<p>I am sure these solicitation campaigns are often run by professional marketers with expertise in direct mail. They seem to have complicated and often myterious means of targetting “customers”. I guess if they have a big budget they may just carpet bomb. Other’s may target more carefully.</p>
<p>It reminds me of charitable groups. I am a member of a religion, and generally make my contributions through my church, or to a couple of groups that promised not to sell our information. </p>
<p>One time my wife sent $10 to an affiliated group. Not $10,000, ten dollars. Almost immediately we were beseiged with daily solicitations from similar groups, often including little gifts. Since then, we’ve given money by mail on a few occasions. I’d say over the past three years we’ve given maybe $100 tops by mail to various groups that have solicited us through direct mail. But my wife now has religious medallions for almost every day of the year, and I could wallpaper the house with little return address stickers.</p>