Resident List Demographic Selections – Ethnic Marketing

Marketers who want to reach the African American, Hispanic American, or Asian American market can use the ethnic selections available on the resident list to do so. The ethnic make up of each carrier route (approximately 500 households) within each zip code is known and is compiled and updated using census data. Using this ethnic data for selection, the marketer can reach those carrier routes or pockets of households that are predominately, or contain a higher %, of the ethnic group that they want to target. Using this ability to hone in on populations that are made up of a specific ethnic group is an ideal way to filter the resident list and improve response rates and ROI.

If your product or service appeals to a specific ethnic group, consider using the ethnic selections available on the resident list.

Take a look at resident list counts by zip code and carrier route by downloading free count reports. The ethnic makeup for each carrier route is available.

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Resident List Demographic Selections – Age

Another common demographic selection available and used to filter the resident list is age. The median age of the population in each carrier route is known, compiled, and updated from census data. Age selections are used by direct mail marketers to target their list and find those pockets that are most likely to respond to their offer. Age is not used as widely and commonly as income, but in my experience it has been used primarily by marketers who are offering and selling products and services to senior citizens, age 65+. Using the age selection on the resident list they are able to identify and isolate carrier routes that have a predominance of older residents. This increases their rate of success and ROI.

Consider using the age selection on the resident list as a way to improve your direct mail success.

Take a look at resident list counts by zip code and carrier route by downloading free count reports. The age level for each carrier route is available.

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Resident List Demographic Selections – Income

Smart direct mail marketers use all the tools at their disposal to filter and target their mailing lists so that their message reaches those most likely to respond. It’s all about ROI, Return on Investment. We’ve talked about the use of geographic selections to narrow the list to the optimum or ideal geography be it county, zip code, carrier route, or zip+4 code. We’ve talked about using radius and/or drive time mapping to define the geography most likely to respond to a direct mail campaign. Our last discussion was about using dwelling type selections to narrow the list and make it most responsive.

Another tool available when using the resident list is demographic selection. The most popular demographic selection is income. Income is defined as the median household income of the carrier route. If you remember, a carrier route has an average of 500 households. Since a typical zip code might contain 10,000 households, that zip code is made up of 20 individual and unique carrier routes. In one of the zip codes near our office the carrier route median income ranges from $49,000 to $218,000. Quite a wide range! Think of each carrier route as a neighborhood with its own unique characteristics, income being one of them.

The smart marketer will use the carrier route income selection to their advantage when filtering the resident list. If their offer requires a higher level of disposable income, the marketer has the option to select only the higher income carrier routes in a zip code that they want to reach. Conversely, if their offer is value-oriented with coupon savings that would appeal to a lower level of income, they can select the lower income routes in the zip code. Other creative uses of carrier route income selection are possible.

Be sure to consider income when selecting or filtering the resident list.

Take a look at resident list counts by zip code and carrier route by downloading free count reports. The income level for each carrier route is available.

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Can I Select Homes or Apartments from a Resident/Occupant List?

Dwelling type selection from a resident/occupant list is certainly available. The three main types of dwelling selections are: homes, apartments, and spaces. Homes are defined as those residential dwellings that have a primary address only e.g. 1234 Main St. Apartments are those residential dwellings that have both a primary address and a secondary address e.g. 1234 Main St Apt 105. Typical secondary address abbreviations for apartments are APT or UNIT. A third type of dwelling selection is spaces which refers to mobile homes or trailers. Spaces are defined as those residential dwellings that have both a primary address and a secondary address e.g. 1234 Main St Spc 155. Typical secondary address abbreviations for spaces are SPC (space) or TRLR (trailer).

Smart marketers use dwelling type selection to target their direct mail campaigns to those most likely to respond. The homes only selection works well for companies selling home improvement services like remodeling, reroofing, landscaping, siding, etc. Real estate agents and brokers often use the apartments only selection to reach renters who may be candidates for purchasing a home. Depending on the marketer and what they sell or offer, spaces can either be included or excluded from the resident/occupant list selection.

Be sure to consider dwelling type selection when defining your resident/occupant list selections.

Take a look at resident/occupant list counts by dwelling type by downloading free count reports.

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Mailing List Geography, Part 4 – What is Drive Time Mapping?

Although radius mapping is often used to define geography for direct mail campaigns and mailing list selection, some marketers are more interested in using drive time mapping to define their geography. Radius mapping could be used to reach all the households within five miles of a store location, for instance. However, depending on traffic routes, streets, highways, and natural boundaries, people living at the edge of that five mile radius may find that it takes them between 15 minutes and 35 minutes to reach the store. The store knows that most shoppers will not travel for more than 25 minutes to come to their location. Thus, direct mail marketers are now turning to drive time mapping to define their mailing list selections.

Using drive time mapping the marketer can specify that their mailing list contains only those households that are located within a 25 minute drive of the store. The ideal target audience is reached and waste is eliminated versus using the five mile radius approach. Drive time mapping is an exciting new way to select mailing lists that is made possible by improved computerized mapping technologies.

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Mailing List Geography, Part 3 – Want to Use Radius Mapping?

Many marketers want to define their geographic market or reach by using radius mapping. Radius mapping allows the marketer to target the geographical reach of their direct mail campaign by defining the distance or quantity desired around a specific location—a store or restaurant, for instance. A grocery store, for example, might want to reach all the households within a one mile radius of their location. Their research indicates that this is their ideal target geographical market. In another application of radius mapping, a dry cleaner may have a direct mail budget that allows them to mail 5,000. Using radius mapping they can mail to the 5,000 households that are closest to their location. Radius mapping is a powerful geographic selection tool used by mail direct mail marketers.

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