0208 915 1103|sales@thesoftwarebureau.com

ICO launches Direct Marketing Advice Generator

By |2025-02-12T10:58:31+00:00February 12th, 2025|

The ICO has launched a Direct Marketing Advice Generator, designed to help organisations quickly understand their obligations under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and the UK GDPR. By answering a few simple questions, businesses can receive tailored compliance advice in minutes, covering everything from email and SMS marketing to social media, telemarketing, and direct mail. Why Does This Matter? Failure to comply with marketing laws doesn’t just lead to disgruntled customers—it can result in hefty fines and reputational damage. In recent enforcement action, the ICO fined Money Bubble Ltd and Breathe Services Ltd a total of £290,000 after they collectively made over 4.5 million nuisance phone calls to people who had opted out. Another investigation led to Quick [...]

Read More

Why Data Hygiene Is More Than Just a Marketing Problem

By |2025-02-03T10:19:10+00:00February 3rd, 2025|

When we talk about data hygiene, many think of marketing—clean contact lists, accurate segmentation, and reduced direct mail returns or email bounce rates. But poor data hygiene isn’t just a marketing headache. An article by Cybersecurity expert, Josh Nadeau, published this week, reminds us that it’s actually a company-wide risk that impacts security, compliance, and decision-making. Understanding Data Hygiene Data hygiene, or data cleanliness, is about ensuring that all organisational data is accurate, complete, consistent, valid, uniform, and timely. Without these characteristics, businesses lose trust in their data, making operations inefficient and exposing themselves to regulatory risks. The Hidden Risks of Poor Data Hygiene Security Threats Unclean data makes organisations vulnerable to cyberattacks. Without clear classification of sensitive data, businesses [...]

Read More

Is the Public Sector Ready for the Government’s Turbocharged AI Strategy?

By |2025-01-20T15:45:25+00:00January 20th, 2025|

The UK government has unveiled an ambitious plan to harness artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for national renewal, aiming to revolutionise public services and boost economic growth. However, a critical component of the success of this initiative will be the emphasis placed on data quality and hygiene, which serve as the foundation for effective AI implementation. The Importance of Data Quality and Hygiene in AI High-quality, well-maintained data is essential for training AI models to ensure accurate, reliable, and unbiased outcomes. Data hygiene, which involves the ongoing process of cleaning, verifying, and maintaining data integrity, is equally vital. As Edwina Dunn recently highlighted in an article for Decision Marketing, many organisations fail at AI due to "shoddy data", a [...]

Read More

CMO Superpowers for 2025!

By |2025-01-08T09:32:27+00:00January 8th, 2025|

Happy New Year! As we step into a shiny new January, it's the perfect time for reflection and setting intentions not just personally, but professionally too. For marketers, the start of the year presents a prime opportunity to realign strategies and embrace new approaches that drive success. The annual CMO Barometer 2025, a collaboration between Serviceplan Group and the University of St Gallen (HSG), reveals that this year CMOs will need to harness three essential superpowers to thrive—or risk irrelevance in a rapidly shifting landscape. The required superpowers? Analytical Mastery: The ability to interpret complex customer data and transform it into actionable strategies. Creative Agility: Leading with vision and flexibility to navigate dynamic market changes. Human-Centric Insights: A deep understanding [...]

Read More

Slow and Steady Wins the Race! DM still Growing

By |2024-12-04T14:53:40+00:00December 4th, 2024|

According to a new global industry report by The Business Research Company, the direct mail advertising market is set to grow steadily in the coming years.  Valued at $76.68 billion in 2023, the market is projected to rise to $79 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.0%.  By 2028, it is expected to reach $87.93 billion, growing at a CAGR of 2.7%. This consistent growth is a testament to direct mail’s resilience in an era dominated by digital marketing. With response rates ranging from 2.7% to 4.4%—significantly higher than email’s 0.6%—and an average ROI of $4.09 for every $1.27 spent, direct mail remains a vital and highly effective marketing channel. Its longer shelf life and [...]

