Glossary of Data Marketing Terms

We've compiled the following glossary as an easy reference for terms used in the data marketing industry:

Campaign:

A communication sent to a group of customers for the purpose of encouraging a certain action like a visit to a web site, request more information, attend an event or make a purchase.

DataVacuum:

A technology developed by Interact Direct to simplify the process of collecting customer data from disparate business systems.

Data Mart:

A database containing customer data, typically focused on a sub-set of the business like a certain division or customer type.

Data Warehouse:

A database containing customer data, typically of an enterprise nature.

Trigger Marketing:

A technology developed by Interact Direct to initiate a marketing process whenever certain conditions occur with a customer. For example, mail an extended warranty offer when a customer purchases a major appliance.

Segmentation:

The act of dividing a customer list into smaller groups that share common characteristics assumed to be representative of their needs, wants or desires.

Marketing Database:

A database that provides a complete view of the customer for the purpose of marketing measurement and communication.

NCOA:

Stands for National Change of Address. NCOA is the name given to a database of movers maintained by postal agencies like the USPS and Canada Post. The database includes the individual or family name, old address, new address and date of move.