Reminder: The MineThatData Elite Program

Here's a quick reminder for those of you looking to participate.

In this run of the MineThatData Elite Program, we'll cover the usual metrics that evaluate the success of your customer file. But I'll also add one feature. I'm going to measure the Customer Development of the customers you acquired last April, at the start of the pandemic. We'll see how these customers evolved and changed over time. We'll see if you did a good job of developing the customers blessed to you during an awful pandemic.

Cost? $1,000 for existing subscribers. $1,800 for first-time subscribers. Participation is 100% voluntary.

Contact me for participation and file formats (kevinh@minethatdata.com)

Due dates? Five years of data (one row per purchase transaction) delivered in .csv format. Data due by February 15, 2021. Payment due by February 15, 2021. Analysis delivered by February 28, 2021. 

Tell Me Where In The Customer Development Process These Ads Belong?

Tell me your thoughts?

Both Headphones.com and Belardi Wong ads came from anything other than purchase intent. Headphones.com was part of a research process. Belardi Wong happened because a colleague wanted to know who to hire for a specific task, so I sent an email to the person with the link in the email. That information got sniffed somehow and now Belardi Wong is advertising to me. On a soccer "table" page. And if Direct Mail delivers the best customers, why are they advertising digitally? Wouldn't a direct mail campaign, directly to my mailbox, make the most sense? Yes, I'm kidding here ... but I'm asking you to think.

Think carefully about where in the Customer Development process the Belardi Wong ad falls, given what you know about my intentions?

Customer Development is about having a plan ... knowing where prospects and customers are in the life cycle, knowing how fast the customer is degrading in value, and then aligning marketing tactics by degredation levels. If your favorite vendor violates Customer Development principles, talk to your favorite vendor about it.

Customer Development Over Time

Alright, in this case we're evaluating customers acquired in the month of June. We're going to spend several days following these customers over the course of a year, so that you can see how customers develop and change over time.

The first image (below) shows how customers evolve and change in the very first month the customer was acquired (June).

In the acquisition month, 4.5% of the customers have already purchased for a second time! In fact, some of the customers have already purchased three times.

In the next month, customers could repurchase. If they repurchase, they move up to the Recency = 1 Month row. If they don't repurchase, the fall down to the Recency = 2 Months row.

Keep an eye on Recency = 1 Month row over time ... these customers keep buying, and as time progresses more customers move into frequency = 2/3/4 segments (called "Emerging Customers"). After the first full month on the file, 7.7% of customers have purchased for a second time.

On to August.

By the end of August, 9.7% of customers purchased for at least a second time, with the vast majority having purchased for a second time ... by this time 1.2% of customers purchased for a third time and 0.3% have purchased for a fourth time (even a tiny fraction of customers have purchased a fifth time, or a 6th-10th time).

At the end of September?

Well, the Welcome period is over, so first-time buyers are now classified as "Retiring" because their repurchase probability is progressively worse from here on out. 12.6% of customers have repurchased. Only 0.3% of customers have achieved Loyal status through three months.

Do you see how hard it is to get customers to Loyal status?

It's really, really hard.

At the end of October?

Repurchase Rate is up to 15.7%.

12.1% of the customers are 2x buyers.

2.4% of the customers are 3x buyers.

0.6% of the customers are 4x buyers.

0.2% of the customers are 5x buyers.

0.3% of the customers purchased 6+ times.

After four-and-a-half months customers are still generally in the 1x/2x stage. Few customers have moved into the high levels of Emergence, and only 0.6% of the customers are now Loyal.

This is why it is so darn critical to have a Welcome program. If the customer doesn't get out of the Welcome stage and migrate into Emergence quickly, you can't get the customer over the hurdle into Loyal status.

Emergence at the 12 Month Timeframe

Did you notice the rows I highlighted in the table from a few days ago?

The top four rows are colored red - those are the timeframes when the customer is most responsive.

