It’s All About the Data—Until It Isn’t

I’ve been talking a lot about personalization lately—because it’s important. If you can create a connection with someone, they’re more likely to not only hear you… but actually listen.

But personalization only works if the data is right.

A Real Life Example of a Great Letter

A few weeks ago, I got my annual insurance marketing mail piece from Dean Cipriano, a Transamerica insurance agent in West Chester, PA.

Every February, Dean sends me a personalized letter:

Dear Dale, in April you will turn ____ (OK you all don’t need to know my exact age). But, he’s been sending me a letter every year since I was turning 65.

The letter is further personalized with my birth month, how old I am now, how old I’m going to be. It’s a great letter – nicely spaced out, pricing, bolded in the right places, the Transamerica logo very visible, Dean’s logo is in blue, his signature also in blue.

Everything about this letter works. You can tell it was tested, tweaked and refined over years.

And Then I Noticed Something Wrong

The pricing was for a MALE. (Well known fact – Data Dale is female.)

One Small Miss… Big Impact

Everything about this letter was perfect – and then all that beautiful work on the mail piece, years of testing, years of nurturing me, cost of postage & printing – and to blow it because my gender (and therefore the rate illustration) was wrong.

Why Marketing Data Accuracy Matters

You can have:

A strong offer
A well-designed piece
Good timing

But if your marketing data isn’t accurate, none of that works the way it should. In fact, the better the marketing… the more obvious the mistake becomes.