ALC publishes annual Market Updates featuring list recommendations by market sector based on successful continuations. These reports inform brokers and mailers about the ALC-managed lists that are successfully working for specific niche and broad markets. Many of the files featured represent excellent sources for mailers to acquire new customers outside of their primary market. ALC Market Updates will remain in our website until they are again updated with new information. Therefore you will always have quick access to them and the ability to download and email them to your clients and associates. Please check back periodically to review recent updates.
HOME, GARDEN & DO-IT-YOURSELF CONSUMERS MARKET UPDATE – November, 2011 An increasing number of Americans are joining the exploding population of do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) and tackling major projects themselves rather than paying others to do them. Research points toward increased spending in home and garden products in 2012. The mail order buyers on these ALC lists are buying everything from high-end cookware to home furnishings to gardening supplies.
RELIGIOUS DONOR AND CONSUMERS MARKET UPDATE – October, 2011 People who give to religious groups are three times more likely to give to another non-profit than those who do not support religious charities. Christian donors constitute the majority of religious donors and their buying power is just as impressive. Nationally, over 231 million Americans describe themselves as Christians, who as an affinity group spend over $1.5 trillion annually. ALC helps marketers tap into the this market with highly responsive Jewish and Christian religious donors, subscribers and mail order buyers in many direct marketing categories.
BUSINESS – September, 2011 CIO’s report that corporate budgets for information technology are back to new heights. CMO’s are increasing their social media spend. In fact, overall sales to businesses have risen to pre-recession levels. From response lists to targeted, multi-sourced business databases, ALC lists are driving sales for products and services across the business spectrum.
ENVIRONMENTAL, OUTDOOR & ANIMAL WELFARE – August, 2011 Acquiring donations from educated, high-income individuals is the cornerstone for most environmental, outdoor, and animal welfare fundraisers. These proven donors are pre-disposed to giving to environmental protection causes. Those who care about the environment also want to protect all of earth’s creatures and outdoor spaces. They are educated homeowners with above average incomes and sophisticated interests. A quick look at the list names immediately identifies them as a core group of fundraisers and direct marketers that attract well-to-do, earth-friendly audiences.
HISPANIC AMERICAN CONSUMERS – August, 2011 Overall, Hispanic households are 3.5 times more likely to respond to a direct mail solicitation than a non-Hispanic household. The Hispanic audience is complex which is why advertising dollars are best spent wooing those already in-market. From high net worth Spanish-speaking consumers to Hispanic donors, subscribers, and product buyers, ALC delivers responsive Latino American customers in the millions.
COOKING AND EPICUREAN – July, 2011 It’s the era of the “foodie,” where cooks of all skill levels and tastes are paying attention to food. They’re a powerful audience that have many marketers hungry for their business. Yet competing for their attention in the overcrowded market space can be costly and unfulfilling. The foodies on ALC-managed lists have a big appetite for all food-related offers and represent a smart way to break through the clutter and to speak to them direct.
SPORTS AND RECREATION – July, 2011 In Sports & Recreation Marketing, it is critical to identify those already known to be fitness and outdoor activity enthusiasts. From hunting to boating to many areas of sports participation, these mail order responders all share an unbridled passion for their recreational interests. They quickly support the direct marketers in their type of interest niches and form brand loyalties to those that encourage their enthusiasm for the sport.
HEALTH FUNDRAISING – June, 2011 Health-related charitable foundations must rely on the generosity of individual donors who represent the majority of their funding. The key to tapping into these donors is reaching those already engaged in supporting health causes. If you’re seeking high-dollar gifts in support of research and treatment for specific diseases and for non-profit healthcare organizations, then target the established donors on these ALC managed lists.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL – June, 2011 The 2011 Cygnus Donor Survey shows that 79% of donors surveyed plan to give the same or more to charitable causes in 2011. The key to tapping into this increased generosity is reaching those actively giving within each non-profit sector. You will find those who respond to mail and who support social and cultural causes in large numbers within this Market Update.
CHILDREN AND TEENS – May, 2011 Today’s kids hold the key to unlock the door of household spending by making their own purchases and influencing their parents' buying decisions from household technology to family vacations. According to many researchers, children influence as much as 70% of all American household spending. ALC presents numerous targeted direct response lists that give mailers the opportunity to narrowcast to parents and their influential children.
SENIORS AGE 65+ – April, 2011 The demands of the growing “silver market” are igniting a new wave of products and services designed to help seniors remain active. Their swelling numbers are forming a powerful "age wave," creating a sea-change in demand for age-sensitive, age-friendly, age-accessible consumer products and environments. Traditional segmentation based on demographics or lifestyle has proven less effective than reaching seniors direct with a recent track record of purchases.
APPAREL – March, 2011 For the last six months, growth in consumer spending on apparel and footwear outpaced total consumer spending growth. More than $13 billion in catalog and internet sales of apparel were recorded in 2010 and by most accounts that figure is set to rise in 2011. The many continuations that direct marketers are placing on ALC lists and segments of apparel mail order buyers are evidence of the rise in demand.
TRAVEL – March, 2011 Travel expenditure is expected to rise over $54 Billion in 2011. Vacationers are favoring cruises and escorted tours. There is also a trend toward girlfriend group travel both internationally and for domestic spa vacations. And the growth in family travel continues as resorts are courting families as well as adults. The key to reaching those driving these trends is targeting lists with proven interest and response in travel.
FINANCIAL – February, 2011 U.S. blue-chip stocks reached a 2½ year high in January 2011. The National Association for Business Economics said the hiring outlook for the next six months is at a 12-year high. And the dollar is rising over optimism for the U.S. economy. This good news bodes well for direct marketers in the financial sector. ALC provides access to the investors, credit-worthy borrowers, and financial publication subscribers who are driving the market.
EMAIL – December, 2010 A recent Epsilon Survey found that 50% of consumers are more likely to buy products from companies who send them email, whether online or at a place of business. The same survey revealed that 67% of subscribers purchased products offline as a direct result of receiving an email from a retail company and 40% experienced positive impact on their likelihood to make a future purchase from a company upon receiving an email. The ALC 2010 Email Market Update features lists of business and consumer buyers who respond to email marketing.

ARTS & HUMANITARIAN FUNDRAISING – August 2010 Direct mail is very much alive and well and the core formula has not changed: 40% data; 40% offer/ask; 20% creative, timing, etc. That’s where the ALC 2010 Arts & Humanitarian Market Report is invaluable. The donors included on these ALC managed lists are dedicated to causes and quickly respond to direct mail appeals for their support. They represent many of the most generous arts and humanitarian donors in the country.