Blog and Integrated Marketing Updates

The US Postal Service has announced that the POSTNET™ barcode will be discontinued effective January 28, 2013 and will no longer qualify mail for automation rate discounts. This change applies to letters, flats and Qualified Business Reply Mail. As of that date, mailers can earn automation rates only with the Intelligent Mail® barcode (Basic or Full-Service). The official notice can be found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-03/pdf/2012-10505.pdf.

The Intelligent Mail barcode (formerly known as the 4-State Customer Barcode) is the next generation of USPS® barcode technology used to sort and track letters and flats. Intelligent Mail barcode technology, among other things, combines the capabilities of the POSTNET™ barcode and the PLANET Code® barcode into one unique barcode.

The new code can hold a lot more information in the same space. Where the old POSTNET code only held only zip code and routing information, the new Intelligent Mail barcode indicates the sorting level, class of mail, optional services requested, the Mailer ID, an optional serial number identifier for the piece, plus the zip and routing information that was in the original POSTNET code.

The Intelligent Mail barcode consists of 65 bars and has strict data requirements. The four elements that need to be perfected before next year are:

Content of the data to be encoded in the barcode
Rules to produce the bars from the data fields
Physical dimensions of barcode printing
Physical limitations on printing

The USPS has created a helpful guide with the specifications online at: https://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_mailpieces/documents/tech_guides/SPUSPSG.pdf

January will be here before you know it. It will take some planning and retooling to convert to the Intelligent Mail barcode system if you haven’t already made the switch. Admail West has extensive experience with the Intelligent Mail barcode system, so if you want to talk to an expert, give us a call. We would be happy to help you with your mailing and fulfillment needs.

When someone says “mail,” what pops into your mind? Do you see a computer screen? How about the 1,500 messages in your inbox that are waiting for you to click through them in your spare time? Or, an inbox that you can sift through with your mouse, select 10 messages at a time and hit delete? As busy people, we like the efficiency of email for just that reason. We can sort, ignore, respond or delete the messages in our inbox when we get to it. As marketers, however, we need customers to read the contents of the mail – and in an timely manner. The efficiency offered by email of “I’ll get to it when I get to it” and “I can delete 50 messages at a time without reading them” is not a beneficial efficiency for marketers. Instead, it highlights the importance of integrated marketing and the benefits of the other mail.

The other mail. You know, the postal mail that you have to tear the envelope open to find out what’s inside. That letter or catalog delivered by a live mailperson, directly to your home. The kind of mail that if you let it accrue to 1,500 pieces would completely engulf your kitchen table and/or your friends might begin to wonder if you are taking a second job as Santa Claus. The kind of mail you must pay attention to, because you have to physically touch it. Traditional mail has several unique benefits that perform like no other marketing channel. Here are a few of our favorites, postal mail is:

Dynamic

There is that decisive moment when a printed piece of mail is in the hands of your audience and you know that you have their attention. The message literally is delivered into the hands of your target audience. The recipient must physically touch the mail and do something with it.

Tactile

It starts with the sense of touch. The weight and texture of the paper begins the conversation. The design, colors and message determine how long the conversation lasts. The more senses you engage and the more marketing channels you make available to connect, the longer the conversation.

Personalized

There is something magical about seeing your name in print. And your customer, they like their name in print just as much as you do. Working your customer’s name in a headline, or mentioning products that he or she has previously purchased can result in increased sales. Technology has made personalization in print easier and affordable; customer expectation has made personalization essential.

Targeted

Direct mail has a longstanding reputation for delivering messages to specific segments of customers using demographic data. Today, sophisticated databases and specialized lists offer comprehensive customer profiles that include not only demographic basics, but also psychographic information, special interests and purchasing behaviors of your customers. Using personalized data to refine your communication to be more relevant and impactful to the reader is imperative.

Measurable

With variable printing, the opportunities to offer specialized tracking in postal mail are endless. In the body copy, you can include traceable coupon codes, special links or secret codes to encourage customer engagement. In the address section, you can add automated bar coding to track receipt and redemption. By tracking and analyzing results, it is easy to see what’s working and make adjustments to make future mailings more effective.

Do we still love and use email? Absolutely. Does email offer the multi-sensory experience and engagement of postal mail? Absolutely not. There is a time and a place for both. Neither mail piece, whether electronic or traditional, should ever be a stand alone medium in a marketing campaign — by definition. It is a campaign. The mail piece is a cog in a larger machine. Add a QR code or PURL for more information. Use e-mail to remind customers of an expiring offer. Layer-in social media to reference your catalog and redirect them online to order immediately. And, don’t forget the mail that you don’t just click to open–you have to tear it.

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