W8 Data urges businesses to manage data correctly

Direct mail and data cleansing specialist W8 Data has urged businesses to ensure they manage their data correctly, or risk losing customers.

Towards the end of 2009, a survey (carried out by Callcredit Information Group Marketing Solutions) revealed that 88 per cent of UK consumers would change their attitude towards a company if they were mailed using incorrect data.

W8 Data said it has long championed the importance of 'getting it right' when addressing consumers with offers, and the survey supports this view.

In addition, there are the environmental issues to consider with poorly addressed communications.

According to the survey, 40 per cent of those questioned would never respond to any marketing communications if incorrect data was used.

In addition, 33 per cent would lose confidence in the brand and 15 per cent would never buy from that brand again.

There is also an important issue identified by the research - 55 per cent would not contact the company to update or correct their data.

The more affluent the individual, the less likely they are to do this, with 70 per cent of those having a household income of more than GBP40,000 and 61 per cent of homeowners saying they would not bother.

Some worrying trends are also emerging in terms of the types of consumers who would be turned off by a company's poor data maintenance programme.

According to the survey, females would be much more likely to change their perception of the brand than males.

In addition, older audiences appear to be especially affected, with the over-45s age group being five per cent more unlikely to respond to a communication than those aged 18-44.

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