The summer postage discount offered by the USPS is back. This year they are promoting mobile commerce and personalization. The mobile barcode (aka QR code) must lead the recipient directly to either A or B as described below:
A mobile optimized and personalized web page/URL that is tailored to an individual recipient. The web address and content of the web page must be unique to each recipient. CPC Solutions does this practically everyday. If you need to create thousands of personalized mobile barcodes, we can do it.
A mobile optimized web page that allows the recipient to purchase an advertised product or service on the mobile device. The entire purchase and checkout experience must be mobile optimized.
- Registration Begins: May 1, 2012 (Mail service providers will be able to register after the June 10, 2012 PostalOne!® Release.)
- Program Period: July 1 - August 31, 2012*
- Discount Amount: 2% of eligible postage
- Eligible Mail Classes: Standard Mail letters and flats, Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats, First-Class Mail Presort and Automation letters, cards, and flats
- Download Program Requirements
- Download Mobile Commerce & Personalization FAQs
We are here to help.
In a recent Nielsen study of around 1,800 participants, researchers found that direct mail, especially when personalized, is valued by consumers. The study included a standard envelope, printed envelope, self-mailer and wrapper, while the online medium was email.
Today, recipients of advertising expect on the one hand the value of a real envelope and on the other hand the personal touch of an email. The demands placed by advertisers on the envelope have increased through the efficiency benefits which electronic communication offers: speed is of great importance.
Young recipients prefer envelopes – as long as they are personalized.
Interestingly, it is the older target segment (55–65 years) and not younger target groups (16–34 years) that value emails in a positive manner. Younger target groups are aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of electronic communication. While 63.2 percent of 16–34 year olds see emails disappear in the flood of advertisements they receive, an individually addressed printed envelope is valued very highly. Younger target groups want the best of both worlds: a real envelope and the flexibility of individualized emails.*
With today’s technology you truly can have it all. Variable data printing and personalized URLs (PURLs) offer the personalization and measurability of electronic communication with the impact of print.
*Source: PIWorld, Nielsen Study Proves the Impact and Attraction of the Printed Envelope, April 20 2012
The United States Postal Service is again offering a postage discount to mailers who use a two-dimensional barcode (QR Code), or personalization leading to a PURL, in their mail campaigns from July 1, 2012, through August 31, 2012. More specific information will follow in subsequent emails.
- Jelly beans are big this time of year, so we felt compelled to bring more awareness with these facts:
- On October 15, 1999, the world’s largest jar of jelly beans was unveiled. It weighed 6,050 pounds.
- April 22nd is National Jelly Bean Day.
- Each year, U.S. manufacturers produce more than 16 billion jelly beans for Easter -- that's enough to completely fill a plastic Easter egg 89 feet high and 60 feet wide (about the height of a nine-story office building).
- For you Ronald Reagan fans, Blueberry flavor was created for Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in 1981, when over three tons of Jelly Belly beans were consumed during the festivities.
Congratulations to Jack Padovano from Direct Response Group in Phoenix, AZ. He is the winner of the book Data-Driven Marketing by Mark Jeffery. We will do more giveaways as the year progresses!
The image in the left-hand column is what a name looks like in binary code. Used by computers and digital devices, binary code represents everything you see on your screen and more. It is essentially the building blocks of the digital world. Every letter, space, character, color or graphic is made out of zeros and ones.
Similarly, data can be viewed as the building blocks of your direct marketing program. Data can make or break your campaign and your ROI will depend on it. Did you notice that ROI has a zero and a one? Well, sort of.
Most companies have a list of clients they may market to, but how do you find more of those clients? Do you even really know who your clients are? We can help identify or “profile” your client list and then purchase a list with those attributes. It is a great way to market outside of your current database.
Call us today for your data needs. To translate the binary code to the left, visit convertbinary.com
In the last several blogs we have discussed the mechanics of mailing with the USPS. However, your direct mail efforts will amount to nothing if your lists are junk. The term junk mail does not refer to the content; it refers to the relevance of the piece to the recipient. Relevant mail is valuable and you should take care that your campaigns are reaching the right audience.
Do you know who your clients are and how to find more of them? An extremely useful tool available is a household-based consumer lifestyle segmentation report. In a nut shell, it can profile your current core customers, so you can purchase lists with similar profiles. It classifies all U.S. households and neighborhoods into 71 unique segments and 19 groups (see the link below). This system reflects the latest data presented in the 2010 census as well as a host of other reliable and relevant data sources. 
If you are in need of data and information for your next campaign, please let us know.
In the days of yore, sealing wax was used to hold a document closed and to verify that it was unopened. In modern times, the wafer tab serves that purpose, albeit more utilitarian than attractive. The link below leads to our Tab Placement Quick Guide, which explains how tabs are needed to efficiently and successfully navigate the USPS juggernaut. In many instances spot glue can be used instead, which becomes cost effective at around 10,000 pieces.
The locations of tabs are often misunderstood, leading to undesirable placements, which can cover up critical design elements. This guide graphically illustrates the proper tab requirements and it will help you maximize the impact of your next direct mail piece.
One of our trusted partners, Convertible Solutions, offers a variety of products which truly enhance the direct mail experience. Convertible Solutions specializes in pre-converted stock, meaning that the sheets come prepared with perforations, glue, laminations and scores, eliminating the need for post-press converting.
Pre-converted sheets work well when utilized with personalized direct mail and variable data printing, since it eliminates the waste and time that a typical post-converted process can take. Once the piece is printed, it’s simply trimmed, folded and it’s ready to mail. The image to the right leads to a 24 page PDF catalog of all their products. Because the bindery on the back end is minimal, these pieces are perfect for weekly or daily campaigns.
Several of our clients are already using these solutions; make it a part of your next campaign!
