Why it Pays to Carry the Mail
C
lients love to save money. And one very good place for clients–and the agencies that serve them–to save money in bulk is at the nearest bulk mail center, known these days as an NDC, or National Distribution Center.
You see, the good folks at USPS are more than happy to discount the rates marketers pay to put their pieces in the mail–provided said marketers are prepared to shoulder some of the Postal Service’s burden. It’s a trade-off: the more mail processing steps you execute yourself, the less work USPS has to do and the less money it charges you for postage.
If that sounds fair, it is. If that sounds easy, it’s not. Because the home of the long line and the ever-more-expensive stamp is also the home of the ever-changing Postal Requirement. There are literally hundreds of ‘em. And according to Heather Sato, Director of Production at The Kern Organization, any mailing piece that isn’t fully in compliance will face processing delays and surprise postal penalties.
She offers this example: “Let’s say the marketer doesn’t get the envelope postal-approved and the design employs a size or aspect ratio that is outside the postal requirements. When the marketer drops the mail, instead of paying the rate for ‘standard’ automation, they’ll be hit for ‘flat’ automation–more than double the rate they were expecting to pay.”
Ouch.
This, of course, is why TKO’s family of clients is pleased to have Ms. Sato and her decade of experience directing the production of their mailings. Heather says there are several steps marketers must take–from the creation of the direct-mail campaign right on through tracking ROI–to qualify for the best rates and reap maximum discounts on major mailings.
During the design phase, communicate with your local USPS office authority about your format and layout. Be sure to get approval from USPS prior to client presentation and final production. USPS will review your mail to ensure the pieces can be processed without paper jams or tearing, for example.
Manage your data processing. When mailing large quantities to concentrated geographic areas, seek to minimize your postage cost by presorting the mail. If possible, break your data down by region to make things even more cost-efficient.
Learn about postal classifications. There are many USPS mail sortation options that, when fully taken advantage of, can really stretch your budget.
Track your mail delivery. You can track the flow of your mail into homes by using full-service IMB (short for Intelligent Mail® barcode) or PLANET Code® tracking. A good lettershop can help you put a mail delivery tracking program place.
Here’s a list of terms you might want to know (that is, if you’re not relying on an agency like The Kern Organization to know for you):
NCOA: This product makes national change-of-address information available to mailers. Its use is required by USPS and helps reduce the number of undeliverable mail pieces entering the mailstream.
CASS: The Coding Accuracy Support System improves the accuracy of carrier route, five-digit ZIP®, ZIP + 4®, and delivery point codes that appear on mail pieces.
Commingling: Mixing your mail with other mail going to the same destination results in deeper delivery and earns you bigger discounts
Co-pal: Co-palletization involves mixing your mail trays with others going to the same destination, to get deeper delivery and realize larger discounts. (Finding the most direct and economical entry plan and negotiating freight rates/delivery times can be lucrative, indeed.)
Tags: Direct Mail Advertising, Direct Mail Campaign, Direct Mail Marketing, direct mail service
Categories: Direct Mail Marketing
