DM problems for Bob’s kids

The children of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates – that’s Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches and Pixie – had better take care. They could find themselves swamped by direct mail shots. Precision marketers Equifax Europe have developed a database of first names to “determine the likely purchasing behaviour of individuals for direct marketing purposes”.

The company has even drawn up a list of the most common English names. And a right boring bunch they turn out to be with John and David tops for the gents and Margaret and Mary tops for the ladies.

Equifax managing director Arthur Vallance says we are now seeing the influence of the seventies in a range of more unusual names such as Britannia and Zebedee. These names, he says, “provide a powerful indicator of age range”.

So Fifi Trixiebell, Peaches and Pixie, you could be bombarded with mail. But knowing the direct mail industry’s difficulties in getting every last detail right, lets hope the letters are delivered to the right address, now that your parents have such unusual living arrangements.