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Is mail still effective for acquisition?

May 05, 2008

With the onset of rising postage and paper costs, as well as a tremendous uptake in online commerce, some marketers have questioned print's power as an acquisition tool.

Despite efforts by the US Postal Service as well as some direct mail service companies such as Pitney Bowes, news about the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMB) may not be reaching the majority of mailers. The IMB, developed by the USPS to encode routing and tracking information on mail, will eventually replace Postnet barcodes, which only contain the routing code.

USPS seeks comment on proposed rules for Intelligent Mail barcode

Ellen Keohane April 30, 2008

The US Postal Service is seeking public comment on proposed rules related to the use of Intelligent Mail barcodes on automation mailings of letters and flats. These rules are scheduled to go into effect by May 2009.

Will lower direct mail volume save trees?

April 28, 2008

With an increase in consumers' awareness of eco-friendly business practices, the pressure is on for marketers to decrease the environment impact of their output.

PRC seeks comment for postal monopoly survey

Ellen Keohane April 21, 2008

The Postal Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment for its study on universal postal service and postal monopoly in the United States. In compliance with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, the commission must complete a report on "universal postal service and the postal monopoly in the US, including the monopoly on the delivery of mail and on access to mailboxes."

True Value launches city-geared mail campaign

Ellen Keohane April 21, 2008

True Value is launching a direct mail campaign focused on customers in major metropolitan areas. "This is the first time at a corporate level we have tried to bring direct mail to the marketplace specifically targeted at urban stores and customers," said Ron Schuller, director of loyalty and direct marketing at True Value.

USPS launches "green" Web site

Ellen Keohane April 17, 2008

The US Postal Service has launched a new Web site promoting the agency's eco-friendly products and services, as well as recommended "green" practices for mailers. The new Web site can be accessed at www.usps.com/green.

PRC okays USPS' competitive products price increase

Ellen Keohane April 11, 2008

The Postal Regulatory Commission authorized the US Postal Service's planned price increases for its competitive products yesterday. "Based on the notice and supporting material... the commission finds no reason to conclude that the planned price adjustments for competitive products are not in compliance with applicable statuary provisions," wrote Steven W. Williams, the PRC's secretary, in the order.

USPS releases new address standards for flat-sized mail

Ellen Keohane April 09, 2008

The US Postal Service has released new address standards for flat-sized mail. These new standards are set to go into effect as of March 29, 2009. The new address standards will assist the USPS in its implementation of its new Flats Sequencing System (FSS), which will sort flat-sized mail into delivery sequence, thereby reducing carriers' time spent manually sorting mail.

Hibachi restaurant cooks up effective promotion for Mexican vacation offer

Evan Bloom, co-owner, Sir Speedy of Westbury April 07, 2008

This seemingly traditional postcard has a few twists. The vertical design gives it a different look. It includes the necessary elements of an effective direct mail piece, including the company's logo, contact information, and a reasonably good visual. Most importantly, it offers a call to action.

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