Read More

Postal Persuasion: How Direct Mail Shaped the 2024 Election and Why Trust Matters

By |2024-11-26T11:52:49+00:00November 26th, 2024|

It goes without saying that for political campaigning, the choice of communication channels plays a pivotal role in influencing voter behaviour. And according to new research by Marketreach, in collaboration with Thinks Insight & Strategy direct mail played a significant part this year in shaping voting intentions during the General Election. Mail's Influence on Voting Decisions The study reveals that 27% of respondents identified mail as the most influential medium in their decision-making process, surpassing television (24%) and social media (18%). Mail also achieved the highest engagement level at 70%, indicating it is most likely to be read, shared, or discussed. Notably, mail was perceived as nearly twice as trustworthy as other channels, with only 20% associating it with misleading [...]

Read More

Data Hygiene and GenAI

By |2024-11-13T10:55:58+00:00November 13th, 2024|

Working in data hygiene, we know a thing or two about the importance of data quality. As more businesses look to harness the power of GenAI, they too are learning that data quality and hygiene are critical to success. AI systems are only as good as the data fed into them, and generative AI (GenAI) is no exception.  BT’s Chief Data & AI Officer, Deepika Adusumilli, recently highlighted that while ideas for GenAI applications are plentiful, turning them into high-impact tools requires rigorous data quality standards. Without clean data, even the best AI strategies struggle—a reminder of the direct mail adage, “rubbish in, rubbish out.” Direct Mail Lessons for GenAI: Data Quality is a Continuous Process The direct mail sector [...]

Read More

Totally Mailed It: Marketreach Amplifies Direct Mail’s Enduring Impact

By |2024-10-21T09:19:47+00:00October 21st, 2024|

Marketreach has unveiled a new campaign: "Totally Mailed It which is underscoring the relevance of DM in today’s marketing mix. Whilst it isn't revealing any great secrets, after all we all know direct mail works, it is arming us with fresh ammunition to reinforce that message to our clients. In a world where digital spend dominates, this campaign reminds us why direct mail continues to be a powerhouse in the marketing mix: Tangibility: Physical mail creates lasting impressions, with 33% better recall than digital ads. In a sea of ephemeral content, something you can hold stands out. Personalisation: It's not just about adding a name - it's about relevance. The campaign highlights how tailored messages drive significantly higher engagement rates. [...]

Read More

61% of Marketers Increased Direct Mail Automation Investment in 2024

By |2024-07-23T11:19:50+00:00July 23rd, 2024|

Recent research by SeQuel Response reveals 61% of marketers increased their investments in direct mail automation over the past year​. This trend underscores the transformative power of automation in enhancing the efficiency, personalisation, and effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Here are six ways automation is enhancing direct mail: Optimised Personalisation Through Data-Driven Insights The era of generic mail pieces is over; now, campaigns are leveraging sophisticated algorithms to analyse customer data, tailoring messages to individual preferences and behaviours. This approach involves more than just addressing recipients by name—it’s about creating content and offers that resonate deeply with each unique recipient. The result is a significant boost in response rates and customer engagement, driven by the precise alignment of marketing messages [...]

Read More

84% of ecommerce marketers say Direct Mail delivers best ROI

By |2024-07-16T13:07:42+00:00July 16th, 2024|

According to a new report by Lob, 84% of ecommerce brand marketers agree that direct mail delivers the best ROI, response rate, and conversion rates compared to all other channels, a notable increase from 74% in 2023. The value of direct mail marketing for the eCommerce industry continues to grow, with 85% of marketers in the sector affirming that it offers the best ROI of any channel their organisation uses. An impressive 91% also agree that it delivers the best response rates. Increased Investment and Automation Reflecting this resurgence, 82% have said that they have increased their budget allocation for direct mail, up from 58% in 2023. The adoption of direct mail automation platforms has also seen a significant rise, [...]

Read More
Go to Top