Now notice what happens at Month = 11 and Month = 12. When the customer lapses to 11/12 months, the customer (in this example) becomes marginally more responsive.

This is a common outcome in my project work. Many brands have customers who like to buy during "Anniversary" events, be it every Christmas, or on Valentine's Day or Easter or they buy gardening products in Spring. Regardless, there is Anniversary behavior that accelerates repurchase behavior.

So the customer briefly "unretires" and becomes active, before settling back into Retirement mode.

In Customer Development, we always pay attention to customers at recency values of 11/12 months since a last purchase. This is a time to reach out and give these customers a reason to buy something, because they are marginally more likely to purchase again. It's an opportunity to move the customer back into an Emergence stage.

It's Time! The February Run of the MineThatData Elite Program

Four months go by quickly, doesn't it?

In this run of the MineThatData Elite Program, we'll cover the usual metrics that evaluate the success of your customer file. But I'll also add one feature. I'm going to measure the Customer Development of the customers you acquired last April, at the start of the pandemic. We'll see how these customers evolved and changed over time. We'll see if you did a good job of developing the customers blessed to you during an awful pandemic.

Cost? $1,000 for existing subscribers. $1,800 for first-time subscribers. Participation is 100% voluntary.

Contact me for participation and file formats (kevinh@minethatdata.com).

Due dates? Five years of data (one row per purchase transaction) delivered in .csv format. Data due by February 15, 2021. Payment due by February 15, 2021. Analysis delivered by February 28, 2021.

The Customer Emerges

Last week we talked about the attributes that customers possess after a first order. Those attributes separate customers who are unlikely to purchase a second time to customers who are more likely to purchase for a second time

When the customer purchases for the second time, the potential of the customer Emerges. In other words, you use print and email marketing and website personalization to give your first-time buyers the best chance to purchase for a second time ... you Welcome the customers and treat them the best way you can to facilitate a second purchase.

With each additional purchase, the customer becomes more likely to purchase again. The process begins to accelerate, and your role in Developing the customer changes. 

Here are the results of what is called a "Life Table". In the table, we look at conditional probabilities of buying again based on where the customer is in the life cycle (frequency - across the top of the table) and recency (months since last purchase ... the rows of the table).

Click on the table to get a better view of the information. I want you to look at the "1x to 2x" and "2x to 3x" columns in the table under the "Incremental Rebuy Rates" column.

Let's read down the "1x to 2x" column first. When we acquire a customer, the customer moves into the Welcome stage. In the acquisition month, the customer has a 4.5% chance of buying again. If the customer does not repurchase that month, the customer degrades down to a recency of one month, where the customer has a 7.0% chance of buying again. If the customer does not repurchase that month, the customer degrades down to a recency of two months, where the customer has a 3.0% chance of buying again. The customer is beginning the process of Retirement (even though the customer just bought for the first time). You are losing the customer.

However, if you get the customer to purchase for a second time, the customer begins to Emerge ... the customer has Potential. Read down the "2x to 3x" column.

• 7.7% chance of buying for a third time in the 2nd purchase month.
• 16.7% chance of buying for a third time if the customer lapses to Recency = 1 month.
• 5.2% chance of buying for a third time if the customer lapses to Recency = 2 months.
• 4.0% chance of buying for a fourth time if the customer lapses to Recency = 3 months.

The "Retirement" process is mirrored here, but the incremental repurchase rates are higher.

Now look at cumulative repurchase rates.

• 1x to 2x through three months = 15.6%. 1x to 2x through twelve months = 24.7%.
• 2x to 3x through three months = 30.0%. 2x to 3x through twelve months = 43.9%.

If you get the customer to a second purchase, the customer begins to Emerge ... the customer is beginning the journey to becoming a loyal buyer.

And if you can push the customer from a 2nd purchase to a third purchase, the story gets even better as you watch the customer migrate from a third purchase to a fourth purchase.

