Although many of the big names in the data cooperative space existed, the modeling techniques we know today were not yet in use. In the early 2010s, direct mail marketers still heavily targeted their audiences using demographics like age, gender, and location. While this provided some level of segmentation, it was often a guessing game, leading to wasted resources and less-than-optimal results.
While existing for many years, data cooperatives lacked the sophisticated modeling techniques we see today. Until the early 2010s, direct mail marketers and co-ops relied heavily on basic demographics like age, gender, and location for targeting. This approach, though offering some segmentation, often resulted in inefficient campaigns and suboptimal returns due to its reliance on guesswork.
