May 01, 2013
What's in our mailbox this month: fitness postcards from Retro Fitness, American Woman Fitness Centers, Union's United Taekwondo Academy, and Bally Total Fitness. (We're totally pumped.)
August 23, 2012
The PRC released Aug. 23 its advisory opinion on the USPS's plan, which allows the agency to begin implementing reduced hours of retail service at approximately 13,000 locations.
April 06, 2012
FedEx will acquire Polish courier company Opek Sp. z o.o, likely finalizing the sale in late summer, said Jess Bunn, manager of investor relations at FedEx. Bunn did not disclose terms of the acquisition.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will initiate a campaign this summer incenting businesses to incorporate 2D mobile codes on their direct marketing fliers, said Tom Foti, manager of direct mail and periodicals at USPS, during the panel "Promotions and Incentives for Mail" at the 2012 National Postal Forum in Orlando, Fla.
The U.S. Postal Service has launched an integrated media campaign to promote its Web-based service Every Door Direct Mail, a free suite of mailing services for small businesses available over the Web, said Patricia Licata, senior PR representative at USPS. USPS also re-designed its online shipping tool Click-N-Ship and said a Click-N-Ship for Business product will be available mid-April.
March 01, 2012
As the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) — which reported in February losses totaling more than $3 billion — struggles to stay solvent, it is using a number of promotions to try to keep shippers shipping.
February 01, 2012
Hiscox USA found that when it sent its direct mail was almost as important as the recipient.
December 05, 2011
As part of a previously announced $3 billion cost-savings initiative, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is moving forward with plans to change delivery standards for first-class mail, the organization said on Dec. 5. The cuts would eliminate next-day delivery for first-class mail and periodicals.
December 01, 2011
Two longtime marketers weigh in on whether or not brands should keep print catalogs in their marketing mix.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) seeks to raise shipping service rates by 4.6%, the company said in a Nov. 22 statement. Priority Mail prices will increase on average 3.1%, Express Mail prices will increase 3.3% and First-Class Package Service prices will increase 3.7%
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) closed the 2011 fiscal year with a $5.1 billion net loss, the government agency said on Nov. 15. Last fiscal year USPS posted an $8.5 billion net loss, the largest loss in its history.
The US Postal Service continued its downward spiral on Aug. 5, with the agency reporting a net loss of $3.1 billion for the third quarter of its 2011 fiscal year. The number is a slight improvement compared with the same period in 2010, when the USPS posted a $3.5 billion net loss, but the agency said that "absent substantial legislative change" it will default on payments owed to the federal government.
Pitney Bowes' marketing services division generated $30 million in revenue in the first quarter, a 6% decline compared with the prior Q1. The company's total revenue in the period also fell 2% year-over-year to $1.3 billion. The Stamford, Conn.-based company said revenue declines in supplies, rentals and financing mitigated gains in software and equipment sales.
The US Postal Service began a product sampling initiative this week, targeting more than 250,000 consumers in Chicago, Denver and Austin, Texas, as well as about 75,000 opted-in consumers across the country. Brands including Wisk, Starbucks and Nestle are distributing products through the "Sample Showcase" program at launch.
Valassis reported fourth-quarter revenues from shared mail of $341.9 million, an increase of 2% compared with the prior year. Full-year 2010 revenues in the segment were $1.3 billion, a 2.2% increase year-over-year. The marketing services company's neighborhood targeted business saw Q4 2010 revenue of $149.9 million, an increase of 6.2% compared with the prior fourth quarter.
Pitney Bowes' fourth-quarter 2010 marketing services revenue declined 3% to $32.5 million compared with the same period of 2009. However, its full-year marketing services revenue increased 0.4% year-over-year to $141.5 million, the company said February 8 on an earnings call.
September 20, 2010
Valpak, the deliverer of the Blue Envelope of coupons to millions of households each month, will reveal a daily deals e-mail newsletter and website in November. Kim Dominguez, director of marketing at Cox Target Media, which owns and operates Valpak, explains to Direct Marketing News how the direct marketing company is navigating the switch to digital marketing.
The unprecedented nature of the US Postal Service's forthcoming "exigent" rate case is uniting the business mailing community in a way few other issues have.
June 07, 2010
The Sharper Image, which relaunched last year following bankruptcy, released a 68-page Father's Day catalog on June 1.
If it had implemented a five-day-per-week delivery schedule years ago, the US Postal Service would have saved more than $2 billion during the its 2008 fiscal year. For the 2007 fiscal year, the cut in service would have saved the organization more than $1.9 billion, according to the Postal Regulatory Commission's annual report for fiscal year 2009.
UPS has released a new mobile application for BlackBerry devices that lets consumers ship and tracks packages, calculate shipping rates and time in transit, as well as locate the closest UPS location.
What's in our mailbox this month: fitness postcards from Retro Fitness, American Woman Fitness Centers, Union's United Taekwondo Academy, and Bally Total Fitness. (We're totally pumped.)
Social data can improve a brand's bottom line and customer relationships. Just ask brands Infiniti and Diamond Nexus.
Here are three must-have data sets that every marketer should include in his or her email strategy.
