Free Government Marketing Data

Although marketing information companies provide vital demographics for corporate marketing needs, a good deal of this information is made available from agencies of the federal government, which collects such data. By calling the appropriate department in several government agencies, a person can speak directly to an expert who knows and collects this information. Often these experts can direct the caller through the labyrinth of government offices to locate an appropriate source for the precise information being sought.

Updating Mailing Lists

Mailing lists should be continually updated to ensure accuracy. Inaccurate address labels result in incomplete delivery, lost business, and increased mailing expenses. Companies are faced with the dual task of weeding out bad addresses and updating zip codes to include the additional four digits now used by the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS now offers a one-time Diskette Coding Service which corrects most faulty street and city names and adds the four-digit extension to the existing zip codes. By submitting a computer disk containing the mailing list, the interested user can obtain a one-time clean-up/update. Call the National Customer Support Center of the USPS at (800) 238-3150 for information and computer disk requirements for this service.

Government Hotlines

The following phone numbers are government hotlines that provide the latest economic statistics on topics ranging from selected interest rates to advance reports of retail trade.

 

Topic Department Phone
News highlights Federal Reserve Board (202) 452-3206
News highlights Department of Commerce (202) 393-1847
Consumer Price Index Bureau of Labor Statistics (202) 606-7828
Employment Cost Index Bureau of Labor Statistics (202) 606-7828
Foreign trade Bureau of the Census (301) 457-3041
GNP Bureau of Economic Analysis (202) 606-5306
Inventories Bureau of the Census (900) 555-2329
Leading Economic Indicators Bureau of Economic Analysis (202) 606-5361
Mortgage rates Federal National Mortgage Assn. (800) 752-7020
Producer Price Index Bureau of Labor Statistics (202) 606-7828
Retail trade Bureau of the Census (900) 555-2329
Treasury Bills, Notes, bonds, and securities Department of the Treasury (202) 874-4000

 

For additional information, contact:

Economic and Demographic Statistics
Bureau of the Census
U.S. Department of Commerce
Data User Service Division
Customer Service
Washington, DC 20233
(301) 763-4100
Food and Agriculture Statistics National Agriculture Statistics Service Estimates Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC 20250 (202) 720-3896
National, Regional, and International Economics Bureau of Economic Analysis U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20230 (202) 606-9900
Employment Prices, Living Conditions Productivity, and Occupational Health and Safety Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor Washington, DC 20212 (202) 606-7828
Import and Export Statistics World Trade Reference Room U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20230 (202) 482-2185