The Universal Postal Union has produced the World Guide to Direct Mail, a research tool that offers direct marketers information on market opportunities within the United States and internationally, the union said yesterday.
The guide includes case studies and in-depth knowledge from direct mail experts. In addition, it gives step-by-step guidelines on the basics of planning and executing direct mail campaigns and creating accurate address databases and customer profiles.
The direct mail guide has a companion Web site, which includes additional historical, economic, legal, postal and direct mail marketing information and statistics from countries worldwide with links to relevant industry partners. The information will soon be available on CD-ROM.
The UPU is a specialized institution of the United Nations whose members include the postal services of its 189 member countries.
Speaking at the official launch of the guide and Web site during a meeting of the UPU's Direct Mail Advisory Board at the union's headquarters in Bern, Switzerland, UPU director general Thomas E. Leavey said the guide is proof of the union's commitment to playing an active role in the worldwide development of direct mail marketing and a symbol of cooperation between the postal and direct mail industries. He said all stakeholders in the direct mail industry, including postal administrations, current and potential customers and other industry partners, would benefit from the guide.
The guide is the latest addition to the UPU's direct mail initiatives. It follows the earlier introduction of a Direct Mail Markets Development Program and the establishment of the Direct Mail Advisory Board.
The UPU created the advisory board in 1995 as a coordinating body, bringing together direct mail industry leaders, postal executives from several countries and direct mail associations. The board has 41 members, of which 26 are postal administrations and organizations and 15 are private companies.
