The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently announced its annual promotional programs for the upcoming year aimed at incentivizing the use of emerging printing technology within direct mail marketing campaigns. As an estimated 60% of direct mail expenses are associated with postal rates, any savings directly impacts your cost to market and strategy options.
2019 USPS promotional programs include: the Tactile, Sensory and Interactive Engagement Promotion; Informed Delivery Promotion; Emerging and Advanced Technology Promotion; Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion; Mobile Shopping Promotion; and Personalized Color Transpromo Promotion.
Such initiatives help maximize your budget with discounted postage costs, while leveraging the latest in direct mail technology. The following is a brief rundown, outlining some of the potential ways these can help improve response rates and save you money:
This program encourages the incorporation of innovative technological advancements with mail pieces to create multi-sensory, interactive experiences for recipients. This includes the use of scent, sound, taste, visual, textural, 3D, pop-ups, infinite folds, and more. Ink, substrates, finishes, and/or striking structural dimensions also help grab attention in ways static mail simply cannot. For marketers and advertisers, engagement is critical. Research links mail pieces that are cognitively engaging by design to brand recognition and message recall—the aim of all marketing campaigns. Extensive studies also highlight how sensory marketing affects perception, judgment, and even behavior.
Tip: Scented inks can create and/or stimulate memories, enabling mail pieces to transport recipients back to pleasant experiences, or forge new, lasting impressions.
Promotion Period: February 1, 2019 - July 31, 2019
Registration Period: December 15, 2018 - July 31, 2019
For more information and program requirements.
or Contact your Design Distributors representative at (631) 242-2000
Informed Delivery is an omnichannel service provided by the USPS, whereby direct mail meets digital. It enables users to access their mail at multiple touch points digitally, as well as at home, physically. This facilitates lasting impressions via preview, email, and tangible experience. Nowadays, marketers can communicate with recipients through their phone, desktop and tablet devices, just by knowing their address. This presents an extraordinary opportunity for companies across all industries.
Tip: Potential opportunities include: financial services companies offering credit card activation; subscription renewals from e-commerce businesses; promotional codes for retail; claims insurance from insurance companies; and possibly even voter registration for governmental agencies.
Promotion Period: September 1, 2019 – November 30, 2019
Registration Period: July 15, 2019 – November 30, 2019
For more information and program requirements
This aims to encourage mailers to incorporate their direct mail with technological advances, such as virtual, mixed and/or augmented reality (including video) components, among others, creating immersive marketing experiences. Headsets, translucent paper, and even digital assistants, are all possibilities.
Tip: This is a great opportunity for tech companies to create lasting experiences.
Promotion Period: February 1, 2019 - July 31, 2019
Registration Period: December 15, 2018 - July 31, 2019
For more information and program requirements
Word of mouth is still very much alive and well when it comes to direct mail. This program incentivizes the continued use of Business Reply Mailing, Courtesy Reply Mailings and Share Mail™ pieces with Intelligent barcodes.
Tip: According to a recent study, 10 percent of sales are attributed to word of mouth. Additionally, direct mail resonates with a variety of age groups, with a 2011 survey identifying the 22 to 24 age group as perhaps the most responsive.
Promotion Period: April 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019
Registration Period: February 15, 2019 – March 31, 2019
For more information and program requirements
This program encourages the integration of mobile technology with direct mail to facilitate sales, transforming mail pieces into portals for mobile shopping experiences, especially during the holiday shopping season. Marketers lead users to mobile-optimized websites, apps, landing pages, and even social media ‘Shop Now’ buttons through QR codes or other mobile barcode technologies (with specified directions), among other examples. Mobile sales of products directly advertised on promotional pieces can also be assessed with enhanced tracking.
Tip: This can be a meaningful way for nonprofits to advertise their causes and receive donations, as statistics show an increasing shift in charitable contributions through mobile phones. The 2017 Charitable Giving Report, for example, found mobile donations up 17%, comprising of 21% of online donations. The enhanced tracking inherent in QR-code accessed purchases makes this a great testing ground for future marketing campaigns. We recommend testing on discounts whenever possible.
Promotion Period: August 1 – December 31, 2019
Registration Period: June 15 – December 31, 2019
For more information and program requirements
Geared toward dynamic variable printing on transactional mail pieces, this program encourages the use of color messaging. This can help facilitate personalization, too, which as statistics show, can improve response rates.
Tip: According to a 2016 study by the nonprofit Data & Marketing Association (DMA), response rates increase by a whopping 300% once a mail piece is personalized.
Promotion Period: July 1 – December 31, 2019
Registration Period: June 15 – December 31, 2019
For more information and program requirements.
or Contact your Design Distributors representative at (631) 242-2000