 August 2011 Newsletter • Co-Chairs' Corner |
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| In recent comments regarding a released Executive Order, President
Obama did a disservice to the backbone of our industry by using the
words "pointless waste" regarding the printing and direct
mail industry. He also used other non-complimentary metaphors, but
we’ll stick to “pointless” comment for the moment. We as printers and mailers occasionally get a bad reputation for the amount of “garbage” that fills people’s mailboxes, especially around election time. But the real point is that somebody is paying for it to be printed and sent to taxpaying Americans. Money is being pumped into the economy for every postcard and package that gets produced. Designers, printers, truckers and mail personnel are gainfully employed as a direct result of our industry. Retail sales are generated after recipients are made aware of promotions received at their homes, both through catalogs orders and purchased made directly at the stores. It is estimated that the mailing industry contributes up to 8% of the Gross National Product (GNP). Pointless? I think not. More proof of our national importance comes from the non-profit sector. A recent report by Blackbaud's Target Analytics, a global provider of software and services for nonprofit organizations, shows that direct mail remains the main source of most charitable donations. More than 75% of received contributions were generated through direct mail, eclipsing the 10% generated by online sources. Direct mail also generated more than 75% of new donors to non-profits. More than 1 billion dollars, yes billion with a “b”, is donated to charities through direct mail outreach. Also paper is a renewable resource, unlike the energy being used to operate our PCs. Bottom line, that it’s critical for us to continue to educate our clients, educators, and government officials as to the importance of our industry. I look forward to working with you in making this happen. |
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We look forward to seeing everyone in the Fall.
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