Database Hygiene

Keeping your existing database up to date can be a really time-consuming job – especially following a direct mailing campaign.

So how can you make sure you contact the right person at the right address?

Don’t waste money sending unnecessary mailings to wrong addresses, or to someone who doesn’t want to receive mail. This not only wastes time and money handling the returned mail, but can also damage your company’s reputation.

By cleaning your data prior to a direct mailing, you will ensure that you do not waste any of your direct mail marketing budget. This can pay huge dividends for a relatively small cost.

So what is Data Cleaning?

Database Hygiene is an electronic process of updating your existing records by matching them against marketing industry files. There are various different elements to the data hygiene process, all of which help to make sure you contact the right person.

Address Cleaning

This is where we match your data against the Royal Mail PAF file of over 28 million addresses to update, correct and validate the address and postcode details held on your file.

Deduplication

This is where we identify any duplicate records, ensuring only one record is kept.

Suppression Screening

We can identify records not to be contacts using the various suppression files, such as Deceased screening, Gone-away screening, Change of address, Mail Preference (MPS) and the business changes files, all of which help to improve the accuracy and compliance of your data.

Telephone Number matching

By Screening and updating your telephone numbers, you can be sure you have the most up-to-date telephone number available. Telephone number matching allows you to append a new number, correct an existing telephone number, or verify an existing telephone number.

Telephone Preference Service (TPS) & Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS)

This is a list of telephone numbers that individuals or businesses have registered on, stating that they do not want to receive any unsolicited sales / marketing telephone calls. It is a legal requirement that any numbers listed on here are not called for any unsolicited sales or marketing campaigns. In order to avoid potential fines and maintaining brand image, you should screen your data first – we can help with this.