Precision Marketing claims that 63% of consumers refer to the Internet when making a purchase, yet businesses are missing out on an important source of customer insight by failing to analyse information from social networks.

A  new survey, carried out by predictive analytics software provider SPSS, showed that almost 90 per cent of businesses do not use social networks as a means of surveying customer opinion.

The liberalisation of the UK postal service has produced “no significant benefits” for small businesses, an independent report has found.

While the initial report said large companies had “seen clear benefits from liberalisation” in terms of choice, prices and the quality of the mail service, smaller firms and consumers had experienced little benefit. Large firms have been able to take advantage of increased competition in the bulk mail sector.

The independent review was commissioned by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Read more about the survey of the UK postal service here.

Eclipse Marketing is delighted to have reached number 38 in Marketing magazine’s annual ranking of the UK’s biggest direct marketing and sales promotion agencies. The list relates to agencies’ position in 2007.

 Here’s the top 42: