Stirring up bubble, toil and trouble

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Linda McHugh’s letter (MW Letters October 18) gave me quite a chuckle: surely it’s Halloween not April 1. Clearly I have upset her at some time judging by the emotive style of her piece. So I do hope I won’t upset Ms McHugh further by stirring a few much-needed facts into her “bubbling cauldron”. No doubt she will appreciate the help, since she’s only had 18 months in the door-to-door industry.

Some easy bits for you first, Linda. While you were having a spell elsewhere, CD was making both of the two truly significant innovations in door-to-door. Way back in 1987 CD was the first company to introduce postcode selectivity nationally in door-to-door. Then earlier this year, CD Microtargeting introduced sub-sector accessibility. This is available through adult distributors on a Solus or Shareplan basis.

It is true that MRM offers round-level targeting like CD but this is only available through the free newspaper network and is estimated to be available to only 50 per cent of UK households.

CD’s role as an independent, means we can provide the best advice because we are not tied to any other company’s products. This proves its value when the client wants something more refined. CD was working with consumer panels well before Tnagb’s acquisition of MRM. And don’t forget CD’s valuable strategic partnership with AC Nielsen. But Linda needs even more broomsticks in her cupboard if she’s to compete with CD’s impartiality. What about CD’s use of TGI, Mosaic, Financial Mosaic, Retail Grocery Targeting and Bespoke Modelled Solutions?

The brief and objectives should determine the targeting solution, and at CD we have an armoury of options to meet a variety of client needs.

But maybe the clients’ vote is the decider – resulting in CD’s 24m turnover (last published accounts) against MRM’s 3.5m (last published figures for seven months trading). Trick or treat?

Nick Wells

Managing director

Circular Distributors

Maidenhead

Berkshire