NextAction takes guesswork out of marketing

WESTMINSTER – If you’ve ever been mystified by the fact that soon after you buy something at REI you get an e-mail from EMS, wonder no more. EMS found out you’re an outdoor enthusiast because both companies share their customer data with NextAction.

The four-year-old company is the brainchild of President Karl Friedman, a pioneer of consumer database development who, in June, was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the business services category in the Rocky Mountain region.

Friedman’s idea to analyze the consumer data collected by retailers in order to determine a particular consumer’s inclination to buy something…