Customer data has helped companies create some unique and effective marketing campaigns. This has prompted a renewed focus on collecting information, but a recent survey shows that companies often fail to properly leverage the data.

A survey by The Wall Street Journal showed that 33 percent of marketing executives would give their organizations a failing grade on their use of customer information. Nearly all of the respondents said they were not using customer information to  its full extent, which is costing them sales.

Part of the problem, according to the study, was information overload. Fortunately, there are companies like ThinkSmart that provide solutions for processing customer information, which can be helpful when  creating effective marketing campaigns. Segmenting information or conducting a merge/purge of the data can help companies narrow the focus of direct mail outreach or other targeted campaigns.

The increased focus allows companies to create more relevant offers and strengthen the message for the audience. A strong call to action can help increase repeat sales and increase revenue. This process all starts with an accurate customer database. As information continues to be collected, marketers need a quick and effective way to compare new data with existing customer details. By creating an accurate database, companies can more accurately segment customers and create effective, relevant campaigns.