Postal Service has survived past challenges — and it will again

By DAVID BECKER II
Special to the Herald-Journal

Published: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 6:50 p.m.
The Herald-Journal’s recent editorial, “Postal progress,” begged for balance in both logic and facts about the U.S. Postal Service, our employees and customers. Here’s some food for thought for your readers.

While it’s true that the recession and the Internet are contributing to difficult financial circumstances for the Postal Service, the major cause of loss of mail volume and revenue is the economy. Let’s not all throw in the towel and turn to the Internet without considering some important facts:

* The U.S. Postal Service is our nation’s third largest employer; its employees and customers represent a functioning, viable $900 billion economic cornerstone of our economy in a time when jobs are scarce.

* Eight-two percent of Americans still pay their bills by mail.

* Like other American businesses, the Internet has revolutionized customer service for the Postal Service with usps.com providing 80 percent of the services you get at a post office. In 2008, stamp and retail sales at the Postal Store totaled more than $442 million.

* The Postal Service has the largest fleet of alternative fuel vehicles in the nation: 43,000 in all.

* According to the Environmental Protection Agency, advertising mail accounts for less than 2.4 percent of municipal waste in landfills.

* Postal Service Priority and Express packaging is free, eco-friendly and recyclable.

* Thanks to the Postal Inspection Service and the Office of the Inspector General, delivery of your mail is secure.

* Less than 4 percent of identity theft happens through the mail; the remainder comes from illegal computer access of personal information.

* Without the Postal Service providing affordable, universal, surcharge-free prices, private shipping rates would likely skyrocket.

* Is e-mail cheaper than a 44-cent stamp? Consider the cost of the computer, the Internet service provider fee, the power bill and the ongoing equipment upgrades.

* About one-third of our population does not have Internet access.

* Ideas to charge per e-mail already have been considered by Internet service providers. Without a postal alternative, service providers could charge and raise the cost for each e-mail at will.

* Other forms of communication (TV and the Internet) have a considerable negative environmental impact, sending outmoded models to landfills by the millions. According to the National Safety Council, only 11 percent of computers get recycled, and small-time consumers alone add 10 million computers to landfills each year.

From the telegraph to the Internet, new technology has historically caused many predictions of the end of the Postal Service. But because the Postal Service is able to adapt and change to ensure secure, affordable, universal delivery, it has withstood similar threats to serve our country for almost 250 years.

David Becker II is the Spartanburg postmaster.

Tags: coutesy reply mail, delivery times, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, junk mail, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, Philadelphia Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings, USPS, usps regulations for flats

Summer Postage Sale – well, sort of a sale, no, more like a small rebate

To those that are excited about the impending summer postage sale, there are a few details you need to know, first, did you receive a letter from the USPS recently?
Here is what it looks like: summer-sale-electronic-letter

Here are the details:
The USPS has made it official (almost) that they are going forward with the proposed ‘Summer Sale’ event. The PRC must still weigh in with their decision, which is expected in late May, to make this program official. This program would provide a 30% postage credit on mailings submitted between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009. This incentive program is designed to increase mailing activity during the usually dormant summer months, when the USPS has their most excess capacity available.

Unlike most sales however, there are a multitude of qualifiers that apply to the Summer Sale.

Who and what qualifies?
For the most part, the USPS has already determined what mailers qualify. Letters were sent out on 5/7/09 to approximately 3,200 mailers whom they determined will be eligible for this program by utilizing the mail volume data that exists within their internal system.

1. This program only applies to Presorted Standard letters and flats.
2. The next qualifier is that you must have mailed a minimum of 1,000,000 pieces during the time period of October 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008. Total volume is calculated by mailer, so even if you utilize multiple permits, your total volume will be calculated across all permits that are associated to your organization. This also applies to “Ghost Numbers”, which are created if your mail is sent through a Mail Service Provider. If you feel you are eligible, but have not received a letter, then you can request a contact by emailing your information to summersale@usps.gov.

