PRC Approves Mobile Barcode Promo
The Postal Regulatory Commission has officially approved the USPS Mobile Barcode Promotion and they have determined that Nonprofits can play too! All of the other regulations have remained the same.
If you have already planned on some great campaigns this summer that incorporate QR Codes then you’ll be all set to save 3% on postage. If you have not planned on using this 2D barcode technology into your next campaign, then get started, the promotion starts July1st!
The qualifications and rules surrounding this “Summer Sale” are pretty straightforward and unlike their other sales this one is actually available to every mailer and does not require an advanced degree in mathematics to figure out if you qualify.
This promotion is a great way for mailers’ to discover new ways to link the physical and digital worlds of direct marketing. QR Codes have been all the buzz for some time now, but there are many out there who either are reluctant to use them or just have not figured out the best way to incorporate them into their overall marketing strategy. Considering the USPS is giving an upfront 3% discount for mailings that utilize these mobile friendly codes, I think marketers will learn fast how to use these, even if it is just get a cheaper postal rate. This promotion will run from July 1st to August 31st, 2011. The discount is available for Standard Mail and First Class Mail letters and flats.
The guidelines are fairly simple:
- Mobile barcode must be two-dimensional and readable by a mobile smartphone. One dimensional barcodes do NOT qualify.
- Mailing documentation must be submitted electronically and postage must be paid using a Permit Imprint. Current electronic submission methods include: Mail.XML, Mail.dat and Postal Wizard.
- Participating mailers will be required to affirmatively claim this promotion in electronic postage statement submissions, certifying each mailpiece contains a mobile barcode either within contents of mailpiece or on outside of mailpiece.
- All mailpieces in a mailing statement must contain a mobile barcode.
- With the exception of IMb full service discount, only one incentive per mailing will apply.
- Mobile barcode must be used for marketing and advertising purposes. Mailpieces containing mobile barcode that convey information about the postage value, destination, sender and machine serial number for security do not qualify
Here are the links for more details regarding the rules and questions:
If you have any questions about QR Codes and how to effectively incorporate them into your next campaign please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
USPS QR Code Summer Sale – Final Rules
The USPS has released the final qualifications and rules surrounding their new “Summer Sale”. Unlike their other sales this one is actually available to every mailer and does not require an advanced degree in mathematics to figure out if you qualify. This promotion is a great way to entice mailers to discover new ways to link the physical and digital worlds of direct marketing. 
QR Codes have been all the buzz for some time now, but there are many out there who either are reluctant to use them or just have not figured out the best to incorporate them into their overall marketing strategy. Considering the USPS is giving an upfront 3% discount for mailings that utilize these mobile friendly codes, I think marketers will learn fast how to use these, even if it is just get a cheaper postal rate. This promotion will run from July 1st to August 31st, 2011. The discount is available for Standard Mail and First Class Mail letters and flats. The only caveat here is the Nonprofit mail does not qualify.
The guidelines are fairly simple:
- Mobile barcode must be two-dimensional and readable by a mobile smartphone. One dimensional barcodes do NOT qualify.
- Mailing documentation must be submitted electronically and postage must be paid using a Permit Imprint. Current electronic submission methods include: Mail.XML, Mail.dat and Postal Wizard.
- Participating mailers will be required to affirmatively claim this promotion in electronic postage statement submissions, certifying each mailpiece contains a mobile barcode either within contents of mailpiece or on outside of mailpiece.
- All mailpieces in a mailing statement must contain a mobile barcode.
- With the exception of IMb full service discount, only one incentive per mailing will apply.
- Mobile barcode must be used for marketing and advertising purposes. Mailpieces containing mobile barcode that convey information about the postage value, destination, sender and machine serial number for security do not qualify
Here are the links for more details regarding the rules and questions:
Now before you go setting your budget in stone, this sale is still pending a final ruling from the Postal Regulatory Commission. Their final decision is expected at the end of the month, so stay tuned.
If you have any questions about QR Codes and how to effectively incorporate them into your next campaign please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
What’s in the Box?
Not the box from Seven, but I am horrified at times when I look through my own mailbox. There a lot of great pieces I receive as well, which is why Going Postal will now be doing a weekly review in mail. We’ll sort through it all and pick the best and worst of the week as a way to provide insight on best practices in regard to design, content, list hygiene and overall mailbox presence. This week we will focus on postcards and how they are all not created equal. I received 3 postcard sized pieces this past week and one stood out form a design perspective. 
