Failure to regularly sweep data lists to screen out records of the deceased can lead not only to the loss of revenues from those receiving these mails, but also significant brand damage.

However, it seems that these poor practices are ongoing. A UK survey, commissioned by Mortascreen, found that three quarters of adults had received such mail in the last six months.

The impact of this is likely to be heavier during a recession when consumers are more likely to change their buying habits as they search for better value for money.

Chris Worsley, product director at Mortascreen, said: “In today’s unstable economic climate marketers, more than ever, need to ensure that simple mistakes do not creep in and that customer longevity is their key focus.”

Robert Keitch, chief of Membership and Brand agreed that the practice is highly damaging.

“There are, unfortunately, some rogue operators out there that do not screen their data to remove deceased individuals,” he said. “Additionally, material may be unintentionally delivered to the deceased because of the time delay between the screening of data and the actual delivery date. This delay could be anywhere between three to six months. However, it is imperative that companies make every effort not to send mail to the deceased.”

Read the original article at www.printweek.com.

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