Our service is free of charge until the time you place an order.

A list broker understands the idiosyncrasies of each list and can recommend the lists that best suit your requirements.

The prices we charge are the same as if you were to go to the list owner directly, but you benefit from our experience, knowledge and impartiality

What types of lists are available?
Each list owner, and there are many hundreds in Australia and New Zealand, has its own way of recording names and addresses, but primarily lists fall into two categories - business and consumer.

Business lists usually cover names, addresses and other contact details of professionals/corporates at their place of work, whereas consumer lists identify people at their residential address.

In turn, every list will vary according to the way it is constructed, the formats available and the selections therein. For each list we represent we provide a detailed data sheet (list profile) that outlines the selections, quantities, prices, restrictions and so on

How are lists sourced?
Business lists are generally built through membership registers (often publicly available), magazine/journal subscriber databases, customer databases, independent research and other compilation methods.

Consumer lists are most often derived from magazine subscription databases, consumer lifestyle surveys/questionnaires, and/or customer databases of mail order companies.

What formats do lists come in?
"Format" refers to various ways in which a data file can be output and delivered to the client or mailhouse. Lists are most commonly output in electronic (ASCII delimited) format, although there are other options such as self adhesive labels and hard copy telemarketing reports.

ASCII delimited files can be imported into most modern word processing, spreadsheet or database packages and in turn enable personalisation through mail-merges etc. Self adhesive labels are less common and usually reflect smaller mailings and of course must be adhered manually.

How does list pricing work?
Pricing will vary for each list and is generally made up of three components:
• the list price per 1,000 records
• the set-up fee
• delivery/courier fees.

Of course any list ordered and delivered in Australia will attract GST (currently 10%) on the total price. Some lists may also attract additional fees and charges, all of which will be included in any quotes or list profiles we provide.

The list price is calculated by multiplying the number of records by the cost per 1,000. For example, 10,000 records by $250 per 1,000 is $2,500. On top of this you add the set-up fee and any other charges and then add 10% GST. Simple! Any variances to this will be advised in our quotes.

How is pricing affected by a minimum order?
Generally a list will come with a minimum order restriction that can either be expressed as a dollar value or record quantity.

The total pricing or number of records for a particular order must equate to or exceed the minimum order (value or quantity), otherwise the minimum applies.

What restrictions are there on the use of a list?
Typical restrictions include:

Sample of promotional material to be submitted for approval by list owner
All list owners will require a sample of the marketing piece prior to approving use of the list. This enables them to ensure that the promotion is not offensive, controversial or competitive to their products/services.

Data can only be used once only and is seeded to detect unauthorised use
Refer to on misuse of data.

Data must be processed by an independent mail-house/bureau
This restriction is imposed by some list owners to stop their list data going straight to the end user as there is considered to be less chance that the data will by misused by an independent third party.

What measures are used to prevent misuse of data?
The list owners seed their lists with 'dummy' names and addresses to detect unauthorised use. The mailings/telemarketing for each campaign is monitored by the list owner and any detection of misuse such as multiple use of a list (where not authorised in advance) will constitute misuse.

Deliverability
All lists that LMA represent, with the exception of the Yellow and White Pages directories, are guaranteed by the list owner to an accuracy rate of at least 95%. Rates will vary between list owners and may be as high as 99%.

The deliverability guarantee works as follows: LMA (via the list owner) guarantees that the list will result in delivery of a certain percent. Should you as the renter of the list, be able to show through returned mail that the undeliverable portion exceeds the guarantee rate, then an amount equivalent to the difference between the guarantee rate and the actual rate will be refunded. The amount refunded applies only to the rental fees and does not include other fees such as the set-up and courier costs.

There are some list brokers and owners who market lists as 100% accurate, however in reality this is not guaranteeing the accuracy of the list, rather the level to which refunds will be given for any undeliverable mail.

How can I have my name removed from a list?
The first thing to do is contact the company that sent the promotion to you. It is important to quote the details of the mail piece including any codes on address section as these often determine which list was used. They will either take your details and pass them on to the relevant party (list owner or list broker), or they will put you in contact with the party that supplied the names.

The Australian Direct Marketing Association had a web site with a DO NOT MAIL/CALL registration point. To register your details, visit the ADMA site and click on the section marked 'Consumer Help", then click on the "Do not mail/call" icon and follow the instructions from there.Alternatively call ADMA directly on 02 9368 0366 and follow the telephone prompts.

If I strategically plan my direct marketing campaign, what response rate can I expect ?

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for predicting an average, or typical, response rate. There are hundreds of variables connected with any mailing -- millions if you consider that each person receiving the message is a variable. Many sources quote that 2% is a typical direct response rate. However, this number is quite meaningless. Response rates vary widely depending on a number of factors :

    * The Medium (direct mail, space)
    * The Product (insurance vs. crystal vases)
    * The Offer (inquiry vs. free trial vs. cash-with-order)
    * The Price ($500 vs. $9.95)
    * The List (customer vs. prospects)

Normal response can easily vary from 0.1% (not unusual in insurance or offers in print media) to 50% or more (when very targeted, relevant mailings are sent to long-standing customers).

The important thing to remember is that the key element in the P&L is the promotion cost per response and what it represents out of the contribution available. CPM and response rates are important, but the most important number is the relationship between the two -- cost per response and how it fits into the P&L worksheet.

What are the government regulations pertaining to direct marketing that I need to know about?

A general knowledge of regulatory and legislative issues affecting direct marketing (at both the state and federal levels) is important. To assist, click here to access the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) Code Of Practice.

This guides covers issues such as:

    * Time for Delivery
    * Deceptive or Misleading Advertising Practices
    * Pricing
    * Advertising of Guarantees
    * Endorsements and Testimonials
    * Use of the Words "Free" and "New"
    * Unordered Merchandise
    * Consumer Privacy and the Use of Mailing Lists and Databases
    * Telemarketing Practices
    * Ethical Business Practices
    * Mailing List Practices
    * Barcoding standards
    * Direct Response Broadcast Advertising

In addition, there are several general business regulations that also affect direct marketers. You may wish to review regulations governing the following :

    * Credit & Collection Procedures
    * Use of Warranties
    * Copyrights
    * Trademarks
    * Sweepstakes
    * Sales Tax Proposals (ie GST)

To obtain further information about regulations affecting direct marketing, please contact ADMA on (02) 9368 0366.

How has the anti-spam legislation (SPAM Act 2003) impacted email lists?

The Spam Act 2003 came into force in April 2004.  In a nutshell, the introduction of the legislation has meant that all email lists must be ‘opt-in’ which means that to send an unsolicited email to someone you must have their prior consent.  Government bodies and registered charities are exempt from this requirement.

Certainly the volume of email list usage, especially business email lists, has fallen since April 2004.  This is largely because many of the business to business lists are not opt-in and so do not comply with the legislation.

LMA has a large number of fully Spam Act compliant business and consumer email lists available for rent, and please contact one of our consultants to discuss the options further.

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