Using Proprietary Change of Address (PCOA) Processing to Enhance Mail Deliverability

Using Proprietary Change of Address (PCOA) Processing to Enhance Mail Deliverability

Data is the least expensive component of a marketing campaign, but it is the deliverable that determines if all of the other components will work. Background RealSource, Inc. is a data aggregator providing list services to customers in a variety of vertical markets. Their largest asset is a database of timeshare owners that marketers generally consider to be the premier source within the timeshare industry. Even though RealSource has its own data processing department and maintains an online technology infrastructure, they choose to utilize Relevate s database platform and data hygiene processes to maintain its master databases. RealSource relies heavily upon Relevate to ensure that their timeshare files are in optimum condition at all times. Relevate compiles, maintains and cleans the data, which they house on a secure online platform. In addition, Relevate handles fulfillment, creating the specific lists that have been requested by RealSource customers. Six years ago, when Relevate began managing the RealSource timeshare database, it contained 800,000 records. Since then growth has been significant. During the past eighteen months, for example, the file has undergone twelve major updates, bringing in files from a wide variety of input lists. As a result RealSource now has a database of four million, one per address, timeshare owners. Situation / Problem Millions of records per month are mailed from the RealSource Timeshare File. A problem arose when, after a series of major updates, mailers began reporting up to 10% undeliverable records using the file. It was clear to both RealSource senior management and the Relevate team that a solution needed to be found quickly, before confidence in the quality of the file began to erode.

Successful Solution Part of Relevate s responsibility is to capture movers within the timeshare database and provide their new address, so that RealSource doesn t lose track of them. Every year, approximately 17% of the United States population changes address. As part of their data hygiene protocol Relevate had been running the entire file through 48-month National Change of Address, or NCOALink processing every quarter. Note: NCOALink processing uses data updated by the U.S. Postal Service every week to identify individuals, families and businesses that move. This data is compiled from the change of address cards filled out by movers and given to their local post office. However, the Relevate team discovered that of the individuals who move, only 60% of them fill out a change of address card and are entered into the NCOALink database, which means that 40% of the movers aren t captured by the USPS. This created a huge gap in their ability to find the movers for their list owner. They found that the majority of the undeliverables were because a particular address was unoccupied. The owner had left, but hadn t filled out a change of address card and wasn t appearing on the NCOALink list. Note: There are several reasons why individuals fail to fill out change of address cards. The majority of people simply forget. Others are trying to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail they receive at their new address. Finally, there is a group who are trying to avoid creditors. To eliminate the problem, Relevate enhanced their data hygiene protocol by adding an additional element running the RealSource list through PCOA (Proprietary Change of Address) processing. The Proprietary Change of Address database is a compiled from a wide range of transactional data utility bills, credit card transactions, catalog transactions, and much more. The PCOA database is a cooperative venture among a consortium of organizations

that captures and maintains over 8 billion transactions on a rolling basis in order to link moves that go back, in some cases, over 100 months. Every time people make purchases, the name and address information tied to that purchase is fed into this database. The Relevate team was able to find many more movers using this two-tiered data hygiene approach than with the straight up NCOALink. In addition to finding more movers than NCOALink, adding PCOA to the mix addressed issues with the potential to prevent the Relevate team from catching duplicates involving the reversal of first and last names a common database problem. PCOA also gave Relevate and RealSource the ability to append apartment number information, allowing for more accurate household matching and increased deliverability in the mail stream. When RealSource s four million record timeshare database was processed through PCOA, 400,000 additional move records were found and corrected that weren t captured on NCOALink. As a result, Relevate now runs PCOA three times a year on the timeshare file. The bottom line: Since adding PCOA processing to the RealSource data hygiene process, undeliverables have been reduced to under 1% and the company has not had a single customer complaint about deliverability.

About Relevate Relevate builds, manages and analyzes marketing data to arm you with behavioral targeting and data driven solutions so you can implement targeted offers that deliver meaningful value to your customers so they will spend more, buy more and be more responsive. We offer real-time and web-based digital delivery platforms, combined with your unique business rules. Our service is world class.