Welcome to this month’s issue of Insight. We take a look at what your customer database might be worth in the light of Borders auction of theirs after they went bust. And now you know how valuable your database is, you’ll want somewhere to put it and make even better use of it – welcome to our brand new MarketDeveloper V5. And finally, an urgent reminder, time is running out for cookies here and in Europe. Download our guide and start planning your options – read on to find out more.
How much is a customer database worth?
Earlier this year, the long-established chain of Borders Bookshops went bust. Nobody wanted the company. But it did have one asset left to trade – its customer database. So, how much do you think the names of 40 million book buyers would be worth?
Wealthier and wiser
Book buyers tend to be wealthier, better educated, lower credit risks, in fact many of the attributes that most marketers actively seek out when buying lists. Now in the UK to buy a database of that quality you might expect to pay around £150/1,000 names or £6M. In fact Barnes & Noble bought it for $13M or £8M – that’s £200/1000. This is the first time in a very long time that a customer database has come on the market anywhere.
Depreciating Asset
So, your database is worth real money. But that value only holds if the database is current and the people on it are active. Few companies protect the value of their data but now that it has been proven that they have a commercial value maybe you should be taking a fresh look at your database and considering it as an asset that, like any other company asset needs protection, nurturing and investment in order to protect its value.
MarketDeveloper V5.0 is here
MarketDeveloper has been around for ten years and its users have always enjoyed its focus as a database for marketers. Optimised for managing data from multiple sources and providing easy campaign creation and management on-line and off-line it has proved with blue-chip companies in many sectors. And now V5.0 has arrived with more power, more flexibility, greater ease-of-use and full integration with Atriums powerful ETL tool.
Enhanced Digital Marketing
V5.0 now enables you to run email, SMS, telemarketing, Direct Mail and even social campaigns all from within one tool. And the tight integration with email transmission means you now only need one product – there’s no need to invest time and money in an e-mail transmission and mangement tool or service.
Take your marketing database anywhere
V5 is delivered as a “cloud service” – there’s no software, no installation, no having to negotiate with IT for support and service. But you data is always accessible anywhere you can connect to the Internet. And we’ve made it compatible with iPad, iPhone, other Tablets and SmartPhones. So wherever you are you can browse your data, run queries, answer impromptu questions and watch over your most valuable marketing asset.
Free set-up and configuration
We are very proud of V5 and believe it to be the best database for marketing departments. So, for a limited time, we are offering new customers the chance to have their data migrated to V5 for free (up to 1M records and five datafeeds). To find out more about V5 and put it (and us) to the test, click here to download the datasheet or call Simon Davis today on 01784 432082.
France goes opt-in on Cookies
The French Data Privacy Commissioner (the CNIL) has now produced its guidance on the use of cookies on websites and has come down firmly and unequivocally on an “opt-in” regime, similar to the UK and, increasingly other EU states.
Time is running out in the UK
Back in April when the UK cookie regulations came into force the Information Commissioner announced a 12 month moratorium on enforcing the law to allow businesses to bring their websites into line. The CNIL in France hasn’t given a “grace” period but has said that it will take into account a company’s efforts to comply before levying a fine of up to €300,000.
Start preparing for the worst
If you haven’t done so already, you should download and read our Guide to the new Cookie laws. Covering both the UK and the EU it explains the issues, considers solutions that you could apply and guidance on what you need to do now. By May 1st 2012 your website will have to comply in the UK – so time is running out! Click here now to download your free copy.
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