• 1x to 2x through three months = 15.6%. 1x to 2x through twelve months = 24.7%.
• 2x to 3x through three months = 30.0%. 2x to 3x through twelve months = 43.9%.
• 3x to 4x through three months = 44.9%. 3x to 4x through twelve months = 58.8%.

Finally, the customer can be pushed from a 4th purchase to a 5th purchase, and that's where the customer is cemented in Loyal status.

• 1x to 2x through three months = 15.6%. 1x to 2x through twelve months = 24.7%.
• 2x to 3x through three months = 30.0%. 2x to 3x through twelve months = 43.9%.
• 3x to 4x through three months = 44.9%. 3x to 4x through twelve months = 58.8%.
• 4x to 5x through three months = 59.7%. 4x to 5x through twelve months = 71.8%.

You've got it ... the customer is now Loyal!!

The process of going through a 2nd/3rd/4th purchase stage is called "Emergence". You "Welcome" a customer and encourage a second purchase ... then you do the hard work of pushing the customer through the Emergence stage into Loyalty. Each step in the process you are rewarded, because the customer becomes more and more likely to buy again.

It almost seems like we're going to need a Customer Development Score (CDS) to manage this process, doesn't it? I'll bet this series ultimately takes us to a Customer Development Score.

31 - 26

My Packers were trailing 31-23 late in the 4th quarter to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneer. In spite of playing poorly, the team rallied, forcing Mr. Brady to throw three (3) second-half interceptions. Three! In a half! But here they were, with first and goal. Then second and goal. Then third and goal. And finally, it was fourth and goal. At the nine yard line.

The Packers just blew three scoring chances.

If the Packers went for it, several things would have to happen in succession for the Packers to win.

They'd have to convert fourth and goal ... maybe a 1 in 5 chance. Then they'd have to convert the two point conversion, a 50/50 proposition. Then they'd have to stop Tom Brady from scoring in the final two minutes with a full compliment of time outs. Good luck there! And if that happened, they'd have a 50/50 chance of winning in overtime. If they didn't get a touchdown on fourth and goal, they'd have to stop Tom Brady on three downs, use timeouts, then get the ball back and go all the way down the field and score and get a two point conversion just to get to overtime where they'd have a 50/50 chance of winning.

In other words, the math wasn't great if they went for it on fourth down.

So Green Bay kicked a field goal. Down 31-26, they needed to hold Tampa Bay, use their timeouts, get the ball back, and then they had to score a touchdown ... but the difference was if they scored a touchdown they'd win the game ... no overtime.

In other words, there were two lousy choices, each unlikely to succeed.

Green Bay kicked the field goal, and trailed 31-26.

They weren't able to stop Tom Brady and the Bucs. Final score, 31-26.

That's where football Twitter lost their ever-loving mind.

"Worst call ever". "Why did they do something so stupid??".

The advanced analytics folks "did the math" and suggested that Green Bay had a 27% chance of winning by kicking the field goal, and a 25% chance of winning by going for it. Both choices were bad. But one choice followed conventional wisdom (go for it), and the other choice marginally improved the odds of winning but looked like a bad choice (kick the field goal).

This situation happens in business all the time. You are faced with a choice ... conventional wisdom, or something new and somewhat unproven?

It's safe to follow conventional wisdom ... nobody is going to criticize you for making a decision that everybody else would make. Even if your odds of generating profit are lower, you're still doing what everybody else would do. Everybody is happy with your decision.

But did you make the right decision?

Let me give you an example. What month is it easiest for most of you to acquire new customers? It's December (or very late November), isn't it? For some of you it is November. If you are a gardening brand, it might be in April. So conventional wisdom tells you to acquire a new customer "when the fish are biting". Nobody is going to criticize you for spending money on Cyber Monday.

Now, the data shows something different. When I run my simulations, I easily see that the best time to acquire a customer is 1-3 months prior to your peak season. If you acquire a customer in October, for instance, the customer is hyper-responsive in November/December during your peak season. This means you "Develop" more customers who will pay you back the next year. You earn more future profit by "Developing" customers, and that profit offsets the money you lose acquiring the customer in a non-peak window.

