The Database

What makes the Workbook Database different?

The Workbook Database, in print and online, has set the industry standard for accuracy for more than 30 years. And we understand that the more things change in our industry, the more important accurate information has become. We remain the go-to resource for the print advertising community when you need the most thorough, aggressively edited database of artists, buyers, and resources in North America.

Simply put, our listings are more accurate than listings provided by any other company because they have to be. No other data provider has to depend on the accuracy of their list in the way we do. We are not a list company. We are publishers of the Workbook. And every year tens of thousands of Workbooks are shipped out using the same data we publish in the Workbook Database. The accuracy of our data has kept us industry leaders for over 30 years. Your business can depend on it too.

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How often are your lists updated?

Our lists are updated at least six times a year via direct phone calls, emails, and print mailings.

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How do you verify your data?

Our staff of researchers and editors make direct phone calls all year round to every buyer, artist, representative, and business listed in the Workbook Database. In addition, we use both personal emails, auto-generated emails, and direct mail to continue to stay in touch with the people we list throughout the year.

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Do I have to buy a subscription to use the Database?

No. Anyone can search for and see complete contact information for artists, representatives, suppliers, and resources for the creative advertising community at no cost. Basic company information for all the ad agencies, design studios, publishers, and corporations we list can also be accessed free of charge.

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Why should I buy a subscription?

Subscribe to get access to detailed contact information for buyers working at ad agencies, design studios, publishers, and corporations. In addition, only subscribers can purchase and download data to put to work for their own business. If you're looking to use the Workbook Database to grow your business, subscribe.

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How long does a subscription run?

All our subscriptions are for one year's access.

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Can several people buy a single subscription and split the cost?

Subscriptions can be purchased by individuals or by artist representatives, but all subscriptions are non-transferable and can only be used by the single individual that purchased the subscription.

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Searching

Why can’t I see buyer’s names?

Only subscribers can see the names of buyers at ad agencies, design studios, publishing companies, and corporations. Non-subscribers can only see general company information for these listings.

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Can I search for agencies by the clients they represent?

Yes. When searching for a corporation by name, the names of their related agencies will come back as part of the search results. Agencies searched for by name will include the companies they represent. Agencies can also be searched for by the type of companies on their client roster (i.e. healthcare, financial, retail, etc...)

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Can I search for a buyer if I don’t know what agency they work at?

Yes. Just type the name of the buyer into the Name or Company box on the search form. If you have a subscription you will see the complete roster of creatives working at the company. If you are a non-subscriber you will only see the general contact information for the agency.

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Can I search for artists by their specialties?

Yes. When searching for artists you can select from a menu of artist specialties to help you narrow your search.

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Can I search for magazines by their type?

Yes. When searching for magazines you can select from a menu of magazine interest groups to help you narrow your search.

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Do you have listings for buyers in Europe or Asia?

No. We only have US and Canadian listings in the Workbook Database.

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Mailing Lists

Do I have to subscribe to buy a mailing list?

Yes. Only subscribers can turn search results into lists that can be paid for and downloaded.

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Do I have to pay to download data?

Yes. The only way to turn your search results into a downloadable file is to purchase the list.

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What is the cost?

Subscribers pay 30¢ per name. Workbook Portfolio advertisers receive a 25% discount; advertisers in our printed annuals receive a 50% discount.

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Do you offer a payment plan?

Standard subscriptions must be paid in one payment of $75.

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Do you charge less for bigger lists?

No. Lists purchased on a per-name basis are charged at the same rate regardless of the list's size.

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Can I import your data into my database?

Yes. All data purchased for downloading is provided as an Excel spreadsheet and as a tab delimited text file. All databases for all PC and Mac computers can import one or both of these formats. All files are also formatted to print on Avery 5160 mailing labels and saved in .pdf format so you can print labels immediately without doing any data merges.

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Can I use the list more than once?

Yes. All lists are sold for one year's unlimited use.

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Can I get an update for a list I already purchased?

Yes. The Workbook offers unlimited free updates for one year from the date you originally purchased your list. Use the Refresh Your Lists link in Your Lists to apply our updates to your list.

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How do I use your data to print mailing labels?

When you have purchased data, each list will be made available for download in multiple formats. There will be two data formats (Excel spreadsheet and tab .txt files) and one .pdf formatted to print on Avery 5160 mailing labels. Avery 5160 labels are the industry standard 1” x 2 5/8” business address label. If you need to print mailing labels right away just grab the .pdf files and start printing labels immediately. If you need to have addresses printed on a different label, you can use either of the data files we offer and Microsoft Word or FileMaker (or any number of other programs) to create label files in a variety of other templates.

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Do you guarantee the accuracy of your lists?

The Workbook guarantees the accuracy of our list. For any mail returned to us marked by the Post Office "Not Deliverable as Addressed" within 60 days of the original list purchase or receipt of a data update, we will credit the cost of postage plus the cost of the contact information. This guarantee only applies to print mailings. Due to the complexities of email marketing, this guarantee cannot be extended to email marketing delivery failures.

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Do you list email addresses in the Workbook Database?

We attempt to obtain email addresses for every individual we list. Currently we list email addresses for around 75% of the artists, representatives, and companies we list, and for around 55% of the buyers we list. The Workbook receives permission to publish every email address found in the Workbook Database.

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Can I use the email addresses on your site to send out my own email blast?

Yes. Everyone who lists an email address with us has given us permission to publish their contact information. However the permission to publish an email address does not exempt any sender from obeying the law. Anyone wishing to use our data for email marketing must abide by the Federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. The general provisions of the act are as follows:

1. It bans false or misleading header information.
2. It prohibits deceptive subject lines.
3. It requires that your email give recipients an opt-out method.
4. It requires that commercial email be identified as an advertisement and include the sender's valid physical postal address.

Please find more details about legal use of email marketing here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

The Workbook strongly suggests that no one base their marketing campaign solely on sending emails. We recommend using email blasts wisely, as part of a larger marketing plan. Consider working with a professional marketing firm to find ways to integrate email blasts with your marketing campaign.

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Do you offer an email service?

No. We are currently recommending that our clients partner with a marketing company or eblast provider for professional email marketing assistance. For those interested in managing their own email blasts we can suggest third party software that can provide results and tracking data.

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Why don’t you offer an email service?

Email marketing is very complex. If we were to offer a service that allowed our clients to put together emails and send out tens of thousands of unsolicited emails to the artists and buyers we list we would be doing our business, our clients, and the advertising community itself a great disservice. The true potential of email marketing lies in the use and understanding of the data generated from your email blast to narrow down a large list of potential clients into a small list of hot leads. After an email is sent out, a report can be generated by a marketing firm or by email marketing software that can let you know who received your email, who opened it, and who clicked through to your website. These hot leads can then be isolated from the larger group and could be followed up with a phone call or sent additional materials in the mail. Email works best as part of a multi-faceted marketing campaign. We are not yet able to provide complete marketing services for our clients. Providing the tools without the expertise required to use them would do everyone a disservice.

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