Weighing In on the Catalog Co-op Databases '06

Wiland Direct

Catalog industry veteran Phil Wiland believes that the existing co-ops on the market have done good work for their clients. But he also believes he may be able to provide a better solution using better technology.

The essential differentiator for Wiland Direct is that the company predominantly uses response models to generate mailings for its clients, says Wiland, the firm's founder, president and CEO. He notes that response models, which measure the differences between buyers and non-buyers based on the results of actual mailings, are harder to build than traditional profile models, which choose names based on the idea that prospects who look like your customers will respond like your customers. Response models typically take more time to create, and thereby cost more.