Royal Mail, the UK's publicly-owned postal delivery service, has launched a new initiative promising to make it easier for businesses to improve their targeting of specific geographical areas which are most likely to buy their products.
The new Royal Mail Insight Tool uses information from the eBay market data programme to offer new insight to UK advertisers, and provides access to more than 140 million UK transactions carried out through the online auction site, giving advertisers and planners unparalleled insight into the purchasing behaviours of postcode areas across the UK (the equivalent of the US zip codes).
The data – which is anonymous and consists of 2.1 million individual postcodes which cover 26 million addresses – provides details of buyers’ purchase history, type of products bought and levels of spend, and is refreshed monthly to give continually updated access to the latest information on purchases around the UK.
“The launch of the tool underlines (Royal Mail’s) determination to be a true media owner by selling unique, bespoke audience insight as well as providing a communications channel to reach and engage with consumers and enhance their brand through the post,” said Royal Mail Head of Media and Development, Antony Miller.
The Royal Mail Insight Tool can provide breakdowns of spending habits regarding new or used purchases, peak purchasing periods, frequency and recency of purchase, age, gender, and the product brands purchased.
Categories covered by the service include baby; car parts and vehicles; clothes, shoes and accessories; computing; consumer electronics; health and beauty; home and garden; mobile and home phones; sporting goods and video games, as well as more than 200 sub-categories.
“It provides insight and audiences based on chosen variables of areas around the UK where certain product types are frequently being purchased, items sold and their average price,” Miller added.
“Based on this insight, campaign planners can identify other similar areas in the UK and deliver comparable audience demographics.
“This information can then be overlaid with Royal Mail data, a brand’s own customer database or a cold list, supplying access to a highly targeted base of prospects.”