Events – Preferred Name Format

Events – Preferred Name Format

With all of the available name formatting options in GAIL, it can sometimes be tough to know which one is best to use for your specific communication. If you’re looking for a way to ensure both spouses will be included on your mailings, regardless of whether they both meet the selection criteria, let us introduce your new best friend: Events – Preferred Name Format.

Before all our marketing effort people stop reading: we know “events” is in the name. This name format was originally created to use with event invitations (because it’s kind of rude to invite someone to an event and not let their spouse come, right?), but it’s great for marketing efforts too.

Here’s an example:

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is sending out a fall solicitation piece to all of their alumni. They use Events – Preferred Name Format in their marketing effort. At least one member of the following married couples is an alumnus with degree from A&S, but their spouses (even if they do not meet the criteria of “A&S alumni”) will also be included on the addressee line of the output. In the case of the married A&S alumni, only one mailer will be sent to their address, even though both individuals meet the selection criteria. 

We often see teams using Events – Preferred Name Format for communications such as holiday cards and solicitations, but basically whenever you want to make sure both spouses are included on your mailing, Events – Preferred Name Format is the way to go.

Ready to test it out on your next communication? Check out how to add Events – Preferred Name Format to your marketing efforts and event invitations below.

Direct Marketing Efforts

  1. Create your marketing effort.
  2. Complete the source code.
  3. Under “Effort level address processing/name formats” set the Name Format to Events – Preferred Name Format.
  4. Add your Segments and Package.
  5. Calculate and Export the effort.
  6. Download the Export Output to an Excel file and review to confirm spouses were combined before sending and activating.

Event Invitation

  1. Create your event.
  2. Add any needed registration options.
  3. Add Invitation.
  4. Under Processing Options, set the Name format to Events – Preferred Name Format.
  5. Save your invitation, add selection(s), and process as usual.
  6. Download the Export Output to an Excel file and review to confirm spouses were combined before sending.