Freeform Data Are Not Exactly Free

The Professional Title categories may be considered as optional by some marketers (especially when it is about B-to-C marketing). But I found an important variable, such as Offer Type, is in freeform in many databases. That is a shame, as it is a result of lack of planning or sheer laziness. If a field called "Offer" is recorded like "15% discount offer for 2014 Labor Day weekend blowout sale for total purchase amount over $250," it is hardly a data variable. Try to find out which customer would prefer flat dollar discount vs. free shipping with it. Unfortunately, such freeform data are not uncommon and, at times, I saw literally thousands of offer types in one database. The first thing that I do in a situation like that is ask about the company's HR policy regarding hiring interns. Someone has to comb through that mess and make sensible variables out of it. And I'd rather train the interns, rather than waiting for the marketing department to come up with a plan to fix its practice spontaneously. That would be like waiting for clinically diagnosed hoarders to cure themselves on their own.

But I would still ask the marketers about their long-term and immediate marketing goals and their channel preferences, and collaborate with them to come up with a uniform Offer Code. As there are only so many ways to lure customers into stores and websites, thousands of offer types can be categorized into the following groups:

• Flat Dollar Discount
• % Discount
• Buy 1, Get 1 Free
• Free Shipping
• No Payment Until …
• Interest-Free Loan
• 3 Easy Payments of …
• Free Gifts
• Etc.

Indeed, the word "Free" is used freely here, and I heard that it is one of the most powerful words on the Internet. Too bad that there is no free lunch, and that "no-payment-until" date will come around soon enough.