Direct Group Signs Marketing Agreement with Sweden-Based PAR AB
PENNINGTON, NJ—January 12, 2010—Direct Group, an integrated direct marketing services provider, has announced a reciprocal agreement with Sweden-based European data specialist, PAR AB. It is the first time that Direct Group will offer European data directly to its current clients and prospects, while opening a fully regulated gateway to 14 European countries for U.S.-based businesses and list brokers who represent them.
The agreement will give Direct Group access to PAR’s EuroContactPool database, providing companies a one-stop-shop to European data that adheres to all the differing data regulations across the UK and continental Europe. EuroContactPool is the world’s fastest-growing pan-European business-to-business (B2B) database, currently covering 22 million companies and 16.4 million named executives across 14 major countries in Europe covering approximately 80% of the total European market. PAR will offer Direct Group’s U.S. B2B database to its European customers. Direct Group manages data representing more than 26 million businesses and 50 million contacts across practically every location and industry in the United States.
Per Löfgren, International Product Director for PAR AB, said, “This is a perfect time to bring together two of the world’s best B2B databases. The EuroContactPool database offers a unique solution to Direct Group and its clients, in that Europe can be a difficult market to enter due to different data regulations in each country. EuroContactPool overcomes all that by only including data that adheres to the regulations of the country where it originates.”
EuroContactPool also forms the platform for PAR’s European data quality services, which enable automatic monitoring, updating, and enhancement of companies’ records. The recent development of ‘PAR Manager’ plug-ins for Microsoft Dynamics and SuperOffice CRM systems enables data to be transferred and updated seamlessly between EuroContactPool and customers’ in-house databases. A plug-in for SalesForce.com is due for release shortly.
“Direct Group is proud to partner with PAR in bringing critical data to U.S. companies looking to initiate or broaden their marketing and sales efforts targeted to European markets,” said Ken Palma, Vice President, Database Marketing, Direct Group. “We are equally excited about PAR marketing our unique U.S. business data to European companies. Together with PAR, we now can provide best-in-class data for both U.S. and European markets.”
Löfgren added, “With U.S. companies increasingly looking to develop global business, and European countries eager to develop contacts in the United States, this is a perfect match. We’re delighted to have reached this agreement with Direct Group.”
PAR AB, based in Sweden, has been in business for more than 50 years. Part of the giant Bisnode group, it is now recognized as one of Europe’s leading specialists in database management, analytics and data quality services. Recognizing the need for a one-stop-shop for European data that addressed the different data regulations across 14 countries, PAR launched EuroContactPool in 2004. Since its launch it has become the world’s fastest growing and most comprehensive pan-European business-to-business database. Visit www.eurocontactpool.com.
About Direct Group
Direct Group is a fully integrated direct marketing solutions provider that partners with clients to help them target the right audiences, execute complex marketing campaigns, measure audience response to those messages, and refine programs for continuous marketing improvement. The company’s capabilities include complete database marketing solutions including list processing, Web hosting, electronic messaging, geoanalytics, other data analysis, sophisticated, high-speed, fully variable printing technology, envelope manufacturing, personalization, lettershop services and state-of-the-art fulfillment capabilities.
Direct Group also offers cost-saving solutions through its PostalOptimizer® and Campaign Optimizer® solutions. The company serves a wide variety of industry segments and enjoys many long-term partnerships with world-class customers throughout the United States. Direct Group’s Swedesboro, N.J., location is the most advanced and comprehensive full-service direct marketing campus in North America, and its Piscataway, N.J., location offers data services, modeling, analytics and online marketing.
The company’s fulfillment, direct mail, and digital print services areas are ISO 9001:2008 certified, the world’s most established quality standard. Direct Group also has a Compliance Communications Unit designed to help clients efficiently handle data-breach-incident response and other identity- or privacy-related compliance communications. The company holds a Forest Stewardship Council Chain-of-Custody certification conferred by the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the company’s commitment to using renewable, environmentally friendly sources of direct mail paper and printing materials.
As part of Direct Group’s ongoing focus on total quality management, several of the company’s key executives are certified as Black and Green Belts in Six Sigma process control. For more information about the company, visit www.directgroup.net.