While e-mail lists kept their supremacy as the highest-priced lists in the industry, consumer-focused permission-based lists continued a three-year slide. With an average April 2004 cost per thousand of $170, their price was $2 below last year’s level.
According to Worldata, which conducts the quarterly study, the price decline reflects the impact of CAN-SPAM legislation has made this sector less of a viable commodity than in previous years.
Not so with permission-based business-to-business e-mail lists, which with an average cost of $283/M not only continued to be the highest-priced category, but actually marked a $5 uptick from last year’s level. Most of the highest-priced lists were in very specialized categories, according to the study.
For the first time in two years, both business magazines and controlled circulation publications (postal) showed increases. The $5/M price jump reflected these lists’ value as direct mail is seen as a resurgent channel in light of a variety of channel restrictions.
Books and CD list prices dropped by $7, bringing them back in line with their average cost during April 2002. According to Worldata, the category had attempted a substantial cost increase during spring 2003, but that it had re-found its original level.
Donor lists, which saw their average price drop by $1, remained the lowest-priced category, with an average cost of $75/M. The stability within this category represents the “harder to find” donor dollar, according to Worldata.
The Worldata List Price Index provides a rolling 12-month comparison of list prices, and is issued quarterly by Boca Raton, FL-based Worldata.
