3 Keys to Ensure the Success of a Marketing Database Project

PNT hosted direct marketing industry veteran and leader Pegg Nadler (current president of the Direct Marketing Club of NY) at our recent Customer Intelligence Gathering in early March at the Harvard Club of New York City. Pegg gave a great presentation and highlighted three keys to ensure a successful marketing database project:

Key #1: Have a database champion

This means more than just having a person in charge of the database project: he or she needs to be the right person. Technical savvy with a knowledge of both the technology and the business side, this person must also have an interest and skills in basic statistics, data structures and/or knowledge discovery methods, must involve both business and technology team members, and above all must be politically savvy - without the right political support, the database champion will fail even if he or she has all the other requisite characteristics.

Key #2: Obtain buy-in at the most senior levels in the organization

The relevant "Big C's" (CEO, CMO, CFO, and others) must back the project. The senior leadership team must have more than just a basic awareness of the project; they must back it with political heft, a willingness to approve the appropriate budgetary requests, and ongoing resource support (such as personnel).

Key #3: A decent database

There is no perfect marketing database - there will always be gaps, flaws, or other imperfections. What's important is that the database be "good enough" - that it contain enough data, the data are clean enough, with enough appropriate tools, and access and training given to the appropriate staff, that it clearly demonstrate value and provide a real return on investment. As long as the marketing database meets real needs and covers the basics, it can always be (and should be) improved over time.