- A marketing database is a list of the businesses you want to sell to, with the details you need to reach and choose them.
- Our 8 examples range from 899 to 58,734 records.
- Prices run from £300 plus VAT (the minimum order) to £9,984.78 plus VAT, at £170 to £295 per 1,000 records.
- Sectors full of sole traders and partnerships, like farms, suit post and phone rather than email from a bought list.
- Any example can be narrowed by region, county, town or a radius around a postcode; ask for a free count to see the numbers.
01
What is a marketing database? An example record
A marketing database is an organised list of the businesses you want as customers. Each row is one business, with the contact details you need to reach it and the facts you need to decide whether it's worth contacting.
Here is an example of a marketing database record. It's made up, but every record we supply has the same shape: one row in a spreadsheet, with a column for each field.
| Field | Example | Lets you |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | Example Ltd | Address the letter and check it's a company ("Ltd") |
| Postal address | 1 Example Road, Anytown | Send a letter, or select by area |
| Telephone | 01632 960000 | Call, after screening against the TPS and CTPS |
| Named contact | Jane Smith, Operations Manager | Ask for the right person by name |
| Named contact email | [email protected] | Email one person about their job |
| Sector and size | Care homes, 20 to 49 employees | Choose who to include and leave out |
A whole database is just thousands of these rows, picked for one purpose. The complete guide explains what a marketing database is in more depth. The rest of this page shows what those selections look like in practice.
02
What do real marketing database examples look like?
Here are 8 examples of a marketing database built from our records: who might buy each one, the exact selection, how many records match, what it costs and how to use it. Each has one compliance point to watch.
Care home equipment
Who might buy it: A company selling care home equipment.
Selection: Every care home with a named contact email.
Records: 7,492. Price: £1,835.54 plus VAT (£245 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Email the named manager first, then call the homes that open or click.
Compliance note: A named email is personal data, so tell each person where you got their details within one month, or in your first email if sooner. Only email homes run by a company or LLP; if you can't tell, treat the home as a sole trader and write instead.
Farm supplies
Who might buy it: A business selling feed, fencing or farm machinery.
Selection: Every farm record, by post and phone.
Records: 22,362. Price: £4,360.59 plus VAT (£195 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Letter to the named farmer, then a screened phone call a week later.
Compliance note: ONS figures show most farms are sole traders or partnerships (79% to 89% of cereal, dairy and mixed farms), and PECR treats most of them like individuals. So use post (not covered by PECR) and screened calls, not email.
Teaching resources
Who might buy it: A publisher of teaching resources.
Selection: Every school with a named contact email.
Records: 18,732. Price: £4,121.04 plus VAT (£220 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Termly email to the head or business manager, with a printed catalogue to the same schools.
Compliance note: ONS figures show only about 1% of primary schools are sole traders or partnerships, so email suits this sector. Named emails still need a lawful basis, usually legitimate interests.
Practice software
Who might buy it: A company selling practice software to accountants.
Selection: Every accountant with a named contact email.
Records: 8,064. Price: £1,975.68 plus VAT (£245 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Email offering a demo, then a call to book it.
Compliance note: Firms that are companies or LLPs are corporate subscribers you can email. Ordinary partnerships and sole practitioners are not, so check the legal form first and keep a do-not-email list.
Medical supplies
Who might buy it: A medical supplies company.
Selection: Every GP surgery record, by post and phone.
Records: 58,734. Price: £9,984.78 plus VAT (£170 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Letter to the practice manager, then a call to ask for an order or a visit.
Compliance note: ONS figures show 43% of GP practices are sole traders or partnerships, and we hold only 690 named emails for them. Post and phone reach every practice.
Commercial cleaning
Who might buy it: A commercial cleaning or waste firm.
Selection: Pubs, restaurants and hotels with a phone number.
Records: 38,136. Price: £7,436.52 plus VAT (£195 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Phone first to find who buys the service, then a letter or email with a quote.
Compliance note: Numbers are screened against the TPS and CTPS before supply. Screen again before calling after 28 days, say who's calling and show your number.
Secure document storage
Who might buy it: A company offering secure document storage.
Selection: Every solicitor with a general business email.
Records: 3,606. Price: £973.62 plus VAT (£270 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Email to the shared inbox with a subject line naming who it's for, then a letter to the senior partner.
Compliance note: An info@ address with no name isn't personal data, but PECR still applies: email only firms that are companies or LLPs, say who you are and give an opt-out.
Compliance training
Who might buy it: A firm selling compliance training.
Selection: Every insurance broker with a named contact email.
Records: 899. Price: £300 plus VAT (£295 per 1,000 band).
Channel plan: Email the named contact about a course date, then call the ones who reply.
Compliance note: Small orders are charged at the minimum order value. Privacy information must reach each named person within one month, or in the first email.
