Why Gone Away Suppression is a must

Data quality is more important than it has ever been. Ensuring that the customer and prospect data that you hold is accurate, up to date and compliant is a benchmark of responsible data management and marketing.

Consumers expect it, the law requires it and it delivers massive cost savings, better ROI and reduces the risk of brand damage.

A key part of maintaining the quality of the consumer data you hold is the identification and suppression of individuals who have moved from the address you have in your database – using a credible suppression file such as our definitive Gone Away Suppression file (GAS).

Why compromise the success of your campaigns and risk the reputation of your business by continuing to send communications to individuals using their old address?

Reduce campaign costs and improve ROI

Mailing goneaways will hit you where it hurts – in the pocket! Continuing to send mail to individuals at their old address is a waste of your marketing budget.

The following case study is based on real campaign metrics:

• Client A has a database of 1 million records selected for an acquisition mailing campaign
• Suppression flagging using the GAS file identified 10% of the individuals in the database had changed address
• That’s 100k individuals flagged and suppressed as goneaways
• Based on their pack price of £0.50 removing those goneaways saved £50,000
• Even if the response rate from those you suppress is a quarter of the rest of the file (and that is high), you are spending £50k unnecessarily and which could be deployed in better performing channels

Risk of brand damage of sending mail addressed to previous occupants

“I have received a letter to my address in someone else’s name. Please help – I am concerned someone is using my address fraudulently.”

Sending mail to old addresses risks the reputation of your organisation. At best, the receipt of mail addressed to someone not currently at the address will be the cause of irritation – and risks your mailing becoming a regular feature in the recycle bin. And worse, it is the cause of anxiety around address mis-use and identity theft.

There is always the argument that “the person who has moved in will look like one of my good prospects anyway so they will probably respond”. Actually, the chances of gaining a new customer or supporter is unlikely.

Avoiding being the cause of irritation, distress and damage to your brand’s reputation by continuing to contact individuals at their old address is easy and cost effective so why risk it?

Legal requirement under Data Protection Act 2018

Fundamentally, it is the law to keep your customer and prospect data clean and accurate. GDPR Article 5.1 (d) – entrenched in UK law as the Data Protection Act 2018 – specifies explicitly that data must be kept “accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.

This applies to customers and prospects data and includes ensuring address information is accurate before it is processed. By choosing not to suppress movers, you are actively breaking the law.

Losing touch with customers and supporters

We all know the relative costs of acquiring new customers or supporters versus retaining them. Flagging goneaways alerts you to the fact that a customer has moved so you have the opportunity to apply a relocation database and reduce the loss of valuable customers and supporters at their new address. Lots of your competitors are marketing to new movers, and yet they are your customer!

So, what next?

We can’t express strongly enough that the cost and risks of using old addresses will always vastly outweigh the investment in using a credible Gone Away Suppression service despite the small possibility of acquiring a new customer at that address.

Get in touch to discover more about our Goneaway Suppression.

CONTACT US