Guide Dogs hands data to St Ives

Guide Dogs is aiming to drive insight and exploit new revenue streams from its existing supporters by appointing two St Ives Group companies to overhaul the charity’s data strategy.
Occam, which already works for a number of third-sector organisations including Oxfam and RNIB, will lead the Guide Dogs activity and take over management of its Apteco FastStats solution.
Having won the five-year contract through a competitive pitch, Occam will advise on data enhancement and data driven insights to support a right message, right time, right channel communications strategy. Meanwhile, sister St Ives Group company Response One will provide data hygiene.
Founded in 1934, Guide Dogs provides independence and freedom to thousands of blind and partially sighted people across the UK through the provision of guide dogs, mobility and other rehabilitation services. It also campaigns passionately for the rights of those with visual impairments.
Last month it launched a major TV campaign through Rapp, to promote its regular giving product Sponsor a Puppy. Comprising two TV executions, it features real-life stories of people who are blind and partially sighted and shows how their lives have been changed by the charity and the dogs it trains.
Guide Dogs head of individual giving Maria Novell said: “Guide Dogs is excited to be commencing this new relationship with St Ives Group and look forward to seeing the positive results it can bring.
“We don’t receive any government funding to support the guide dog service. It costs £50,000 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement, so it’s vitally important that we continue to generate the income we need to fund our life-changing work. ”
Occam business development manager Grant Williams added: “St Ives Group was chosen due to scalability and experience of the sector. The change of data agency will be able to provide the charity with a different form of data insight and view of the marketplace.
“We are hugely excited as this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the Group’s capabilities for one client. I am looking forward to seeing Occam’s services help Guide Dogs realise new revenue streams through the insight our solution will provide.”