The Daily Telegraph plans to balance its ageing database profile
with the addition of the 1.3 million, mainly young, people who take the
driving test in the UK each year.
A deal has been struck with Sylvan Prometric, the US company which is to
manage the UK driving theory test, in which the Telegraph will manage
the database and be allowed to exploit its commercial value. A detailed
lifestyle survey of test sitters is expected to reveal data of value to
banks, mobile phone companies and ISPs.
The Telegraph has led the newspaper market in investing in a
transactional database, currently holding five million names, which is
used to service advertisers and sell newspapers. It is also used to
generate new revenue from non-advertisers and affinity partnerships such
as Telegraph branded loans and insurance. The list comprises Daily
Telegraph readers and readers of other titles such as The Times.
Although the Telegraph already manages Chelsea Football Club’s database,
this is the first time it has been asked by a third party to
commercially exploit a list. But it won’t be the last and the
Telegraph’s development director Tony Coad promises a lot of new tie-ups
in the near future.
Coad sees the database as both a direct incremental revenue earner and a
valuable service to display advertisers. Non-Telegraph advertisers, such
as Procter & Gamble, have paid to use the database and been introduced
to the Telegraph brand with a resulting opportunity for the display
teams.
Coad is keen to stress his team of 25, including seven sales people, can
offer a pro-active service to advertisers as well. ’Around 90 per cent
of display ads carry a call for action, either a coupon or a telephone
number,’ he said. ’We can help companies get more out of their
advertising.’
