When it comes to customer data, accuracy isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s the difference between reaching your audience and wasting money. Out-of-date or inaccurate contact data drives up costs, damages customer relationships, and makes your organisation look sloppy. Let’s put it into perspective: last month alone, Royal Mail made 57,442 changes to the [...] The post Why Keeping Contact Data Up to Date Is Business-Critical appeared first on The Software Bureau.| The Software Bureau
Well, this is disturbing and could have ripple effects through public health research that is sure to erode confidence in federal data. A new study in the medical journal The Lancet entitled “Data manipulation within the US Federal Government” reports that more than 100 United States government health datasets have been altered this spring without … Continue reading → The post Lancet investigation shows data manipulation in major U.S. health datasets first appeared on Free Government ...| Free Government Information (FGI)
At The Software Bureau, we welcome the Market Research Society’s Campaign for Better Data. While it may sit adjacent to our core area of data processing, we believe the campaign’s central theme — building trust and credibility in data — is critical across every part of the marketing and insight ecosystem. With the UK Government positioning the nation as a leader in AI, the spotlight is rightly falling on the quality of the data feeding these tools. As recent studies have shown, there...| The Software Bureau
New stats out this week show that last year EU regulators imposed over €1.2 billion in fines for data protection violations, including a €310 million penalty against LinkedIn for unlawful data processing practices. While the ICO has taken a more restrained approach, issuing fewer fines in 2024, the message is clear: data governance lapses can lead to significant financial and reputational damage. In this regulatory climate, many marketers are rightly embracing automation to streamline ...| The Software Bureau
Once a Silicon Valley darling, DNA testing company 23andMe has now gone into administration—leaving behind not just a troubled balance sheet, but a trove of highly sensitive personal data. Millions of customers entrusted the firm with their genetic information, family histories, and health predispositions. Now, the burning question: what happens to that data? The debate has ignited fears over data ownership, consent, and corporate accountability. In the UK, administrators are bound by GDPR,...| The Software Bureau
According to a study by Adlook marketers and agencies are wasting budgets and raising privacy concerns by relying on outdated demographic targeting. The research reveals major flaws in traditional segmentation methods based on age, gender, income, and lifestyle, highlighting the need for more accurate, privacy-conscious solutions. The Flaws in Demographic Targeting Adlook surveyed 1,325 online consumers to determine if they identified with the socio-demographic segments assigned to them throu...| The Software Bureau
Direct mail continues to be one of the most effective marketing channels, with the latest JICMail data revealing that 77% of mail was read or looked at in Q4 2024—an all-time high since tracking began. At a time when digital channels are becoming more saturated and ad fraud is on the rise, mail has proven its ability to cut through the noise and drive meaningful consumer action. Unmatched Engagement and Response Rates JICMail’s data highlights the growing impact of mail across various ind...| The Software Bureau
When we talk about data hygiene, many think of marketing—clean contact lists, accurate segmentation, and reduced direct mail returns or email bounce rates. But poor data hygiene isn’t just a marketing headache. An article by Cybersecurity expert, Josh Nadeau, published this week, reminds us that it’s actually a company-wide risk that impacts security, compliance, and decision-making. Understanding Data Hygiene Data hygiene, or data cleanliness, is about ensuring that all organisational ...| The Software Bureau
The UK government has unveiled an ambitious plan to harness artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for national renewal, aiming to revolutionise public services and boost economic growth. However, a critical component of the success of this initiative will be the emphasis placed on data quality and hygiene, which serve as the foundation for effective AI implementation. The Importance of Data Quality and Hygiene in AI High-quality, well-maintained data is essential for training AI models t...| The Software Bureau
Happy New Year! As we step into a shiny new January, it’s the perfect time for reflection and setting intentions not just personally, but professionally too. For marketers, the start of the year presents a prime opportunity to realign strategies and embrace new approaches that drive success. The annual CMO Barometer 2025, a collaboration between Serviceplan Group and the University of St Gallen (HSG), reveals that this year CMOs will need to harness three essential superpowers to thrive—o...| The Software Bureau
In this era of data democratization, organizations are aggressively pursuing data self-service initiatives to empower users across departments with seamless access to data. However, many are not fa…| Data Management Blog - Data Integration and Modern Data Management Articles, ...