Separate the current contact from the event history
The contact sheet answers who the person is now: name, contact kind, current outlet or platform, role, primary address, topics, markets, languages, provenance, and current contact rules. The history sheet answers what changed: a reply, correction, outlet move, preference, exclusion, send, or evidenced coverage item.
Use a stable contact ID in both sheets. Never overwrite the event that explains a current field. If J-014 moves outlet, update the current outlet after verification and add a dated event that records the previous and new context. Future targeting sees the current fact; the history explains why it changed.
| Layer | One row represents | Fields to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Contact master | One person or clearly labeled generic editorial contact | Contact ID, current role, outlet, usable address, topics, markets, languages, source, reviewed on |
| Interaction history | One material event | Event date, contact ID, campaign, channel, fact or decision, source, next action |
| Campaign reference | One selection decision | Campaign, contact ID, fit, status, exclusion check, last action |
| Evidence reference | One send or coverage link | Record ID, contact ID, campaign, observed date, evidence location |
Record only events that change a future decision
Log a correction to a name or role, an outlet move, a new beat, a language or market change, a clear contact preference, a no-go instruction, a material campaign reply, a product-send decision, or an observed publication. Skip decorative detail and private speculation. "Replied quickly" is rarely actionable; "asks for price and availability in the first email" can change the next pitch.
Separate fact, operator interpretation, and next action. For example: fact, "said product gifting is not relevant"; interpretation, "press updates may still fit"; next action, "exclude from sends and review for editorial news only." The distinction stops a narrow preference from becoming an accidental do-not-contact rule.
- Date the event and link it to a stable contact ID.
- Name the source: reply, public correction, operator call note, send record, or coverage evidence.
- Quote sparingly; summarize the operational meaning in neutral language.
- Mark an uncertainty as unverified rather than filling the gap from memory.
- Set the current rule and the next review date separately.
Use a five-step update after each material interaction
First, attach the event to the right contact and campaign. Second, preserve the source or a concise reference to it. Third, decide whether a current field must change. Fourth, add any new restriction or next action. Fifth, review related open tasks so the same correction does not remain wrong elsewhere.
The sequence is especially useful after an outlet move. Do not replace the old outlet everywhere or create a duplicate person for the new outlet. Update the current relationship, keep the dated move in history, and leave past campaign and coverage records attached to their original context.
| Step | Question | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | Which contact and campaign does this concern? | Stable IDs |
| Evidence | Where did the information come from? | Source and date |
| Update | Which current fact has changed? | Revised master field |
| Protect | Does this create a preference or exclusion? | Explicit contact rule |
| Continue | What is now the next valid action? | Owner and review date |
Read the fictional J-014 history without losing context
The fictional J-014 history contains five events: imported from a prior campaign on 2 April, a beat correction on 16 May, an outlet move on 21 August, a manual Solstice pitch on 10 September, and a reply on 12 September saying product gifting is not relevant but concise press updates remain welcome. The current master points to Northline Journal and carries the press-only rule.
The reconciliation is one current contact + five dated events + one active contact rule. There is no second J-014 for the new outlet, and the old campaigns still retain their original media context. The latest reply does not become a global refusal because its scope is recorded. All dates and names belong to the fictional example.
| Date | Observed event | Current-field effect | Next decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Apr 2026 | Imported from prior campaign | Source and initial role set | Verify before new targeting |
| 16 May 2026 | Beat correction received | Topics updated | Use corrected beat |
| 21 Aug 2026 | Outlet move verified | Current outlet updated | Preserve former outlet in history |
| 10 Sep 2026 | Solstice pitch sent manually | No identity change | Await reply |
| 12 Sep 2026 | Press updates welcomed; gifting declined | Press-only rule added | Exclude future product sends |
Keep the history accurate, limited, and reviewable
Record the source and review date because contact facts change. The UK's ICO accuracy guidance highlights reasonable accuracy checks, source records, and processes for keeping data current when the purpose requires it. The CNIL defines data minimisation as keeping personal data adequate, relevant, and limited to what the purpose requires. These are regulator sources for their jurisdictions, not a complete compliance assessment for your database.
Translate those principles into editorial hygiene: retain the operational fact, remove gossip and unsupported inference, restrict access, and define your own review and retention rules with qualified advice where needed. A long history is not automatically a better history. Its value comes from explaining a present decision with enough source context to challenge or correct it.
Run a monthly handover review
Once a month, review contacts with open next actions, unverified changes, old roles, missing provenance, exclusions without scope, and campaign activity that has not reached the relationship history. Sample a few records and ask whether another operator could choose the next action without opening every past campaign tab.
cutePR connects an operator's own contacts with outlets, campaigns, product sends, coverage, and notes in a private per-user workspace. Email stays in the operator's existing tool and records remain manually maintained. If duplicate versions already exist, review them before migration or merging so the history and source survive the cleanup.