Use your keyboard and our online tools to measure the results of your next direct mail campaign.
Variable data printing and personalized URLs provide analytics and an easy way for recipients to respond to your direct mail piece. These methods offer a personal touch not seen in most direct mail and they engage the recipient in a way that piques their interest. A personalized direct mail piece is typically more relevant and it infers that you know something about them, which can break down barriers and build on the relationship.
To the right is a link to a recent PODi digital print case study, which illustrates the effectiveness of such methods. The same tools used in this case study are available at CPC Solutions. They will help increase your response rates and provide you the analytics to make thoughtful marketing decisions.
Measure twice, cut once. Plan ahead and incorporate the proper measurements into your design to save both time and money. Knowing a few simple design rules will help you maximize the real estate on your next mail piece.
The link to the right is a two page PDF with some helpful hints as it relates to mail piece design. To get the full set of regulations, see the post below with the link to the USPS Postal Explorer.
Please let us know how we may help you.
This past year the United States Postal Service (USPS) delivered 167.6 billion pieces of mail to mailboxes across this country. We take for granted the complex machine that enables a letter from one area to be personally delivered to another, no matter how remote. Despite the legacy issues the USPS faces, the fact that this happens day in and day out is actually pretty remarkable; all for a reasonable rate.
Digital communication is a great tool, which we all use, but when you need to deliver a letter or promotional direct marketing piece in the “real” world, the USPS can get it done. To help us get it done, we rely on our mailing professionals at CPC Solutions and a handy website managed by the USPS, the Postal Explorer. The link to the right has more than you ever wanted to understand about mailing, most of which you may not want to know!
Once on the Postal Explorer website, you will find the Quick Service Guides to be the most useful, which are located under Domestic Mail. We are here to help you navigate these regulations, so feel free to touch base. Thank you for thinking of CPC Solutions for your next direct mail campaign.
In case you did not notice, the United States Postal Service raised their rates on us again. Don’t worry; the USPS will have a difficult time collecting the postage due in this particular post.*
In the meantime, as our gift to you, we thought you may like our brand new Postal Rates Quick Guide. The two page PDF below is filled with valuable information distilled from the hundreds of pages of USPS regulations. It is intended to be a quick summary, but it should cover 80% of your needs (that old 80/20 rule is always working). If you have questions regarding the other 20%, feel free to contact us!
*Production Notes: The image above was created using our personalization software employing the Image Character Photoshop technique. A special stamp was created for each capital letter of the alphabet and we used its corresponding ASCII number, and then divided by three, to assign a “postage value” to it. That number was then added to the other letters in your name (using a value of 1¢ for each letter) and then subtracted from the new retail first class postage rate of 45¢, to come up with your postage due. These same techniques can be used in any variable data printed project as well!
The difference in size between a $100 bill and the largest postcard available
If we had a $100 bill for every time we printed a 9” x 6” or 8.5” x 5.5” postcard, then we would be swimming in cash. There are many alternatives to what we think as the “standard” postcard size, often with the same postage costs.For example, many people do not realize that a postcard can be as large as 11.5” x 6.125” and still mail at the letter rate, meaning that $0.45 is all it would cost, if mailed first class, non-automated. There are many variables in mail, so postage on that same card could cost as little as $0.142 to as much as $0.424 depending on the level of automation, class, mail stream entry point and zip code saturation (nonprofit is even lower).
Two things to consider when deciding on a postcard size:
- Aspect ratio: Simply put, it must be between 1.3 and 2.5 to maximize postal discounts. Take the length and divide by the height, so 11.5”/6.125” equals 1.878. A postcard can be any size within an aspect ratio of 1.3 and 2.5. Anything outside of that ratio will mail as a flat.
- Printing costs: The optimal size will depend on your quantity and stock choice.
Click the links below for the official website on this topic.
Physical Standards for Commercial Letters and Postcards
Designing Letters and Postcards for Automated Processing
For most of us, the direct mail process can feel like a mystery and its complete understanding elusive. Perhaps it is our aversion to the voluminous regulations; or infinite variables that affect postage rates and the deliverability of a printed piece; or the nuances of the mailing panel and how it’s positioned on a postcard or catalog. Whatever it is, over the next several weeks, we will provide valuable information to help you successfully navigate the world of direct mail.
Despite the financial woes of the USPS, direct mail is alive and kicking. According to Nielsen’s report, “The Evolution of Circulars: From Print to Digital, Q4 2011,” shoppers across the board state that direct mail is relied upon 67% of the time for sales and product information. Permission based emails from retailers have an equivalent reach.
According to the 11,000 shopper subset of the Nielsen Homescan panel, Millennials, the most tech-savvy generation, responded favorably to print as the most influential channel when deciding where to shop (direct mail – 92%). Direct mail is still a valuable tool in the tool box. We’ll help take the mystery out of maximizing its potential.
CPC Solutions is the only company on the western slope of
In short, Full Service Certification offers our clients the following:
- Faster mail entry with electronic submission
- Maximum postage discounts
- Maximum mail tracking capabilities within the postal system
- Seasonal and special USPS promotional discounts
The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved a 3% postage discount for First Class and Standard Mail containing QR Codes. The discount is effective July 1st to August 31st, 2011. Step into the future with a QR Code on your next direct mail project; everybody's doing it!
The Domestic Mail Manual of the U.S. Post Office is over 700 pages long, so an understanding of their rules and regulations is daunting. A professional mailing service will pay for itself over time with information about proper mail preparation for maximum postage discounts. Consider us your experts for dealing with the Post Office—just like a good CPA can help you navigate the rocky shoals of tax codes, so can CPC’s mailing service help you achieve maximum discounts with minimal hassle. Some rules apply: design, data, format, and language can make all the difference between a mail piece that goes for the least amount of postage and one that is rejected.
