Direct mail volume set to see modest growth and remain viable marketing channel
Numerous survey have found plans for small businesses to increase their marketing budgets that coincide with reports forecasting greater direct mail revenues. Now, PRIMIR, the company that recently published a study called “Trends & Future of Direct Marketing,” is adding its voice to the group, noting that while direct mail volumes is not set to […]
Experts Weigh In On Likelihood of Huge Catalog Postal Rate Hike
The news last month that the U.S. Postal Service may be increasing rates sharply for the so-called “underwater” classes/subclasses of Standard Mail flats raised plenty of questions. Most pressing is the amount of the increase and how soon catalogs will see it, says Hamilton Davison, president and executive director of the American Catalog Mailers Association. […]
Money-back guarantee for US advertisers to try direct mail
The US Postal Service is hoping to win a bigger slice of the $90bn US media advertising market by offering some of the nation’s top advertisers a money-back guarantee to test out direct mail campaigns. From as early as next month, it will be offering 16 major advertisers the chance to try out direct mail […]
USPS, QR Codes and their Summer Sale
Direct mailers in the United States are to see for themselves the benefits of linking smartphone technology with the physical mail, under a special promotion from the US Postal Service this summer. The world’s largest postal operator is set to offer a special 3% discount in July and August for any letters or flats if […]
How the USPS Postage Increase Impacts You!
Effective April 17th, 2011, the USPS is increasing postage rates. This post will explain what this means to you as both a consumer and as a bulk mailer. How was the USPS able to get the rate increase through? Last year, the USPS requested a 5.6% average postal rate increase. This would have raised first-class […]
Securing Postage By TEXT In Sweden
The Swedish Postal system ‘Posten’ is set to trial a new method of postage and packaging whereby citizens use their cell phone instead of postage stamps. “Customers will send a text and receive a code in response that will be written on a piece of mail to show the postage had been paid.The system will […]
Planned postal rate hike hits marketers
The postal rate increase coming this spring is not expected to have a significant effect on direct mail marketing plans this year, thanks to its size and timing. However, the fact that the increase is even smaller than the US Postal Service had initially proposed is not much comfort to marketers, say industry observers. As […]
Postal Service considers customer experience improvements
The US Postal Service is planning to improve the customer experience as part of its broader effort to create new revenue sources, postal officials said November 17 at a Mailers Technical Advisory Committee meeting. “A major goal of mine is that I want us to provide a better customer experience,” said Patrick Donahoe, deputy postmaster […]
DM News Interviews Ruth Goldway, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission
Ruth Goldway, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, speaks with Direct Marketing News’ news editor Frank Washkuch about how the US Postal Service can improve its financial situation as well as consumers’ response to possible five-day home delivery. Direct Marketing News (DMN): What does the US Postal Service need to do to right its financial […]
Royal Mail Sell Off To Go Ahead
The UK coalition government has announced it is to push ahead with privatisation and present the Postal Services Bill before Parliament. Up to 90% of the Royal Mail could be owned by private buyers but Post Offices would be protected. In a statement this morning, a government spokesperson said of the Bill: “The requirements of […]
Nine Ways to Decrease Direct Mail Spending & Improve Results
ROI (Return on Investment) is a function of cost and revenue generated. Any change in either one impacts your ROI. It is possible to utilize direct mail to its fullest potential, and decrease the amount you are investing in the medium, while increasing response and purchase rates. Here are nine ways too improve both sides […]
Postal Rate Increases for 2011 Denied! HOWEVER – Expect Increases!
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has declined the USPS’s request for a 5.6% increase, which had been proposed to take effect in January 2011, and was filed under the Extraordinary Circumstances rule. The Extraordinary Circumstances rule allows the USPS to increase rates above the CPI rate cap during “exceptional or extraordinary circumstances”. This is great […]