There is no doubt that an enterprise data warehouse has helped countless organizations consolidate their information into one central database allowing for better analysis and use of the data.  This has certainly been the case for improving targeting and segmenting of direct marketing efforts. It has also been a boon to being able to use varying messaging, imagery, offers, and even formats to improve relevancy to the targeted audiences.

Increased availability of data has led to the usage of 10s, 100s or 1000s of variables within an individual campaign.  It has also led to a new level of complexity for automating a successful ongoing campaign that uses these variables.

Good direct marketing service providers, whether it be print, email, text messaging or direct mail, can work magic with the data… after all the data is brought into their system via a data pipe or XML stream.  This often causes IT departments and data analysts to cry “Foul! You just created redundant data from what was supposed to be a single data warehouse.”

So what’s the next step in email and print automation to make sure that redundant data sources are not created?  Creating a live feed that continually calls to and from your data warehouse.

We have a client who utilizes a proprietary segmentation model, as well as geographic overlays, and purchase history to determine the targeting of direct mail and email campaigns.  After combining this with localized ordering, they have a wonderfully targeted, relevant communications strategy that works like magic.  And best of all, their data, and segmentation resides with them.

Building a continual data retrieval system is not the easiest way to feed data for automated marketing communications, but is the best way to maintain the integrity of your data warehouse.