Direct Mail & Postal

US nonprofits add digital to holiday arsenal

Frank Washkuch November 09, 2009

With consumers' budgets already stretched thin by the recession, many nonprofit marketers are adding digital elements to their end-of-year fundraising efforts. For instance, the United Way recently launched a partnership with Games that Give, a casual gaming site that gives consumers an avenue to donate to charity.
 

Sports themes score for b-to-b

Nathan Golia November 09, 2009

Business-to-business technology marketers have found that their audience of business decision makers responds well to entertaining messaging as a way to cut through the current economic malaise and keep the conversation going around their products and services.
 

Showcasing creative solutions from New England Lincoln Mercury Dealers, Camelback Mountain Resort, InStyler

November 09, 2009

New England Lincoln Mercury Dealers' "Follow Me to Bliss" campaign, Camelback Mountain Resort's postcards, InStyler's affiliate marketing push are features in the November 9 edition of The Work.
 

Arandell incorporates BCC Software to aid IMB transition

Nathan Golia November 06, 2009

Arandell, a printer with catalog clients including Target, Macy's and Neiman Marcus, has added BCC Software's Mail Manager Full Service platform to increase its compatibility with the Intelligent Mail Barcode.
 

USPS to release Intelligent Mail additions this month

Frank Washkuch November 02, 2009

Later this month, the US Postal Service will unveil additional capabilities for its Intelligent Mail service, which allows the agency to track pieces of mail from origin to destination.
 

Mail is the workhorse of b-to-b marketing

October 26, 2009

Business-to-business marketers seeking hard-to-reach prospects and looking to address their pain points and know that direct mail provides key benefits as part of an integrated campaign. Four experts share how it's done
 

FedEx drop boxes by BBDO NY

October 21, 2009

To further promote FedEx's NASCAR sponsorship and drum up excitement for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, BBDO placed voice-enabled devices in 700 FedEx dropboxes throughout the southeast US. The effort is a complement to a FedEx digital campaign that was already under way.
 

Hello, old friend

Chantal Todé October 20, 2009

Like most Americans, there has been something missing from my mailbox for months now - countless credit card solicitations.
 

Experts: No USPS rate increase could result in customer retention

Frank Washkuch October 16, 2009

Direct mailers are calling the US Postal Service's announcement that it will not raise rates for almost all of its shipping categories next year a welcome surprise, especially considering that many were preparing additional funding for a rate increase.
 

Postal Service says it won't raise 2010 rates

Frank Washkuch October 16, 2009

The US Postal Service told businesses on October 15 that it will not raise rates for 2010 on its "market-dominant products," a category that includes first-class and standard mail, periodicals and single-piece parcel post. The agency has predicted that the fiscal year 2009 mail volume could be as much as 20 billion pieces lighter than the year before.
 

USPS narrows list of possible branch closures by 42

Frank Washkuch October 12, 2009

The US Postal Service, striving to cut costs during a year when mail volume is expected to be 20 billion pieces lighter than the prior year, thinned the list of branches it is considering closing to 317. The agency removed 42 branches from its list of possible consolidations in the past month.
 

Is postal mail more effective than e-mail?

October 12, 2009

E-mail has matured and gained popularity among marketers, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it completely beats out postal mail. Two experts take sides in the debate
 

Valpak opens up mobile local couponing with iPhone application

Dianna Dilworth October 12, 2009

Direct mail coupon veteran Valpak is bringing its brand of local offers to the iPhone, introducing an app as the company pushes to become more digital.
 

Potter remarks take on do-not-mail movement

Kate Muth October 09, 2009

Postmaster General John Potter took on proponents of do-not-mail legislation last week, saying that mailed ads help fund the USPS.
 

Michelin launches $20 million ad campaign, featuring digital and direct elements

Carol Krol October 06, 2009

Michelin launched a $20 million global consumer advertising campaign on October 6. The integrated effort, handled by agency of record TBWA, includes TV, print and online elements, as well as direct mail and point-of-sale materials through its dealer network.
 

Postal Service cuts employee base with buyouts

Frank Washkuch October 02, 2009

The US Postal Service is cutting in other ways than just consolidating branches. About 5,000 full-time agency employees who are eligible for retirement accepted a buyout package this week, and 18,000 more have taken an offer but have until the end of this month to formally accept or change their minds, according to a report in The Washington Post.
 

Direct Brands appoints Fine president and CEO

Carol Krol September 30, 2009

Direct Brands, a direct marketer of books, DVDs and recorded music, has named Deborah Fine president and CEO. Direct Brands and sister company Bookspan, owned by Najafi Companies, include the Book-of-the-Month Club, Columbia House, Doubleday Book Club and The Literary Guild. Previously, Fine was president of NBC Universal's iVillage Properties, a group of online communities including iVillage.com and YourTotalHealth.com with 27 million members.
 