So what do you do? Do you follow conventional wisdom and stuff more money into Christmas, or do you do something that is unpopular but generates more profit for your company over time? 

I know what I'd do.

Common Development Attributes on a First Purchase

When you look at first-time buyers, there are certain attributes that lead to "development". Not all first-time buyers are created equally. Few first-time buyers repurchase, and those that do are unlikely to ever become loyal buyers. Instead of having Loyalty Programs, we really should have Development Programs.

If we had Development Programs, we'd focus on the following customers.

Units: Customers who buy multiple items are better Development candidates than are customers who buy a single item in a first order.

Price: Customers who buy 2 items at $30 each are typically better than are customers who buy 2 items at $20 each.

Categories: Customers who buy 2 items from 2 product/merchandise categories are typically better Development candidates than are customers buying 2 items from 1 category.

Channels: There are always 2-3 marketing channels that yield better Development candidates than all of the other marketing channels. The channels are different for everybody.

Time: Acquire a customer in December? Yeah, it's easy and profitable, but those are customers who do not want to be Developed. You'll just sit there wasting money on them the rest of the year. If you really want a customer that can be Developed, focus on acquiring customers in September/October if your business has high Christmas seasonality. Why? You get to double-dip the customer (move the customer to a second purchase) at the very time when the customer is most responsive.

• Yeah, you should take full advantage of this "tidbit" in your Fall 2021 planning.
• Yeah, not that many people choose to take advantage of this "tidbit".

Existing Items: It is common for new buyers to skew toward existing merchandise. This tends to happen for three reasons. First, marketers tend to feature the stuff that works, and existing merchandise works better than riskier new merchandise. Second, Google has a long memory, and Google remembers existing items more than new items that Google hasn't seen ... so in my project work it is common to observe that Google pushes customers who like items you've always sold. Third, new customers tend to not want to take risks, therefore, they buy the stuff that everybody else loves. So look at "what" a customer buys in a first order. It's common for existing items to yield customers more willing to be Developed.

Above Average Priced Items: You have an item that sells for $30. Then you mark the item down to $20. When the item is sold for $30, it is sold "above average price". When the item is sold for $20, it is sold "below average price". It's typically easier to Develop a customer who buys items sold below the average price ... but it is typically easier to generate Profit from a customer who buys items sold above the average price. This is a fun dynamic to analyze, and is a dynamic that few (if anybody) ever analyze.

• Analyze this dynamic.

I'm going to continue my focus on Customer Development next week. If you need help with your Customer Development efforts, contact me (kevinh@minethatdata.com) and click here for project pricing.

Customer Development: What The Customer Purchases Matters

Here I'm looking at first-time buyers who only bought one item. Remember, these are the customers in our example who are least likely to purchase in the future. So we need something ... anything ... to help us identify the customers in this meager cohort who are most likely to want to be developed.

We're looking at rebuy rates (annual) below.

Look at the product category the customers bought from for clues:

• Category 2 = 23%.
• Category 11 = 24%.
• Category 16 = 18%.
• Category 17 = 15%.

You're going to invest more energy developing customers who bought from Categories 2/11. There is a ton of urgency developing customers in Categories 16/17, because they are less likely to repurchase and therefore need to be acted upon in the Welcome stage (first three months after a first order).

Customer Development: Physical Channels

The physical channel where a first order comes in matters. Take a look at this.

We usually look at marketing channels (search, social etc.) ... but we should also combine in the physical channel that drove the order. Here we clearly see how the Desktop buyer is most likely to repurchase in the future.

The data make it really clear ... the marketer is going to have to work much harder to develop the first-time buyer via the app than via desktop.

Have a plan, peeps! Develop your customers.

Customer Development: Many Positive Attributes

Yesterday we talked about the fact that "some" customers want to be developed, while other customers have no interest whatsoever in development.

