Bureaux report 60% upturn in suppression usage

Suppression file provider Mortascreen found there had been a 60% increase in the use of suppression over the last year after running a survey of 57 bureaux that use its products.

Clients' most important motivation for the increase was cost reduction, followed by the desire to avoid the 'brand damage' that occurs when mail is sent to the deceased or people who have moved house.

The third most important reason was pressure to increase environmental standards, followed by negative perceptions of the direct mail industry in fourth and government legislation in fifth.

Mortascreen said 78% of respondents preferred its screening technology to The Bereavement Register for keeping up to date records.

The company, which specialises in deceased suppression services, said 90% of those it polled used the National Change of Address and Gone Away Suppression files to improve their records.

Meanwhile, 60% said they used Xpression and Experian's Suppression file, 40% used Disconnect, Universal Suppression Service and Purity, while 20% preferred Absolute Movers.

Karen Webster, product director at Mortascreen, said: "It hasn't been an easy time for the DM industry with continued consumer and media backlash, proposed government legislation and increased environmental concerns.

"However, through their bureaux brands can actively show that they are making a concerted effort towards more targeted campaigns, benefiting both the consumer and themselves."

This article was first published on brandrepublic.com