Preparing Business Mailers - Meeting the Standard
Due Regard for Direct Mail
Monday morning our team decided to take a look at the merits of Direct Mail and how it has affected society. We were thinking beyond the many functions and more into the innovation of direct mail itself and how it has stood strong from the very first Sears Catalogue to the Barack Obama bid for Presidency.
All around Direct Mail, other media such as The Yellow Pages and Major Newspapers began to regress and fail. Thinking about it there are many Magazines that have stepped up their advertising which is trouble for the layout as well as the concept. When we wonder why these mediums are failing, inevitably speculation goes to the internet, but it's doubtful as we have all seen individual concerns wreaking out news and wonder if that's any worse than paid promotion.
Preparing Business Mail with visuals and wonderful offers wouldn't seem to be that different from other advertising mediums but there is one glaring difference, which goes to Ownership.
Possession or ownership of the news is a horrible thought. News being the backbone of progress and society, it is external intelligence. The idea of a trust issue impairing this tradition is disconcerting. But get ready, the acquisition history of many Privately Held Newspapers is a study in failure and the acquisition history of many Publicly Traded Newspapers has stockholders outside of America which the corporation may not even know about since brokerages and trust accounts have replaced stocks paper certificates. Important Point. a 10% share of a widely held corporation has control.
So we have" Trust" as a possible precursor to the decline of some media. Not a big surprise; but blatently defiant behavior can be, especially when it is organized as it was in late spring 2009 when:
The CEO's of the following major newspapers: (Advance Publications - Associated Press - E.W. Scripps - Freedom Communication Inc. - Gannett - Hearst - Lee Enterprise - McClatchy - MediaNews Group - New York Times - Philadelphia Media Holdings )
gathered twice in clandestine meetings earlier this year to discuss: : How to start charging for articles and other online content that is presently available free.
There was an antitrust representative present to oversee the assemblage for instances of monopoly or other controlling trusts.
Quite the "sell out" crowd when you consider that :
AntiTrust Laws clearily state that Competitors should not MEET or AGREE on terms or pricing of services.
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Direct Marketing belongs to entrepreneurs and speaks to entrepreneurs whether they are in the field or the factory or on the building site or any of the other wonderful places of activity.
Acceptable Mail Practices and Direct Marketing Support
Preparing Business Mail is a service that we offer to clients; still some decide to move forward on their own, once we are sure that they have the proper sales team to handle response, we recommend the following:
Mail Class is set up to give specific mail-pieces the correct speed, cost, incentives and forwarding/return policies.
Certifying qualifications for class pricing's annual fee.
Types of bulk postage payment,
- (a) precanceled stamps,
- (b) metered postage.
- (c) permit imprint, with upfront fees and balance paid when the mailing is dropped.
Savings associated with presorting bulk mailings (bundling by zip code)
Restrictions with packaging exclusions are based on injury:
--- hazardous, - un-mailable medical waste, more then 8 oz of toxins, gases not in the proper receptacle, flammable solids, oxidizing substances, radioactive material, certain biologicals,
--- perishables - animals/plants not in the proper container or requiring feeding during transit or emitting odors,
--- quarantined matter -
--- batteries and corrosives,
--- misrepresentations such as solicitations disguised as a bill.
Outlines free supplies and the need for customer supplied strapping material,
Free Supplies:
--- 1+2 ft trays/flats by mail dimension with corresponding sleeves or lids.
--- Colored stickers to identify bundles of mail.
--- Labels for Containers (trays or sacks).
--- Labeling lists for presorting destinations.
--- Service Guides on how to sort mail.
--- Postage statement is one of many forms available on the site: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/forms_glossary.htm. it records and calculates postage for, the # of mail-pieces
Types of Acceptable Mailing Containers for preparing business mail:
- Envelopes - window, green diamond/first class, reusable/two way,
sizes: too small (below 31/2 in high and 5in long) too large (70 lbs 108 in length)
- Boxes - paperboard 10 lbs, metal-stayed 20 lbs, corrugated fiberboard by grade measuring 67 to 108 in. maximum length and girth.
- Tubes - strength equal to sidewall strength 1.16 under 18in, double going forward. maximum 32 in long.
- Paper bag wraps - loads up to 5 lbs unless reinforced to 20 lbs.
- Plastic bags - loads up to 5 lbs 2 nil think polyethylene, double for 10 lbs
- Plastic film 0.75 mil to 1.25 mil for 5 lbs, double for 10.
- Cloth Bags loads of 10 lbs
- Cans and Drums require positive closures and shield protruding devices.
Extra Fee Based Services:
- Mailing Receipt
- Proof of Delivery
- Registered Mail
- Certified Mail
- I nsured Mail
- Certificate of Mailing
- Return Receipt
- Restricted Delivery
- Return Receipt for Merchandise
- Delivery Confirmation
- Signature Confirmation
- COD
- Special Handling
Glossary for further explanation: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/index.htm
Price List by weight: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm
Direct Mail Support - Make Your Impression