How to Get the Most From Cooperative Databases

Co-op databases provide a valuable source of quality names for many product offers. For most small- and medium-sized catalog companies, 50 percent or more of prospecting circulation goes to names selected from such databases. Prospect names selected from co-ops are a good value for the money.

Why? First, the names are selected according to a model, which means they resemble your own customer database. Second, the names rent for less than most outside response lists. They’re “net” of your housefile, which translates to a lower cost per net name. Co-ops may appear to be about half the cost of outside lists, but in reality, names from a co-op are about one-third the cost, again because they’re net of your housefile.