Take a look at this "combination" of attributes ... items and categories purchased from.

The customer buying one item from one category (obviously) has a 21% chance of buying again in the next year.

The customer buying 6+ items from 4+ categories has a 41% chance of buying again.

The 1/1 combination customer needs to be developed quickly (first three months). Welcome this customer and get busy immediately.

The 6+/4+ combination customer is developed all year long.

Again ... email (strong hint = personalized email) is the secret weapon in your development strategy. Personalize the merchandise you show to the customer, in an effort to develop great habits (multiple items per order, multiple categories per order, higher price points per item).

Customer Development: First Order Attributes

The customer tells us an awful lot while placing a first order. The customer is giving us all sorts of subtle hints about whether the customer wants to have a long-term relationship. Most first-time buyers don't want a long-term relationship. The customer had a want/need at a point-in-time, the need was fulfilled, and the customer leaves (theoretically) happy.

But some customers give away information, useful information!

You are like a Quarterback approaching the line of scrimmage. You are pointing out the middle linebacker. You might have two plays called, a run/pass option, and you have to decide which option you want to select. You might not want your run/pass option, you might audible out of your play into something else that suits the personnel you have on the field.

All of that is you. You are the Marketer, and based on what customers present to you following a first order, you decide to take advantage of the situation. You decide to develop customers.

Here's an example. We have first-time buyers, and we have annual repurchase rates illustrated in the table below.

In this example, the customer might order just one item ... the customer might order six or more items. The customer might buy inexpensive items, or the customer might buy expensive items.

Which customer has the best chance of being developed, based on annual repurchase rates following a first purchase?

A customer buying one item from a low price point has a 17% chance of buying again within a year.

A customer buying six or more items from high price points has a 44% chance of buying again within a year.

Yeah, you want to develop the customer with a 44% chance of buying again. Take some time and be planful here.

The customer with a 17% chance of buying again? That's a customer requiring a very different development strategy. That's a customer that is only responsive in the first three months following a first order, so you invest all of your energy within that window, then you let the customer go.

Know "who" needs to be developed.

Know "when" a potentially unresponsive first time customer needs to be developed.

Know "channels" (strong hint - personalized email) to use to develop customers.

Welcome the customer.

This is what Customer Development is all about.

Next Week

This week I introduced you to the idea of Developing Customers ... Customer Development.

Next week, I'll begin the work of sharing with you how customers evolve and change as time progresses ... and will share how you play a key role in the development of the customer.

You have all of these new customers, blessed to you by a pandemic. It's your job to do something with the customers if you want all of these new customers to become loyal. 

A Department Name

I drove from Ames, IA to Dodgeville, WI on a crisp fall day in November 1990. I had a job interview at Lands' End. I wanted to become their next Statistical Analyst ... something akin to the modern "Data Scientist" job title that is popular today. In time, I'd wear a pocket protector and a bow tie ... our team's way of fighting back against the opinions others had of us.

My position was part of a department called "Customer Planning and Development" ... "CP&D".

Customer Planning and Development.

The mission of our department was to plan (forecast) how customers would behave in the future, and then develop customers (through the only tool we had in 1990 ... the mailing of catalogs).

We had a lot of customer reporting, telling us how good of a job we did at developing customers. First-time buyers, developing buyers, loyal buyers, we had a process for developing customers. Sure, the reporting was antiquated compared to real-time insights obtained in 2021.

But the process was not antiquated.

It was at Lands' End where I learned the perils of over-investing in Emergent Customers and Loyal Customers. It was at Lands' End where I learned of the importance of new customers, of Acquisition. All of those concepts apply today.

What's missing today is the concept of "Developing" a customer.

COVID gave most e-commerce brands a whopper of a blessing ... with +20% comp segment gains on Emergent Customers paired with +50% to +150% gains in New Customer Acquisition.

During the second half of 2021 and first half of 2022, we will need to have a process in place to Develop customers.

