Optimal database marketing--strategy, development and data mining.

Optimal database marketing--strategy, development and data mining

Ronald G. Drozdenko and Perry D. Drake

Sage Publications, 2002

398pp, hard cover [pounds sterling]42

ISBN 0 7619 2357 8

The evolution of direct marketing from crude 'junk mail' to sophisticated, carefully targeted and strategically planned 'customer relationship management' is well charted. This, and the development of integrated marketing communications and media neutral brand planning means that a sound book on database marketing ought to be part of every market researcher's library.

Dr Ronald G. Drozdenko is Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department, Ancell School of Business and Perry D. Drake is Vice President of the eponymous database consultancy in New York. Optimal Database Marketing explains underlying theory and describes how to carry out the diverse range of operational procedures, and in this respect the book is an excellent digest of the principles and practice of database marketing. The scope of this includes relevant issues and trends in marketing and databases, plus, of course the nitty-gritty issues of data-base methods:

* the statistical principles behind a sampling and data capture

* guidance on defining data needs, technology, and database maintenance routines

* methods of data analysis (especially segmentation and mining), validation and reporting.

Optimal Database Marketing is a well written and thorough book that succeeds within its rather specific scope and focus--and if that sounds like damning with faint praise, then so be it. Whilst market researchers need a book on database marketing, this may not be the ideal text.

The first and perhaps most important point to make is that this is an American book for students. The American backdrop is shown by the choice of case studies and narrative examples, and although we can quite easily read our way past those, more seriously the cultural, regulatory and legal context within which database marketing operates in the United States is quite different to the United Kingdom. To the door mail delivery, internet usage, attitudes to be 'being sold to' and the requirements of the Data Protection Act are but a few obvious examples of the vital differences between database marketing in the UK and US. A further important point is that this is not a business book, the useful 'Review Questions' at the end of each chapter are typical student assignments rather than questions directed to improving an existing database marketing system.

This book is accessible and highly readable, with an uncomplicated writing style. Any book on this subject has to tackle the complex and highly technical subject of the statistical science of database management. In this the authors have worked hard and are largely successful. The structure of the book also makes it very user-friendly--both as a book to be read through and as a work of reference.

* It features detailed contents pages

* A 'preamble' to each chapter describing its scope, and each chapter ends with a summary and a series of review questions to aid learning (although these do have a student bias as discussed above)

* There are lots of (American) case studies and examples, including one which provides a consistent thread throughout the book

* There is a very helpful glossary, as well as a full index, bibliography and suggested further reading.

Some of the issues that IJMR readers might find important are beyond the scope of this book--and the reader will look in vain for discussion of more 'philosophical' or strategic issues such as:

* The role and contribution of database marketing within marketing communications

* Integration of database marketing with other communications activities

* Issues surrounding the impact of the content of direct marketing material and creative aspects in general

* The whole subject of consumer/customer issues, such as likely response rates and how to maximise them, the impact of database marketing activity on loyalty, monitoring effectiveness etc.

* Moreover, ethical considerations are debated only briefly.

In short this is a book that unravels the mysteries of a vital but 'back room' activity. It explains what data departments (in direct marketing agencies and client-side marketing organisations) get up to with all that data, and how and why they do it. For those who need to know about this, the book can be warmly recommended, and in fact this probably includes quite a broad sweep of people:

* The students who are the primary target for the book

* Those who need to interact with the data department--their colleagues and line managers, plus all their clients.

* The back room boys themselves have an excellent work of reference to remind them of the theory and best practice, although I doubt those with working experience of database management will learn anything totally new.

However, don't forget the need to 'translate' from the American and all in all for a general read on direct and database marketing as a whole, MRS members might like to note the text recommended by the Institute of Direct Marketing--Direct and Data-Base Marketing, Graeme McCorkell, 1988, Kogan Page, soft cover, 320pp (ISBN 0 7494 1960 1)