If you have met the criteria above, you are ready to begin to calculate the ‘Sale’ portion of the program. The 30% postage credit will be given only on the number of mail pieces that exceed your mailing threshold for the time period of July 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009. The caveat to this all is that your mail volume in October must not fall below your mailing threshold for that month. If this occurs; the total credit accrued from mailings between 7/1/09 to 9/30/09 will be deducted by the amount of pieces that fell below the threshold in October and that will be the final credit. The credit will be issued at some point in December of 2009 once the USPS has completed the above calculations.

How to calculate your potential savings:
Below is an example of how to calculate the savings that you as a mailer may receive through this program. Listed in this example is the all important Threshold, which will be the key to planning your mailings to take advantage of this program.

1. Base volume (7/1/08 – 9/30/08): 500,000 pieces

2. Trend:

a. Volume 10/1/08 – 3/31/09 = 1,800,000 pieces

b. Volume 10/1/07 – 3/31/08 = 2,000,000 pieces

c. a/b = (1,800,000 / 2,000,000) = .90 or 90%

3. Base x trend = Threshold:
500,000 x .90 = 450,000

4. Rebate = (Actual volume – threshold) x (actual postage cost / actual volume) x 30%

a. Actual volume for 7/1/09 – 9/30/09 – threshold =
475,000 – 450,000 = 25,000 pieces

b. Actual postage cost / actual volume =
$103,075 / 475,000 = $0.217

c. Rebate =
25,000 x $0.217 x .3 = $1627.50

The October Effect:
It is important to keep your mailing volume for October in mind when factoring the potential savings. If your volume falls below the calculated threshold, then your overall credit will be impacted. Below is an example of how to calculate this effect.

a. October 2008 volume x trend (in #2 above) = October threshold:
300,000 x .90 = 270,000 pieces

b. If October 2009 (260,000 pieces) < October threshold:
Threshold – actual = adjustment
270,000 – 260,000 = 10,000

Rebate adjustment

a. Actual volume – summer sale threshold – rebate adjustment:
475,000 – 450,000 – 10,000 = 15,000

b. New rebate:
15,000 x $.217 x .3 = $976.50

For those of you that have received a letter; be sure to certify the volume that the USPS has provided to you since this will be a binding once you have agreed to enroll in the program. Also be sure to have your response in by August 1st, 2009.
This program is a great way to potentially reach more customers at a lower cost and therefore enhance your business’ ROI. The system is not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction for the USPS to utilize their new found pricing freedom to help mailers.

From the Federal Register today:
Federal Register Notices

DATE: Pending publication in the Federal Register.

Standard Mail Volume Incentive Program (aka Summer Sale)

AGENCY: Postal Serviceâ„¢.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), to add section 709.2 which introduces new standards for a special volume incentive program for mailers of Standard Mail® letters and flats with mail volume exceeding their individual USPS™-determined threshold levels. The program period will be from July 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Gunther at 202-268-7208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Postal Service is implementing a volume incentive program for qualified high-volume mailers of commercial or Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats, for volume mailed between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009, above their USPS-determined threshold level. This program encourages mailers to provide new volume and to take advantage of our current excess capacity to process and deliver additional volume.

Tags: Add new tag, Advertising, Booklets, Cost, coutesy reply mail, Direct Marketing, intelligent mail barcode, Jack Potter, Jack Potter congressional testimony, junk mail, Letters, Mail, Mailing, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, National Change of Address, non profits direct mail, one code, PCC, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Post Office, Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings, summer postage sale, USPS, usps regulations for flats, USPS summer sale

Big Brother is Watching-direct mailers beware, you are not safe even when postage is paid

PostCom’s general counsel has communicated the following to the association:
The United States Postal Service, which appears headed for a multi-billion dollar loss this year, has quietly launched a major new initiative to collect more postage from mail that already has been paid for and delivered.