Five Stages of Customer Development

At some point in 2021, enough of your customers will be vaccinated and/or have had COVID to allow some semblance of normalcy to return. Not "normal" ... I'm not confident "normal" is coming back and when it does come back it won't be like 2019 ever again ... but "normal" enough to shift your business out of the current mode it operates in.

For so many e-commerce businesses, the past ten months have been all about Acquisition. Most e-commerce businesses (aside from apparel) didn't even have to try hard, the new customers came flying in and have continued since.

So as things start to become "more normal", my e-commerce clients are moving into the third stage of Customer Development.

Acquisition was maximized without significant marketing activities or spend, for the most part ... though some e-commerce brands dumped marketing fuel on the fire and really maximized their opportunity.

The "Welcome" stage was utterly squandered. There needs to be a strong program in place to quickly convert the first-time buyer to a second order, and almost nobody puts in the effort to do this. That's a shame.

So with the opportunity squandered, the customers who self-selected themselves for a second purchase enter the Emergence stage. That's where a ton of effort will be expended in 2021 and beyond. The goal is to develop the customer so that "some" customers enter the Loyalty stage (typically after a fourth purchase ... when a customer has a 60% or greater chance of purchasing again).

The burgeoning Acquisition phase is going to end ... the Welcome phase will be squandered, and the Emergence stage becomes the biggest story of the second half of 2021. Marketers will have an opportunity to develop customers, moving them through the Emergence stage toward Loyalty.

Anybody not focusing on this framework and not developing marketing plans for the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022 is squandering the enormous blessing gifted to e-commerce brands on behalf of a horrific pandemic.

Get busy, Dear Readers!

Customer Development

I mentioned last week that new customers are going to be a focus of my work in 2021. But it goes well beyond that. New customers are the first stage in the development process, called "Acquisition", of course.. It's generally the most ignored stage in the development process across my client base. That's a mistake.

The second stage is the "Welcome" period. The first three months after a customer is acquired are critical to customer development. If you do not convert the customer to a second purchase immediately, you waste your new customer opportunity. This process is almost universally ignored across my client base. That's a mistake.

The third stage is "Emergence". If you get a customer over the hurdle to a second purchase (which is very hard to do), your focus shifts to Emergence. Obtaining a third or fourth purchase becomes much easier. This is the stage where you shift your focus from marketing channels to merchandise preference, trying to expose the customer to every opportunity your brand presents to the customer.

The fourth stage is "Loyalty". The customer has a 60% (or better) chance of buying again in the next twelve months. This typically happens after a 4th purchase, though your mileage will vary. You harvest all of the profit necessary to keep your business moving forward. These customers were likely acquired a few years ago, but they are generating the money necessary to pay your salary today. Do not over-market to these customers and waste all of the profit they generate.

The fifth stage is "Retirement". The customer extracted everything the customer needed from your brand, and you extracted all of the profit you needed from the customer. The customer is being retired. Your job is to now communicate with the customer, but there isn't a reason to beg this customer for business. The financial aspect of the relationship is over. Use free tools to communicate, and if the customer wishes to purchase again, so be it. For the most part, the customer relationship has ended.

There are five stages to Customer Development in my framework.

1. Acquisition
2. Welcome
3. Emergence
4. Loyalty
5. Retirement

Tough Decisions

At least two Analytics / Direct Mail individuals were involved in what happened at the Capitol last week.

• Analytics CEO (click here)
• Direct Mail Professional (click here)

Both organizations are obviously overwhelmed, given what you see on their websites. The Analytics brand scrubbed the site of the "About" section - you won't learn about the Leadership attributes of their Executive Team. The Direct Mail brand changed their website home page to a simple statement.

We'll all make choices in 2021 and beyond. It's bad enough we have to figure out how to deal with COVID in the workplace and in sales/profit. Now we've got another thing to think about.

January 6

I had a post written for today, but the events of January 6 are more important than my views about new and existing customers.

You've been through a lot in the past year. Persevere. I'll talk to you next week.

