Articles by Wes Sparling
Blog Archive
When the Cookie Crumbles, Direct Mail Data Matters More
By now you have more than likely seen headlines declaring in one form or another the death of the third-party cookie. You may also have questions about what this means to your marketing programs and what adjustments you’ll need to make. What marketers should know is that while this one door of available data is […]
What Does it Take to Create Great Direct Marketing?
It’s a big question. True direct response marketing starts with putting relevant, personalized marketing communications in front of targeted prospects. Done well, great direct marketing campaigns target more than just small groups with similar demographics―they target individuals. Every mailpiece or advertisement should reflect the needs of the individual targeted. Effective direct marketing drives response by […]
2021 Will Bring Enhanced Services to Our Data Analytics Solutions
For more than 16 years, IWCO Direct has offered data analytics solutions, including robust modeling and analytics that improve Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) for our clients. In early 2021, we will be expanding our offering with additional statistical and analytics resources by adding four team members. Today I wanted to provide just a few […]
Tips for Restarting Your Marketing During COVID-19
Wondering how to restart your marketing during COVID-19? We’ve seen extensive change in consumer behavior over the past few months. Some of the change is expected to be temporary, and some is expected to continue long into the future. You’ll need to accommodate these changes as you restart your marketing while COVID-19 continues. The national […]
Considerations for Marketing During a Pandemic
COVID-19, the desire to minimize the spread of the virus that causes it, and the mounting fear associated with the idea of a pandemic have already caused extensive behavior changes across the U.S.: travel restrictions, canceled meetings, increases in online shopping, restrictions on group meetings, school closures, and more. History has shown us that when […]
Why Attribution Models Are Important to Achieving Customer Acquisition Goals
At IWCO Direct, it’s our belief that who you speak to is as important as what you say. While I have addressed it before, when attempting to calculate your return on marketing investment (ROMI), it’s important to consider the role of attribution and the method you use for response and conversion calculation when engaging in […]
How Marketing Models Minimize Guesswork and Maximize Predictability
In today’s direct marketing universe, we have options for how we target prospective customers. We can target based on personas, on one or more criteria generally referred to as “criteria selection,” or we can target based on models. In my last article, I expanded on personas and how they are used in targeting. In […]
Where Does Cluster Analysis Fit into Your Marketing Strategy?
In my most recent post, I addressed the strengths and weaknesses of marketing personas and analytic segmentation. To continue that conversation, I would like to step back and address a more common database marketing tool: clustering. Keep reading for a brief overview of what cluster analysis is, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it […]
It’s Time for Marketing Personas to Get Real
I am old enough, though just barely, to have met more than a few unsung heroes of the advertising world. I’m talking about those people who worked in agencies making the successful campaigns we have all come to know and love: creative directors, copywriters, and others who put pen to paper to create campaigns like […]
The Power of Lists: How Our List Resources Enhance Our Clients’ Marketing Programs
Knowing exactly who to target is a critical element for success in any direct marketing campaign. It can be difficult or impossible to produce effective campaigns and generate desired response without a qualitative understanding of the consumers you’re marketing to. That’s why, for most mid-sized and mature companies, a combination of predictive analytics models based […]
