Focus On: Lists: Prospecting Lists that Work

FS: Has your list universe changed at all in recent years?
MB: Our usage of fundraising lists has declined somewhat in recent years as housefile match rates increase and universes continue to decline. The usage of modeled compiled lists has increased rapidly in the last year.

FS: Where do you look for new list-testing ideas? Have you had much success testing “outside of the box” (i.e., using compiled lists and databases, catalog lists, magazine subscriber names)?
MB: We have always been an aggressive tester of new lists. Most new tests come from the catalog and compiled categories as other areas are showing only very limited growth. Many are tests from outside of our normal target demographic zone, and some have produced surprising results. The rollout rate has averaged around 15 percent to 20 percent in recent years.