New Customers

All of my recent projects have a common theme.

• "What happens when most people who want to be vaccinated are vaccinated and I'm not getting a COVID-bump anymore?" 

Good question!

That's what I'm working on these days ... forecasts that demonstrate what the future looks like ... analysis of the veritable plethora of customers who have been acquired, measuring who moves to loyal status and who disappears ... and careful analysis of merchandise performance given that so many of these COVID-newbies seem to prefer existing merchandise over new merchandise.

You'll be hearing a lot about new customers in the first quarter ... it's your #1 question over the past three months and is the subject of just about every email I've received in the past few weeks.

Attribution and Fraud

Stop what you are doing and read this tweet storm ... right now (click here).

I won't give away the plot ... you need to click on the link and read it for yourself.

I will say, however, that I continually see awful attribution solutions. I'll look at email mail/holdout tests, catalog mail/holdout tests, or experiments where the search budget is gutted for a month and observe that almost nothing changes when ad dollar investments are reduced. And yet? Vendors (and client Professionals who'd rather side with vendors than with their own p&l and yes that happens all the time) keep telling my clients that all these dollars are not wasted.

I spent one (1) year in the retargeting world (way back in calendar 2000) ... working for a retargeting startup. I witnessed the half of the employee base who acted with integrity, and I witnessed the half of the employee base who'd lie, cheat, steal, threaten employees, have relationships with various employees, and do just about anything awful to keep the dollars flowing. Too often, the awful half trumped the half with integrity.

Years ago, I wrote a booklet about holding your vendors accountable. I sold four (4) copies of the book. 

Four!

And when I'd bring the topic up on my blog, I'd get just as much criticism from client-based marketers as I'd get from vendors. Heck, I spoke at a conference about holding vendors accountable, and the client-side attendees chided me after the talk. That was a surprise.

Something needs to change.

You could be the person who acts with honesty and integrity, electing to protect your CFO. Why can't that person be you?

P.S.: One of my favorite moments of vendor fraud happened in a catalog mail/holdout test. The client didn't mail catalogs for three months. The vendor attributed 80%(ish) of the orders in the holdout panel to mailed catalogs ... even though the client didn't mail those customers a single catalog for three months. Let that one sink in. And when the fraud was discovered, the client chose to not change the attribution algorithm. Also let that one sink in. Rampant vendor fraud requires a willing client base to make the process work.

P.P.S.:  Follow this woman, please (click here). And subscribe to her newsletter here.

SIGN UP ON MONDAY MORNING!!

On January 6 at 1:00pm EST / 10:00am PST Bill and I will hold Office Hours for a small group of 25 students. The audience is limited to current catalog practitioners (there may be Office Hours in the future for different disciplines, but this is where we are starting). So if you want to participate, hold the date of January 6 at 1:00pm EST open on your calendar.

Frequently Asked Question?

• How do I sign up?

Here's how I am doing this.

• You can sign up at exactly 1:00pm EST / 10:00am PST on Monday, January 4. Not a minute sooner.
• The first 25 time-stamped emails I receive from current catalog marketing practitioners (send your email to kevinh@minethatdata.com) are in. If your email arrives one minute prior to the deadline, it is thrown out. The next 10 time-stamped emails go on a waiting list.
• You will receive e-mail confirmation that your Office Hours application has been accepted, wait-listed, or denied.

One catch:

• Your email application MUST include a link to one industry article that you think is interesting, an article that you'd like us to consider for discussion during Office Hours. Here's an example of what I'm talking about (click here). Go ahead and tell me what you find interesting about the article and what you'd like Bill & I to consider discussing in relation to the article.
• No link to an article, no acceptance of your application.
• I will collect all of the articles that are submitted by all applicants ... and I will forward the list of all articles to all applicants, regardless whether your application is accepted, wait listed, or denied.

That's what I'm experimenting with, peeps. Let's try something different, and let's see how it goes.

It's time to sign up ... get your submission in!!!