Before beginning the merge process, Whitehat account managers will perform one last quality control check to insure the priorities and post coding assignments are correct. In addition, they will examine the pander, prison and other suppression files to make certain that they are properly included. Once the files have been approved, Whitehat’s proprietary software configuration is engaged to create an extremely accurate and ultimately flexible matching environment. The system can smoothly transition from the application of Individual to Household to Address level matching logic. After the merge process is complete, the account manager will again review the reports to insure the post coding and multi buyer scoring flags were correctly carried through the process.
Backend Nths & Splits
At this point in the process, Whitehat accounts for the accuracy of all previous processing by implementing several QC evaluations. These checks are designed to insure all identifiers and keys have been appropriately processes and carrier through for backend application. Once this verification is complete, all splits, rekeys and nths can be applied and decoys added to produce a final mail file. Due to the improved integrity it brings to an nth testing scenario, Whitehat Direct highly recommends to structure nths across groups instead of by individual lists. Whitehat employs true nthing logic where files are sorted in ascending zip/alpha (first initial of last name) sequence, and the selection process is based on a percent of the total. For customer convenience and to help facilitate the backend communication process, Whitehat also delivers merge output reports in the client’s preferred Windows-based application. Repopulating the backend information in a familiar format creates a comfortable situation for the client, and helps cut down on the time they need to make post merge mailing decisions.
Add-A-Name®
Maximizing postal discounts by adding qualified names to those carrier-route codes with fewer than 10 pieces is a critically important and often over-looked mailing enhancement. Whitehat’s Add-A-Name® system is often populated by unselected names from cooperative database models, or large pools of older housefile names. The proprietary system takes the entire postal enhancement process to another level in terms of sophistication and performance by scoring the input names and selecting the best available name to fill the carrier-route based on client-directed performance measures. This insures the client not only enjoys the postal savings, but also maximizes the order opportunity of each name added to the mailing.
Mail Qualification
Whitehat has extensive knowledge and experience in preparing mail files for printers such as Quad Graphics, RR Donnelley, Quebecor World, and many others. Demographic binding and coding, as well as barcode are common practices for most Whitehat customers. Account managers and the production staff spend considerable time on each project working through mandated quality control steps to insure demo coding and cycle codes are correct prior to mail qualification. Additionally, as part of the quality assurance process, Whitehat has established tolerances by key to insure all keys are barcodable. This is also the step process where decoys are added, high and low finder numbers are evaluated, truncation is checked and confirmed and proper mail file sequencing is validated. One final quality check incorporated with long-term clients is to load in past historical mail tier levels, and use them as comparative benchmarks to ensure proper tier levels.
Ink Jet
To begin the Ink Jet preparation stage of any project, Whitehat Account Managers will work with the client’s printer to understand in what plant and on what machine the job will be processed. With that information and the provided specifications, ink jet samples are created and the name & address, account number and key are verified directly with the client contact. The quality assurance process also includes steps to review and confirm ACS numbers and check digits on those applicable mailings. And, the actual message is reviewed to catch typos and other anomalies, as well as ensure the proper station or demo code is assigned.
ClearSource Premium - An Objective Validation of Your Marketing Results
For many direct marketers the introduction and evolution of Internet commerce has been a double-edged sword. While the flexibility, convenience and cost savings of a web site is a dream; the inability to effectively track and properly allocate web orders can be a nightmare.
In fact, while many mailers have reported strong growth in their Internet orders, they have also seen a concurrent and untraceable decay in their direct mail response rates. The good news is that their attempts to drive business to the more cost-effective channel are working. The bad news is, because their customers are simply choosing the more convenient order channel, they are no longer able to correctly analyze their mailings’ true marketing and economic impact.
Now there’s a solution…ClearSource is a unique matching process that accurately joins Telephone Unknown, Internet, and Retail orders back to their original catalog source codes.
Through a proprietary multiple-link process, CompuTech’s system matches clients’ current order file(s) with their final mail file(s) and accurately redistributes unallocated and/or incorrectly allocated orders. The result is a true and comprehensive response report that helps properly direct future marketing dollars to the most profitable lists and channels.
Eliminate speculation and educated guessing when it comes to your catalog performance. ClearSource processing brings into focus the true response of your mailings by helping to minimize TSR error and understand more accurately how retail store sales can be attributed to a particular catalog mailing. ClearSource also helps maximize rental name pools by discovering truly successful list segments whose initial (before re-allocation) results would have normally qualified them for discontinuation.
For more information, contact sales@whitehat.com.