We fully expect there to be an increase in postage rates in 2017 as the USPS has already announced a CPI (Consumer Price Index) increase on January 22, 2017. At the minimum, we suggest adding 1% to allow for the CPI increase which has been hovering a little under 1%. In early 2016, as you[...]
Hurricane Matthew has pulled away from the US and those in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are beginning the process of assessing the damage and cleaning up. Our thoughts go out to those impacted and we’re praying that they can stabilize and get back to normal as quickly as possible. In addition to post office[...]
One of the most exciting facets of our rapidly-expanding digital world is the wealth of data available about customer activity on company websites. Because we can now track every page a customer visits, we can figure out exactly what products are of interest to them and which stories are tugging at their heartstrings. Until now,[...]
The U.S. Postal Service rewards mailers whose mail pieces move effortlessly through their machinery with an automation discount. In the quest to reduce your postal costs to the bone, make sure your mail pieces comply with these requirements: Dimensions: Mail pieces must meet the basic eligibility standards for Standard Mail specified in the USPS’s Domestic[...]
It will come as no surprise to anyone in the marketing world that personalizing a direct mail piece can increase response rates. How to do so effectively, however, is less well understood. The first step, of course, is to address the recipient by name. While this alone could increase response rates 20 years ago, this[...]
Below are the dates for the Labor Day commingling schedule. Please don’t hesitate to reach out your MailSmart Logistics representative with any questions, concerns or assistance. MailSmart Logistics will be closed Monday, September 5th for Labor Day. We’ll be back at our desks on Tuesday, September 6th. Langhorne, Pennsylvania Commingle Schedule Pickup Drop Date September 2016[...]
We’ve all had the experience of spending countless hours perfecting a direct mail piece and then having to wait for weeks to get a preliminary read on how effective the mailing is going to be. Now, through the magic of technology, there is a better way. Most direct mail sent today includes an Intelligent Mail[...]
After declining precipitously during and after the Great Recession, catalogs are enjoying a resurgence. Some companies which had previously discontinued their catalog (like J. C. Penney) are relaunching them, and others, including Anthropologie, J. Crew and Restoration Hardware, have significantly improved their offerings. Even if your company is not one for whom a catalog would[...]
As printing margins have shrunk in recent years, many companies have expanded into providing direct mail services to their clients. In order to make this additional revenue stream as profitable as possible, we recommend you follow these strategies: Pick a specific niche to specialize in. The most successful mailing services focus on just a few[...]
A postal reform bill containing multiple options to improve the profitability of the U.S. Postal Service is being considered by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. While the mailing industry is most upset about the bill’s proposal to increase postal rates by 2.15%, I want to focus in this article on a[...]
