The U.S. Postal Service will begin a national marketing program aimed at small businesses next month, ThinkDirectMarketing Inc., the direct marketing services provider working with the USPS on the effort, said Friday.
The program — called Real People, Real Success — involves a contest in which small business marketers submit success stories based on the use of a USPS product or service. The best success stories will win prizes including IBM computers, American Express Open gift certificates, an appearance on the PBS Small Business School television show and direct mail campaigns provided by ThinkDirectMarketing and Zairmail.
This program will be featured on posters in more than 20,000 post offices through 2003.
ThinkDirectMarketing Inc., Stamford, CT, also worked with the postal service on the Mail It On Us Sweepstakes, which launched through a direct mail effort to 1 million small businesses the second week of July.
The sweepstakes offers business marketers the chance to win a grand prize of a free 10,000 piece mailing. ThinkDirectMarketing, through its ThinkDirectMail list services product, is providing the marketing lists for the winner's mailings. All responders to the sweepstakes will receive a free subscription to Simple Formulas, a USPS series on how to build business through direct mail.
To enter, small businesses can register at www.usps.com/grandopening2.
