Why the holiday lull is the right time for data work
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Many campaigns pause or slow over Christmas. That gives you breathing room. No pressure from active marketing means you can tackle data tasks you normally avoid.
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Fewer live campaigns = less risk of disruption. Working on your database mid-campaign can backfire. Now you can make big changes without messing up active flows.
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Starting the new year with a fresh, clean, enriched database means you won’t carry unfinished admin or data-quality problems into your busiest period.
What data tasks should you use the time for?
When things quiet down you can take on manual, labour-intensive data work. Some examples:
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Clean up duplicate or outdated contacts, remove bounced or dead email addresses.
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Standardise data formats: company names, job titles, contact fields, address formatting, etc.
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Update missing or incomplete records (e.g. missing phone numbers, company info, correct titles).
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Audit consent and opt-out data to ensure compliance and that you won’t accidentally contact people who opted out.
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Merge overlapping data from multiple sources or systems (e.g. event-sign-up lists, CRM, email marketing platform).
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Rebuild segments or personas based on latest information. Use the clean data to re-segment based on firmographic, behavioural, or event-attendance data.
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Back-up data properly and document your data governance rules (naming conventions, required fields, data entry standards).
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Clean, accurate data improves targeting. When your database reflects reality, your segmentation and outreach will hit the right people.
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It saves time and avoids wasted effort once marketing ramps up again. You and your team won’t waste hours chasing wrong details or cleaning up mistakes mid-campaign.
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It supports compliance. Accurate consent records and up-to-date contact info help you avoid legal or reputational risk.
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It strengthens alignment between sales, marketing, and event operations. Everyone works from a single, trusted data source.
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It increases campaign ROI. With better data, you’re more likely to reach interested prospects rather than dead leads — so your marketing investment works harder.
How to structure your “quiet-period” data clean-up plan
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Audit your existing database — check for duplicates, outdated contacts, missing info. |
| 2 | Define data standards for entries (naming, formatting, required fields, consent flags) so future data stays clean. |
| 3 | Use a mix of automated tools and manual review: automation for bulk cleaning, manual check for high-value records. |
| 4 | Merge and de-duplicate records across systems (CRM, event registration, marketing email lists). |
| 5 | Re-segment your audience based on up-to-date data; rebuild personas for your next event marketing push. |
| 6 | Document your changes, build a data-governance policy and assign data-ownership in the team. |
| 7 | Backup the cleaned data and prepare for January hard-launch campaigns. |
Positioning this as a smart business move to stakeholders
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Show that clean data leads to more efficient marketing spend and higher conversion rates, not just admin hygiene.
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Emphasise compliance and data governance — fewer risks, better controls.
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Stress long-term value: avoiding waste and inefficiency that costs time and money once campaigns restart.
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Frame the clean-up as pre-work for stronger, sharper Q1 campaigns.
A call to action to event marketers and owners
If you’ve been putting off those nagging data tasks because “no time during events season”, now is the moment to act. Use the holiday calm to reset your data. Come January you’ll be ready to hit the ground running with clean, dependable, enriched data powering your outreach, segmentation, and event campaigns. No time to get these done yourself? We’re running our Christmas data workshop to help get their data boosted for the new year campaigns, without having to lift a finger! Get in touch to find out more!