The buyers are generic examples, not real customers. Record counts are records we hold, not the size of each market.
03
How do the examples compare on records and price?
The 8 examples run from 899 to 58,734 records. Larger orders get a lower rate per 1,000 records, and the smallest example costs the £300 minimum.
| Selection | Records | Rate per 1,000 | Price excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every care home with a named contact email | 7,492 | £245 | £1,835.54 |
| Every farm record, by post and phone | 22,362 | £195 | £4,360.59 |
| Every school with a named contact email | 18,732 | £220 | £4,121.04 |
| Every accountant with a named contact email | 8,064 | £245 | £1,975.68 |
| Every GP surgery record, by post and phone | 58,734 | £170 | £9,984.78 |
| Pubs, restaurants and hotels with a phone number | 38,136 | £195 | £7,436.52 |
| Every solicitor with a general business email | 3,606 | £270 | £973.62 |
| Every insurance broker with a named contact email | 899 | £295 | £300 |
The whole order is priced at one rate, set by its size. The insurance broker example shows the minimum at work: 899 records at £295 per 1,000 would be £265.20, so the price is the £300 minimum instead. The GP surgery example is big enough for the lowest band, £170 per 1,000.
Each row is a separate example. If you bought several at once, the combined size would set the rate. To price your own selection, use the price calculator, or see what a marketing database costs for the full price bands.
04
What does database marketing look like in action?
Database marketing in action usually means a short, planned sequence of contacts to the same businesses: for example a letter, then a phone call, then an email, with every reply and opt-out recorded.
Here are three database marketing examples, each using one of the selections above. They show the order of contacts, not the results, because results depend on your offer and nobody can promise them.
Farm supplies: letter, then call
- Week 1: letter. A one-page letter to the named farmer with a seasonal offer and a phone number.
- Week 2: call. A call to farms that haven't replied, after checking the numbers against your do-not-call list.
- Week 3: record. Log every outcome, mark returned letters and remove anyone who asked not to be contacted.
Teaching resources: email, then catalogue, then call
- Day 1: email. A short email to the named head or business manager, with privacy information and an unsubscribe link.
- Day 10: catalogue. A printed catalogue to the same schools, addressed to the same person.
- Day 20: call. A call to the schools that clicked or replied, to offer a sample pack.
Commercial cleaning: call, then quote
- Call. Phone each pub, restaurant or hotel to ask who looks after cleaning, and update the named contact.
- Quote. Send a written quote by post, or by email if the business is a company and agreed to it.
- Follow up. Call again a week later. Re-screen numbers against the TPS and CTPS if more than 28 days have passed.
The complete guide covers each channel in email, phone and post, and the database compliance guide covers the rules behind each step.
05
How do you turn an example into your own selection?
Start from the example nearest your own customers, then narrow it by area, size and job title. Ask for a free count to see how many records match before you pay anything.
- Area. Narrow any example by region, county, town, postcode area or a radius around a postcode. We don't publish regional counts, so ask for a count for your area.
- Size. Choose by number of employees or turnover band, or pick single-site independents or multi-site groups.
- Job title. Pick the role you want to reach, such as owner, practice manager or finance director.
- Channel. Ask for only records with a named contact email if email is your main channel, so you don't pay for rows you can't use.
Every record has a postal address and phone number, so post and phone work for any selection. For a sector-by-sector view of everything we hold, see the UK business database guide. If email is your main channel, the email marketing database guide explains named and general emails in detail.
06
Marketing database examples: FAQs
What is an example of a marketing database?
A list of every care home with a named contact email is one: 7,492 records we hold, each with the home's name, address, phone number, a named contact and their email. It costs £1,835.54 plus VAT.
What are some database marketing examples?
A farm supplier writing to farms then calling a week later; a publisher emailing schools then posting a catalogue; a cleaning firm phoning pubs and hotels then sending a quote. Each uses one selection and a planned sequence of contacts.
Are these real counts?
Yes. Every number on this page is calculated from the records we hold, updated in November 2026. They are records we hold, not the size of each market.
Can I get one of these examples for my area only?
Yes. Any example can be narrowed by region, county, town or a radius around a postcode. Ask for a free count to see how many records match your area.
Why are some examples post and phone only?
Because PECR treats sole traders and ordinary partnerships like individuals, and you can't email them from a bought list without their consent. Sectors with many of them, like farms and GP practices, are better reached by post and screened calls.
What's the smallest order I can place?
The minimum order is £300 plus VAT. The insurance broker example (899 records) is charged at that minimum.
Can I use an example database more than once?
Yes. Every order comes with a 12-month multi-use licence, so you can run as many campaigns as you like for your own business during that year.
How quickly would I get the data?
Usually within 24 hours of payment, as an Excel or CSV file. Phone numbers are screened against the TPS and CTPS before supply.