They designer did not leave adequate room on the address section to fit a barcode and therefore did not receive automated rates. Now maybe the piece received such a response that the extra postage did not matter, but savings of $0.04 per piece would have been nice I’m sure. In contrast the other postcard pictured here tweaked the conventional design a little and therefore left room for a barcode and reaped the rewards of postal savings. My point with comparing these pieces is not to pick on one particular mailer, but rather point out that in a time when invested marketing dollars are being scrutinized for effectiveness, every penny counts and could mean the difference between a successful campaign and a failure.
I had to bring another piece to task just because of all the attention QR codes have bee receiving recently. This piece comes from a large mailer, which is what makes it even more puzzling how this happened, but it did. My most recent Costco mailer had the great coupons that I always look forward to, but on the front of the piece it had a QR code. I thought this was great and could not wait to scan it, so like a kid ripping open presents on Christmas I quickly get out my phone to scan the image only to find a lump of coal instead of a shiny new toy. The scan produced an error, but why? Maybe it was the app I was using, but wait, there was a link to get a scanner right underneath the image, hot dog! So I go to the site to download another scanner app and – oh no:( The link is a web page with an error code message. Now I am deflated, I will never know what great grilling recipe or whatever it was supposed to be behind that QR. This is what gives this technology a bad name and will keep the end users form fully adopting it. I hope this gives every mailer the message that we need to test, test and test again.
Please feel free to add your comments and share your own mailbox stories with us.
USPS ammends bundling standards
This was just realeased today from the DMM Advisory.
New Strapping Option for Bundle Preparation
Current DMM® standards require mailers to use “clear smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle” as a way of ensuring that address and presort information on bundles is visible and readable by the naked eye.
Recent testing shows that a new strapping with a transparency rating of at least 52 percent when tested using ASTM D1746 – 09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets all Postal Service™ readability requirements.
Mailers may begin using this type of strapping immediately — it is more environmentally friendly and provides cost savings to mailers, while continuing to secure bundles in a way that helps the Postal Service process the mail efficiently.
We are working on revising the mailing standards for strapping and will use the DMM Advisory to keep you informed
Do you blame your car when you get lost?
It is a simple question, right? If we find ourselves lost or late, we don’t blame the car (caveat here is if GPS has done you in). We may give the steering wheel or dash a few whacks, but ultimately we are frustrated with ourselves.
Too often I hear “we tried mail and it didn’t work”. Mail is merely a vehicle for a particular message. If no one responds to the message, the mail is not to blame unless the recipient did not physically receive the piece. Moreover, many of these same individuals do not ask the key question, which is “why did the mail not work”. The “why” is crucial to answer for any future success with any type of marketing campaign. The answer to that question gives the direction for the next campaign.
If you are lost, you immediately go backwards and retrace your path to see where you went off course right? The same can be said regarding any direct mail campaign. You must go back and find where you may have gone off course; was it some some confusing copy, an unappealing graphic, or perhaps a poorly targeted list. Maybe it was due to my favorite culprit; no clear response mechanism. I just ran into this one recently, “we tried mail, but we had no way of tracking it”. If you can’t track response, then you can’t measure effectiveness and therefore you should NOT DO ANYTHING. Sorry, was I yelling, I get exited sometimes.
The point is that we too often blame the vehicle and not the operator when a campaign fails. Also, like any other sales and marketing channels, it takes consistent effort to get results. Hardly any sales are closed after one call, right? If I go to meet a prospect and they do not buy at that meeting, is that it? Will I never go see them again? If make 25 calls and do not make one sale, do I blame the phone and not make calls any longer? No, I ask “why”. Was I talking to the right person, was my message meaningful to them, was my timing appropriate? When these questions are answered, I will try again and then keep it up until I achieve the desired goal.
I urge everyone out there who has ever uttered the words “mail does not work”, to go back and answer the question “why?”. Maybe the mail was the incorrect vehicle, but at least you will know why. I can’t very well drive my car across a lake right?
USPS eases on deadline of May 2011 for new barcode
In a shocking announcement the USPS is “relaxing” their deadline of May 2011 to adhere to the use of the IMB to attain automation discount; and in other news the sky is still blue.
