assumptions based on what our data tells us and then target contacts, then customers are more likely to respond and buy.

If it truly is that easy, then why isn’t it happening 100% of the time? Unrealistic deadlines, over inflated egos, it’s someone else's job! If this doesn’t relate to your company because you have been doing it right for years, then I am sure you are on the receiving end of this.

I read an article in Direct Marketing about Live Nation, an event company. Live Nation’s email opt-out rate was increasing because they were sending notices about Slayer’s tour to the guy who just saw Phish. If you know anything about music, you know that that just doesn’t make sense.  

Live Nation started studying music algorithms thanks to last.fm. to understand what bands we’re likely favored by fans based on concerts they had attended. They knew that the person who listens to Phish likely listens to The Disco Biscuits, String Cheese, and Widespread Panic. So, if Widespread Panic was on tour, the Phish fan would be blasted an email about it. As a result their conversion rate of actual orders per click increased 35%. No more wasted emails. More happy customers and an integrated marketing communications program that worked.

Get creative and have fun with your data, then build a creative design marketing campaign around what you find. Let us not do something just for the sake of doing it! Let’s do it because it makes sense.


- I took this photo at Phish (day 2) Red Rocks, Colorado 2009.