Dog Days of Summer
SUMMER IS HERE, and the dog days are just around the corner. Webster defines “dog days” as the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere. Webster also defines “dog days” as a period of stagnation or inactivity, but that does not describe direct marketers in late summer when the campaign planning process begins for the holidays.
Where did the term “dog days” originate? It started with an ancient belief that the “big dog” star Sirius added heat to the sun when they rose and set together during the summer months. In reality, Sirius is too far away from the sun to have any impact, and hot summer weather is simply due to the tilt of the earth’s axis.
For marketers, there is as much to learn about dog lovers as dog days. The American Pet Products Association estimated total pet owner spending to be $45.4 billion last year. Coincidentally, that’s in the same ball park as Winterberry Group’s $43.7 billion estimate for the direct mail industry. Pet products and services is a growing market, and dog owners are an important driver of that growth. If you’re looking to reach a few “spoiled pups in a ruff economy,” then consider testing a dog lovers list. Keep in mind that dog lovers often personify their pets, so a “presence of children” mindset might be effective when marketing to them.
The list ID, total universe, base price, list popularity index (LPI), and list manager contact information are provided for each of the five “dog lovers” titles below. The LPI shows each list’s rating on a range from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest. The scores are calculated using an algorithm that analyzes recency and frequency of more than 100,000 outside list recommendations made in the trailing 12 months of the scoring date.
Canine Companions
Universe: 9,800,000
Price: $70/M
List Popularity Index: 83
Contact: ListBargains.com, Amy Benicewicz, [email protected], (203) 746-6640
Dog Fancy
Universe: 158,903
Price: $100/M
List Popularity Index: 100
Contact: Bowtie List Management, Michael Evans, [email protected], (949) 855-8822 x3420
In The Company of Dogs
Universe: 161,467
Price: $100/M
List Popularity Index: 100
Contact: ALEXA Marketing, Linda West, [email protected], (603) 563-7706
SmartPak Canine
Universe: 74,103
Price: $100/M
List Popularity Index: 99
Contact: Direct Media | Millard, Deborah Cunningham, [email protected], (402) 836-5124
Your Dog
Universe: 36,901
Price: $100/M
List Popularity Index: 100
Contact: Specialists Marketing Services, Tina Zerfass, [email protected], (201) 865-5800
Data cards for these are publicly available at http://lists.nextmark.com
Chris DeMartine ([email protected]) is director of business development for NextMark.
