Database marketing is a form of direct marketing using databases of customers or potential customers to generate personalised communications in order to promote a product or service for marketing purposes. The two main types of marketing databases are consumer databases and business databases. Consumer databases are primarily geared towards companies that sell to consumers. Business database are aimed at specific segments within the corporate world, such as CEOs, directors, general managers, line managers and human resource managers.

Database marketing is an incredibly powerful tool in the sourcing of prospects for direct marketing campaigns and can be used for a variety of purposes, including the following:

• Launching successful direct mail campaigns
• Email marketing
• Market research
  Product launches and events
• Telemarketing campaigns
• SMS campaigns
• Updating of customer or prospect data

Through the rental or purchase of raw data, organisations can not only eliminate the pain of direct marketing campaigns but also save vast amounts of money and time that might otherwise be spent on unproductive marketing campaigns. In addition, database marketing has been proved to increase a company’s competitive edge.

Slalom Marketing Consulting works with South Africa’s leading database companies to provide its clients with accurate and reliable data. Our database providers have been selected through an intensive validity and proof of purchase process, and offer the most reliable quality business and consumer data on the market.

Through our preferred partners we are able to provide legally compliant access to:

• Over 160,000 of South Africa’s leading business people, including their full contact details
• 18 million direct consumers economically active in South Africa

Using sophisticated probability to purchase analysis, prospects can be selected by a range of criteria including age, gender, race, income, area, lifestyle cluster, property ownership, job title, and industry. The telephone contact ratio of these databases is the highest available in the country.

The data supplied can include: full name, ID number, addresses (postal and street) and two to three landline and mobile numbers. Furthermore, all contact fields are date stamped.

* As database marketing has grown, it has come under increased scrutiny from privacy advocates and government regulators. South Africa has established a set of data protection rules that determine what uses can be made of customer data and how consumers can influence what data are retained.

Always ensure that your database providers are legally compliant and follow local consumer protection laws.

Slalom Marketing Consulting works with a very limited number of proven and accredited South African database providers. No solicitation of services is welcome.