Behavior Based Marketing

I keep hearing and reading that behavior based marketing programs are the best way to optimize direct marketing dollars. Due to the unstable economy of the past 24 months, most consumers are behaving differently, but some marketers are using attitudinal insights from two years ago to drive their marketing programs. Many of these consumers are making less money, have seen their retirement incomes drop, and are uncertain of their own finances. The point is their attitudes have changed drastically and it is important to convey this in our marketing messages.

Today as marketers we should be focusing on how your customers and propsects are behaving, i.e "what products they are buying". Home Depot is runnng commercials about the new generation of do it yourselfers and how Home Depot can help you save money while improving or fixing your home. They are paying close attention to their customers need to reduce spending and seem to have a real value proposition in that they will be a great resource for any home project.

College recruiting has taken on a whole new meaning in 2009. Many parents have been re-thinking, or altering their behavior when considering the costs of college due to the unstable economy. I recently opened a letter from Providence College which spoke about the amounts of money they were setting aside for additional scholarships and financial aid for the class of 2010. Obviously, they are paying attention to their audience's behavior, as private school applications have dropped 20% in some ares of the country.

Direct Marketers should practice what the preach in this area. For example, many database marketers purchases lifestyle and pyschographic data which helps target those consumers interests, but not necessarily their behavior. So, if behavior based marketing is all the rage, why aren't the large database companies concentrating on how people are behaving, i.e, spending their money,as opposed to their indifferent, self reported information. Who would you rather target with a golf vacation offer, someone who has filled out a survey three years ago that indicates he plays golf, or someone who is an avid golfer who purchases golf items and takes a trip every year?

Dataline, http://m.www.datalinedata.com/home/, boasts a 250 million record transactional database that allows marketers to select from purchase amounts, frequency, and recency of each purchase. In todays new economy , this will generate better results than data selected from old survey and lifestyle information. In addition, Dataline can offer in depth analytics services including customized models. For a new point of view on consumer data, try Dataline at 516 330 6410. www.datalinedata.com.