Focused on developing, managing and delivering targeted data and subscriber info to marketers, information services company Penton has launched its new SmartReach division, featuring a rich database of 16 million B2B records representing 7.8 million unique businesses.
Prior to the SmartReach launch, Penton had outsourced the marketing and management of its data and subscriber information. Penton has brought the marketing and management of its data assets in-house in order to provide targeted, integrated marketing services and intelligence to its customers.
“We know [our clients’] business, we’re in their business, so we wanted to bring the management of our database in-house where we can provide more of a consultative approach with anyone that wants to use our database,” says Penton vice president, customer data solutions Joann Kropp, who leads the new division.
Combining integrated campaigns with behavioral and demographic data allows Penton and its clients 
to use that information as a springboard to the programmatic marketing elements such as email.
The SmartReach data files are particularly deep in five key sectors: Transportation, agriculture, natural products/foods, infrastructure, design and manufacturing. Clients in the agriculture sector, for example, would benefit in several ways by teaming with SmartReach.
“We are positioned number one in the agriculture marketplace for quantity and quality of audience data. We have self-reported demographics, we know behavioral information and what types of offers they’re opening based on behavioral patterns,” Kropp says. With this intelligence, Penton can design an integrated, multichannel marketing campaign tailored to the targeted audience.
The level of detail in the data and being able to drill down and provide clients with higher-quality leads is what makes SmartReach unique, according to Penton operations manager Toni Cumberbatch.
“In the agricultural market, there’s data that’s so very specific to that market, like the amount of acreage and crops people are focused on. The level of specificity and the level of depth is great,” Cumberbatch says.
Launching SmartReach was a two-step process. First, the team moved all Penton third-party emails to the new group, which are being sold by internal sales reps.
Kropp has added 11 new staff members, including seasoned data pros Karl Renelt, director of online media, and Rosalie Garcia, strategic list sales manager, in order to provide the more sophisticated data analysis and targeted applications needed for the more sophisticated marketing services being offered within the vertical markets, as well as cross markets.
“We’re able to talk about campaign results and demographics of who opened and clicked, so we can make decisions for future campaigns or a three-touch campaign by understanding if we got to the right person and if they’re responding. It’s all a part of nurturing that lead,” Kropp says.
By looking at the demographics and understanding who responded and who didn’t, marketers are able to refine their campaigns and to understand what features and benefits resonate with the targeted marketplace. If a specific target or segment is more responsive and is converting, marketers can reposition campaigns to target those who are responsive and cut away the excess of those that are not responsive.
And by carefully honing target audiences, marketers and those on the list benefit in the end.
“We want to make sure we’re respectful of the 16 million individuals on the database, as well, because we want to send them offers that are compatible to what it is they do, share products and services that might help them. We always want to reach the right person at the right time with the right offer,” Kropp says.
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