Susan Pinter, Director of Postal Systems
Arandell Corporation has printed and mailed many retail and mail-order catalogs. Both have their own unique requirements based on their marketing objectives. For instance, retail catalogs have particular in-home dates to meet and are planned in meticulous detail with in-store promotions. Our standard mail-order catalogs often have personalized order forms and inserts that need matchback information to correlate in-home dates and Internet traffic.
With the upcoming changes to the USPS method of tracking mail, specifically transitioning to the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMB) system, the needs of our retail and mail-order clients will be adjusted. Click here to learn more about IMB. We have been surveying our customers to determine how they, or if they, plan to use the Full Service IMB option. As of today, only our retail customers have expressed a desire for Full Service IMB to be used for tracking purposes. Additionally, some retailers are toying with the idea of using the Full Service IMB in lieu of printing Point-of-Sale personalized customer barcodes on their direct mail pieces.
I am writing to learn the opinion and perspective of our standard mail-order catalogers. We have already heard several possibilities on how they might use the IMB services, but at this time have not heard of any immediate plans for mail-order catalogers. Our understanding is most catalogers are just looking at “What if?” scenarios.
Some of the things we have heard being pondered:
- Using IMB in lieu of matchbacks
- Using IMB data for segmentations
- Of course, retail and standard mail-order catalogers are taking in cost considerations with the different IMB options.
It seems the possibilities center around being able to use the IMB for smaller segmentation of files. I would love to learn what you are planning! Do you believe that Full Service IMB will have a large ROI? What information are you most interested in collecting? If you are NOT considering the Full Service, why? Do you fully understand the file requirements to implement your desired IMB service? What possibilities are there for using the IMB in a standard mail-order world other than tracking?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Don Landis, VP, Postal Affairs
As 2009 approaches the end, it appears the USPS is seriously considering the earlier-proposed Winter Postage Sale. The USPS’s final decision should be announced in the upcoming weeks. Like the USPS Summer Sale, the proposed Winter Postage Sale will provide yet another incentive for catalogers and direct mailers to increase their mail volume. In my opinion, the Winter Postage Sale will be an improvement from the previous postage incentives offered.
Unlike previous postage incentives, the Winter Sale will have a less complicate formula to calculate qualifications and savings. (The proposal is to simply base qualifications and savings on any mail volume increase over the same period last year for the months of January 2010 through March 2010.) It will also offer the largest incentive (proposed 30% discount) for direct mailers that qualify.
Earlier this week Hamilton Davison, Executive Director of the American Catalog Mailers Association, posted an update on the USPS proposed Winter Postal Sale. Within the article he shares the impact that ACMA has had with the proposed incentive, deadlines and additional details on the postage rebate.
Don Landis, VP, Postal Affairs
First of all, I should clarify WHAT the droop test is. I can only imagine what you all thought of when you read the title of this post….
The droop test measures the flexibility of catalogs. If mail pieces are too flexible they will topple over as they travel through the USPS sorters and scanners. Implementing deflections standards, or droop standards, will greatly reduce the amount of direct mail pieces that fall off the machines. Recently, the USPS extended the deadline for the deflections standard implementation from September 8, 2009 to January 4, 2010.
How to test your catalog
Click here to see a brief three minute instructional video. Otherwise, read on! Read more…
Blake Hutchison, Director of Purchasing
I just received the following letter from Verso executive Michael Weinhold.
Click here to read the letter.
I find this letter to be extremely interesting. I was expecting mills that were garnering large sums of money from the black liquor tax credit to announce increases by the end of the year (as per my earlier post), but Verso has just jumped the gun on everyone. We aren’t sure at this point if it will stick. I think a lot of it depends on what the other coated freesheet producers (NewPage, Sappi, Appleton Coated, West Linn, etc.) do in response to this. Some of them have been taking money from the tax credits, but others haven’t.
We will keep you posted. Any questions, please feel free to contact your sales rep or myself directly.
***SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 UPDATE***
I also recieved the following letter from NewPage proclaiming their price increase. It appears this will be an industry trend….
NewPage increases prices for coated freesheet grades.