Professor: USPS not an effective political issue for the right

Frank Washkuch September 30, 2009

Thomas Schaller, a political science professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, wrote... in the Baltimore Sun this week that the US Postal Service is the wrong political football for conservative politicians and pundits to kick.
 

Industry execs welcome UPS insert marketing program

Frank Washkuch September 28, 2009

UPS stuck its toe into the direct marketing industry on September 28, beginning a test of its insert marketing service in five US metropolitan areas. Industry executives reacted to the program by saying that they do not feel threatened by the move, but are hopeful that UPS's brand cachet creates opportunities for them.
 

USPS branch closures unlikely to affect DM

Frank Washkuch September 28, 2009

A US Postal Service proposal to close office branches to cut costs at the financially troubled agency is making news headlines and has resulted in small uproars on the local level.
 

USPS rescue plan passes in House

Nathan Golia and Frank Washkuch September 28, 2009

The US House of Representatives passed legislation on September 25 that would allow the US Postal Service to cut the amount of money it is required to pay to its retirement account this year by $4 billion. The continuing resolution, which passed the House by a vote of 217 to 190, was awaiting action in the Senate as of press time.
 

DM vets 21st Century and PCH to test social

Cara Wood September 28, 2009

Insurance provider 21st Century Auto Insurance and Publisher's Clearing House — each with more than 50 years of direct mail marketing experience — are partnering on a multiyear affinity program that has both companies trying new tactics in social media.
 

New VDP platform from Advanced Image Direct integrates Salesforce

Chantal Todé September 25, 2009

Advanced Image Direct (AID) has patented Cloud2Mail, a variable data digital print platform that processes orders from the Web and prints four-color envelopes and letters simultaneously.
 

USPS rescue plan passes House, Senate up next

Nathan Golia September 18, 2009

HR 22, the United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act of 2009, has passed the US House of Representatives, but postal officials say action in the Senate is needed quickly to head off potential problems. The bill cuts a required payment to postal retirees' health fund from $5.4 billion to $1.4 billion. The payment is due September 30, and unless a similar bill passes the Senate and is signed by the President by then, the USPS must still make the full amount.
 

Pence replaces Griesemer as Coldwater Creek CEO

Nathan Golia September 15, 2009

Coldwater Creek has appointed Dennis Pence, most recently co-founder and chairman of the company, its president and CEO. He replaced Daniel Griesemer, who resigned as director, president and CEO. The retailer announced the selection on September 14, noting it was effective immediately.
 

Mail can still drive b-to-b e-commerce

David Broughton, principal, BRC Marketing September 14, 2009

Based on the buzz these days, I get the impression many in our business think "multichannel marketing" means including social media with your paid search campaign. For those of us working in business-to-business marketing before "friend" became a verb, direct mail was usually the centerpiece of most multi-channel campaigns. However, the astronomical growth of the Web — and a concurrent shift in marketing budgets — has left the once-venerable workhorse of direct mail languishing in the barn.
 

HP and Pitney Bowes partner to offer integrated print and mail system

Chantal Todé September 11, 2009

HP and Pitney Bowes announced an alliance at the Print 09 trade show on September 11 through which Pitney will manage sales of the HP Inkjet Web Press for the transactional and trans-promotional print markets. Pitney will offer the product as part of the Pitney Bowes IntelliJet Printing System, which is used by large volume mailers. The system includes the HP T300 Color Inkjet engine, a high-speed Pitney Bowes mail finishing system, and a single service and support team.
 

Dos and Don'ts of catalog circulation strategy

Chantal Todé September 11, 2009

Many multichannel merchants are compelled to cut catalog circulation because of the current economic picture. Some retailers, however, are doing so in the name of "mailing smarter." The goal is for sales to drop at only a fraction of circulation cuts. Multichannel merchants such as Williams-Sonoma and J. Crew reported double-digit reductions to circulations in the first half of this year simultaneous with better-than-expected profits. However, one retailer, Chico's, has expressed remorse recently over making cuts it later realized may have been too dramatic. Here, Kevin Hillstrom, president of MineThatData; Rod Ford, CEO of CognitiveData; and Holly Wasas, account manager for brokerage at Direct Media Millard, weigh in on how to cut back wisely.
 

Former DMA EVP to lead Pitney Bowes' production mail equipment unit

Carol Krol September 10, 2009

Pitney Bowes will announce September 10 that it has named Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan president of its document messaging technologies unit, according to industry sources. The unit markets Pitney's production mail equipment and software to large-volume direct marketing mailers, particularly in the financial services and insurance industries.
 

Vertis appoints Calta first CMO

Nathan Golia September 08, 2009

Vertis Communications named Kathy Calta its first CMO, effective September 1. She most recently served as partner at interactive agency Rosetta. The goal of creating the position, Calta said, is to help the company work more closely with its clients.
 

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