Some mailers use a response file, while others use compiled file data. Knowing the difference between these two files will help you become a better marketer.
What are they?
Subscriber files are very much what they sound like. They are a list of current subscribers of a particular magazine or publication. Database marketing professionals test a variety of subscriber files, measure the performance, and seek ways to improve response performance on those better response files.
When/why are they a used?
Subscriber files are used for direct marketing efforts where the demographic selects of a compiled file doesn’t effectively capture the best segment of the market you’re hoping to reach with your audience.
Typically, the attribute you’re wanting to focus on is a segment of the market that all share a particular behavioral interest or passion. This is the essence of database marketing.
How are they used?
The Sub files are usually smaller in size so while this segment of the population might be your ideal target, if your geographic market is relatively small, you’ll likely need to expand your geography in order to reach the required minimum.
The list order requires your mail piece to be approved in order to be rented. The owner of a subscriber file may reject the rental of their list if they feel the offer threatens their publication or product offering. They typically only rent to non-competitive offers or ones that will not impose a risk to their own database marketing efforts.
Cost is traditionally much higher than other mailing lists and the turn-around time for such a list typically takes longer than your more commonly used compiled database.
Usage Report - will reveal what mailers have used the list before. It’ll typically reveal if the use was a test, and also if the mailer had continuation on that campaign. If they had continuation, we can assume the campaign using this list performed good enough to mail again.
Examples:
The New Yorker Magazine Subscribers
Subscribers to The New Yorker Magazine covering a wide variety of topics including politics, entertainment, social and lifestyle interests.
635,328 Active U.S. subscribers $115.00/M
3 month active subscribers 61,545 add $17/M
Mininum: 7,500
Monthly hotline, gender, gift givers, multi-buyers, blow-in, gift givers, lifestyle categories, fine arts, collecting antique, current affairs/politics, etc….
E-mail, FTP, 75.00 fee.
Rolling Stone Magazine Subscribers
Subscribers to a publication covering today’s music, entertainment, issues and reviews.
56% mail, 35% female, average age 37
308,180 total universe 115/M
Expires 75,772 75/M
7,500 minimum or 350 min
Gender 10/M, 30 day hotline 17/M, renewals, 13/M,
Essentially, subscriber files are customers of another company. That other company will allow you to rent their data, so as to earn additional revenues. Talk with your BB Direct representative about their recommendations on renting a subscriber file.