Below is the official excerpt from the DMM Advisory: 
Postal Service Relaxes Upcoming Requirements for Automation Prices
Recognizing ongoing concerns about mailers’ readiness for broader adoption of the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb®), the USPS® has decided that automation discounts for mail with POSTNET barcodes will continue to be offered beyond May 2011.
Today’s announcement, made following consultation with key industry leaders, means that mailers also may continue to use the POSTNET barcode for reply mail (such as Business Reply Mail (BRM), QBRM and Permit Reply Mail) and PLANET Code® for Confirm® Service.
The relaxing of requirements beyond the planned May POSTNET retirement timeframe allows for an easier transition to the full use of the IMb while continuing to receive automation discounts.
The value of the IMb is a proven technological advantage with more than 41 billion pieces of IMb-enabled mail processed by the USPS. As more Industry leaders continue to embrace the IMb, the Postal Service is committed to enhancing the benefits of Intelligent Mail Services.
Pay your taxes, then get ready to pay more postage
Get out the erasers and prepare to rewrite that marketing budget because the USPS made it official today that the rates for their market dominant services will be increasing as of April 17, 2011. Perfect timing, everyone will already be upset over the amount of money they or their company have to fork over to Uncle Sam and then BAM!, a little salt in the wound courtesy of the USPS. Do not be too alarmed however, the average of the increase is a mere 1.741%. We have broken down the new rates by First Class Mail (1 oz pieces) and Standard Mail (under 3.3 ounces) and have come to some interesting conclusions.
First was that the USPS either has gained quite a bit of efficiency regarding Flat processing or they realized they came down a little heavy with the increases last go around. In either case the current increase for Flats averaged only .38% across First Class, Standard, and Nonprofit. The average increase for First Flats was actually -.12% or better put the average cost is less than it was 2 years ago. It appears that the increases is minimal across all of the automation categories, which leaves the non-auto categories bearing the brunt of the price hikes. This is good news for mailers who currently are preparing their mail as automation compatible. The worst part of the rates is that the discount for mail prepared for the NDC will decrease by $.01 or $1 per thousand. This one does not make sense since mailers are taking on the financial burden of preparing and shipping this mail to the specified facility, which saves the USPS processing and transportation expense. Again it is only $.001, but it goes against the concept rewarding work-share by the mailer. The discount for SCF mail will remain the same as before.
The following links will give you my breakdown of the old rates vs. the new rates and the various increase by percentage. The complete table of new rates is available on the Postal Explorer website.
Please weigh in with your thoughts regarding the increase and as always fmi is here to help assist mailers take on this increase with the least possible damage to your marketing budget.
“The check’s in the mail” – will you get it though?
There has been a lot of talk recently regarding the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) and rightfully so since May of 2011 is D day for mailers to comply. I know on this blog we have hammered home the great potential the IMB holds for all mailers and marketers alike. The one footnote that has not gotten as much publicity amidst the IMB frenzy is the fact that Business Reply Mail must also adhere to the same standards come May 2011.
Business Reply Mail, or BRM, pieces will be required to have an IMB on them in place of the current Post
net Barcode. This is a critical point for all mailers who utilize BRM as the response vehicle for their campaigns. What makes this more important is that I know many of you like to print a year’s worth of these envelopes at one time to save on print run costs. If that time is now, then this is a perfect opportunity to get compliant and avoid potential headaches come May.
The response is the whole point of the campaign itself, so do not jeopardize the success of a mailing due to lack of postal compliance. The USPS mail piece design team will be happy (hopefully) to help out with these new barcodes and get you print ready artwork to go to press with. A great starting point for anyone looking to take on this endeavor is the Postal Explorer website, which has a whole section on BRM design. You can also search for your local mail piece analyst, who will assist you through the process of obtaining USPS approved artwork. Another great source of information on all things IMB is the USPS RIBBS site. You can also feel free to contact myself (eformica@fmidm.com) or any of the great staff here at fmi.
Move Update form 6014 Not an Official Document
The USPS has determined that the PS form 6014 is not considered an official USPS document. What does this mean for mailers? Well up until now mailers have used this form as a means of proving that their mailing is in compliance with the Move Update standards. This ruling makes clear that this form is NOT to be used by mailers or accepted by USPS Acceptance Units as evidence that a mailing has met the Move Update requirements. The verification for Move Update compliance will work just like every other verification process. For most mailers and mail preparers, this means that when a mailing is accepted by the USPS; it will be verified by MERLIN and any errors or failures in reference to the Move Update will be handled the same way as an error/failure for presort or barcode. In the case of an error/failure the mailer will have the option to take the mail back and fix it or they can pay the additional postage that is due. There will also be a process for appeals. In this instance the mailer can take the mail back and appeal or pay the additional postage and appeal after the mailing.
