• by Ken Liebeskind , July 6, 2001

How is Internet marketing changing the list business? MediaPost asked Benjamin Perez, president of the Millard Group, who was recently named List Leader of the Year by the Direct Marketing Association and will receive the award on August 9.

Perez spearheaded the development of the Interactive division of The Millard Group, a leading list broker based in Peterborough, NH. The division manages 40 lists of online customers from online and offline companies that sell online, including 1800Flowers.com, which has 1.1 million names, and MarthaStewart.com, with nearly 200,000. The lists include the postal, not the email addresses of the names, making them similar to traditional mailing lists. Customers can use them to send mail to online shoppers, promoting their own websites or selling products through catalogs.

"In traditional postal work, we support list needs," Perez says. "We moved it online."

The lists are valuable because "the vast majority of clients have some type of online strategy. They already have a brand. This gives them the opportunity to leverage the Net," Perez says.

The Millard Group also handles online newsletter lists, such as Prevention magazine's Healthy newsletter, which has 200,000 names. A marketer selling health or pharmaceutical products can buy it.

Companies selling online can continue to advertise online, but direct mail remains a strong vehicle for promoting online business. "It brings more assets to the marketplace," Perez says. "Online media hasn't really materialized," he says.

"There's a vast opportunity to market through email. It's an inexpensive means of marketing to the masses, but that's not the case. What's more apparent is that marketing through multi channels has greater potential for success. We offer another channel and think postal is a standalone way to reach Internet customers."

The Millard Group continues to operate its general list business and Perez notes the Internet lists are a small component of the business. "We work with top brands and support traditional list needs, but the interactive element is growing. It's there to support existing clients and some pure plays."