Today we meet Arlene Baum, vice president of Bush List Co., which was acquired by Atlantic List Co. in February.

Baum has been with Bush for 22 years, brokering lists in the Christian publishing and nonprofit markets. Protestant lists in particular are a growing niche.

“There is a misunderstanding within the ‘religious’ market that any type of religious person is going to read the same type of publication

Today we meet Arlene Baum, vice president of data acquisition at American List Counsel Inc. Baum has a long history of helping publishers and catalogers sell religious products and is looking to expand in the fundraising arena.

Before she joined ALC in June 2007, Baum spent many years with Bush List Co., simultaneously working in brokerage and management to target the faithful.

“I’ve done a lot of consumer lead generation and I’ve been heavy in the church market. I’m growing and looking to do more in the fundraising market,” Baum says.

Her list of clients presently includes Christian Book Distributors Inc., Christianity Today International, Group Publishing Inc., Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and JCA Co.

From piety to politics, understanding the behavioral differences between various segments of the Christian market is key for picking the right lists for clients.

List segments for Catholics, Protestants and evangelical Christians aren’t interchangeable, nor can marketers expect to achieve great success by overlaying religious data or making religious inferences. “I can’t use a Catholic list to sell a Billy Graham book,” notes Baum.

One trait remains consistent across all segments in the Christian market though: Direct mail still works best for new customer acquisition, based on her experience.

Publishers and catalogers in the Christian market are offering more products online, but few e-mail lists are available for targeting the faithful. “Only a handful of companies release e-mail lists. We haven’t broken that barrier yet,” Baum says.

Baum strives to balance list brokerage and community work. She volunteers for the Girl Scouts and PTA committees. “I’m active. My husband calls me the volunteer queen,” she says.

When the weather is fine she enjoys bicycling with her daughters, 9 and 15. Otherwise, she likes spending time at the beach near Forked River, NJ. “We live only a mile away from the ocean.”

How do the slowing economy and postage inflation impact list strategies?

During the last 12 to 18 months list exchange activity has picked up as mailers seek to reduce costs. And Baum adds that a growing acceptance of marketing partnerships in recent years is a significant development.

“This has been happening for a while, but now it has a name. With marketing partnerships both parties share data for mutual benefits