The USPS has released the standards for passing the Move Update verification. When a mailing is presented for acceptance; a sampling of the mailing will be taken and put through MERLIN. At this point the sampling will be checked for the number of records that have a COA (Change of Address) filed on the USPS database. Of those containing a COA, MERLIN will verify how many records have been updated in the mailing and how have not. A verification failure will occur if more than 30% of the records identified as having a COA have not been updated. The additional postage due will be determined by mail class and the TOTAL quantity of the mailing. For first-class mail the penalty is that the entire mailing has to mailed at the single-piece rate, which is currently $.42 and will be $.44 as of May 11, 2009. For Standard-Mail the penalty is $.07 per piece, which will be effective May 11, 2009.
Example: Total mailing is 20,000 pieces. Sample size run through verification is 1,000 pieces. Of these samples 100 have a COA on file. This means that to pass verification, at least 70 mail pieces must have been updated with the current COA information.
At this point the USPS has taken the PS form 6014 off of their website and is notifying all acceptance units of this change. The liability of paying additional postage for any verification failures as related to the Move Update requirements will be that of the mailer. The penalties are severe, so be sure to exercise you due diligence to ensure you will be in compliance.
Please contact me at with any questions about this topic or if you need our services to ensure that you are in compliance with all of the new standards.
lformica@fmidm.com
eformica@fmidm.com
A great PCC event!
Today the Greater Philadelphia PCC held a general membership meeting and explored two very informative topics. The Greater Philadelphia PCC meets with all of its members at least three times during the year to provide valuable postal information for the membership so they can stay as up to date as possible in the ever changing world of mail.
The first topic was MoveUpdate and Address Standardization co-presented by yours truly. During this presentation we explored the importance of maintaining your mail file and the various methods that are available to mailers to help with this initiative. Steve Rose, a veteran USPS employee with 42 years experience, started with explaining how important address stadardization and address validation were to ensuring that your mail will be delivered to your intended recipient. He also let us in on the fact that CASS cylce M will be coming online soon as a mandatory component to acheive automated postal rates in the future. This new CASS M will require mailers to not only validate the main address, but also the secondary address. This new mandate will help the USPS process mail that is being delivered to companies in highrise buildings or individuals in Apartment complexes more efficiently. Currently there is a problem when this information is omitted from the mailing address for the USPS to automate the processing of this mail for delivery. Next, I discussed the MoveUpdate standards that went into effect in November and went through the various methods that are available for mailers to stay in compliance. This process is crucial not only to stay in compliance with USPS standards, but also to stay in contact with customers. The cost impact is also a consideration; if a mailer is not updating their list then they are probably wasting money in postage and printing because the mail is not making to their intended audience.  What this all means for mailers is that now you will increase your probability of getting that advertisement, bill, or general correspondence into the intended recipients hands in the most efficient manner. Follow this link to view the slides. http://www.fmidm.com/Documents/MoveUpdate.ppt
The next topic was the “Value of Mail”. This presentation dealt with how the mail recipients feel and act towards their incoming mail. There was a study commissioned by the USPS to survey people and ask pointed questions to find out how they view incoming mail, what they do with their mail and what makes mail relevant. The findings were very interesting for anybody who utilizes direct mail in their marketing mix. To summarize, the surveys showed that people looked forward to receiving mail and that in most cases they retreived the mail everyday. It also found that there was usually one person in the household that viewed retreiving the mail as their “job”. This person was also most likely to be the one that did the household shopping and was incharge of the household finances. Further, the survey uncovered that individuals will sort their mail everyday, but they do neccessarily open it right away. The key factor to determining whether a piece is kept or trashed had to with relevance. The individuals needed to feel that the piece was relevant to something in their life or that fulfilled a need. To view the entire presentation, follow this link. http://www.fmidm.com/Documents/ValueOfMail.pdf
All in all it was a great and informative day. If you have any questions about the topics, the PCC , our our services please contact us:
lformica@fmidm.com
eformica@fmidm.com
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