Our clients often ask the question, where does your data come from? In fact, at the various trade shows I’ve participated in on behalf of ANS, this is usually the first question I get as someone seeks to understand our business and what we do. So what does ANS do?

ANS is a provider of high-quality, targeted consumer and business data for marketing and sales. This data is either quired directly from the source or is managed and marketed on behalf of the data owner. The data we manage and sell separates into two main types of data, Direct Response and Compiled. Let’s discuss the difference.

Direct Response Data

Direct response marketing focuses on extracting a specific, measured response from a consumer. Think about your recent activity online; have you filled out any forms? A survey? Have you provided your email or other contact information in exchange for a free download or access to information? Also, have you recently purchased a ticket to an event or trade show? Did you provide your information while buying a product or service? If you responded to some form of marketing, you have contributed to the creation of direct response data.

At ANS, we manage an extensive catalog of direct response data. Our managed lists cover a large variety of niches from sewing and crafts to real estate and finance. Some direct response files contain buyers, while others will only contain respondents. This data is valuable in connecting your business with people that are more likely to respond or make a purchase from your specific offer. 

Compiled Data

Compiled data is much more extensive in the number of fields it contains. Data compilers acquire data from many sources and organize them into one massive database. Information about specific consumers or businesses from each of the sources are matched back together to create a comprehensive set of demographics that tell a detailed story of who that individual is and what they do as a consumer.

ANS houses and manages one of the largest compiled databases in the United States with over 220 million households and 16 million business records. This database is continually growing and updating with new data. 

The Relationship Between Direct Response and Compiled Data

So, which type of data should you use to target quality prospects for your next campaign? Typically, direct response data will yield a better result when used for direct mail campaigns than compiled data. Direct response data, however, poses a problem; it’s limited. There are only so many people that bought a ticket to and registered for a crafting festival or that attend a specific seminar on financial education. Enter compiled data.

Using your current customer file, ANS can match your file to the same records in the compiled database. Once the matches are complete, we identify very specific commonalities that members of your original file share. Then matching those same commonalities to individuals throughout the compiled database, ANS creates a data model of your ideal buyer. As a result of this process, you now have access to a modeled file of look-a-like records for marketing.

Compiled data can also be used to generate a customer profile report of your current customer file. With minimal information from your end (name, email, phone, etc.), ANS can find your customers in our compiled database. By gleaning all of their hobbies and interests, income range, and other demographics, this information can then be modeled to tell a more explicit story of your customer.

For more information on the types of data ANS can provide, or for help selecting a list for your business, call us at 801-235-8061.