The primary targets of the initiative are business mailers—the mailers that use large volumes of First-Class and Standard Mail for marketing, billing, account statements, and other customer communications and the mail service providers that help prepare these mailings.

The Postal Service’s strategy is to investigate recent mailings for violations of the complex and arcane mail preparation requirements for discounted postage rates. Evidence of violation can lead to demands for additional postage, or enforcement actions under the False Claims Act. The potential financial exposure for big national mailers can be seven or eight figures.

The Postal Service seems to be looking for violations of Move Update (address updating) requirements, other addressing requirements, and other mail preparation and content requirements that could lead to large revenue deficiencies. In some cases, the investigators seek evidence that the mailer entered improper mailings knowingly or intentionally, states of mind that can support a claim under the False Claims Act.

Violation of the False Claims Act can expose a mailer to double or treble damages—i.e., liability equal to two or three times the amount of the underlying revenue deficiency—as well as civil penalties of approximately $11,000 per violation. The Postal Service typically rules that each mailing statement constitutes a separate violation; hence, total civil penalties sometimes can be ten or more times the underlying revenue deficiency. Criminal liability under the False Claims Act is also possible, but unlikely except in extreme cases. The firm has provided tips on how to deal with postal inspectors.

Tags: Advertising, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, junk mail, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, National Change of Address, NCOA, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, Philadelphia Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings

Monkeying Around with Postal Pallets

From the Dead Tree Edition
Where have all the pallets gone, U.S. Postal Service officials sometimes wonder.

The Postal Service spends millions of dollars annually replenishing the supply of pallets, tubs, mailbags, and the like because so many get diverted to other uses each year. Pat Donahoe, USPS’s COO, explained to the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) recently that, sometimes, getting the pallets back is no easy matter.

He displayed the following photo from a major U.S. zoo to prove his point.

Do you suppose there’s an Intelligent Mail barcode on these orangutans?

Tags: Advertising, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, intelligent mail barcode, junk mail, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, Move Update Requirements, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, one code, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings

postage increase goes into effect on Monday, May 11th

I would be remiss if I did not remind you that the postage increase goes into effect on Monday, May 11th. Here is a link to the new rates!

http://www.usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm?from=prices&page=NewMay09Prices

Tags: Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, Move Update Requirements, National Change of Address, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, Philadelphia Post Office, Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings, USPS

USPS: Ve Haf Vays of Making You Use Our Barcode

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 From the Dead Tree Edition

The Postal Service’s Intelligent Mail program might fail because it is not sufficiently attractive to mailers, the Government Accounting Office warned today.

Not to worry, the Postal Service responded. If the tiny Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) discounts scheduled for later this year are not enough to entice mailers, it said, two years from now the huge penalties for not using IMbs will force mailers to change their ways. Starting in May 2011, mail without IMbs will be ineligible for automation discounts, which typically are at least several cents per mail piece.

“Some mailers have said they find the pricing incentives insufficient to recover their investment in the program,” said the GAO report. “For example, some large mailers said they invested millions of dollars to update and purchase hardware and software, while some smaller mailers expected to invest tens of thousands of dollars.”

Other highlights of the report and the Postal Service’s response:

The Intelligent Mail program “lacks a comprehensive strategy” that includes a detailed plan or “goals and measures of success”, the GAO said. The Postal Service agreed to beef up its planning but said the approach recommended by the GAO would drag out implementation too long.

“USPS and mailers may not be ready for implementation given USPS’s short-time period in which to simultaneously design, develop, test, and implement the Intelligent Mail program,” the report said. Amen to that!

An odd statement from the Postal Service: “Despite an extremely compressed schedule, the successful implementation of the Operating System environment on May 11 and the Test Environment for Mailers on May 18 demonstrates how well this effort works.” May 11 and 18 haven’t occurred yet, and mailers are reporting that the Postal Service is not ready for those key dates. See “Another Delay for Intelligent Mail?”

USPS “lacks information on costs and savings attributable to the Intelligent Mail program,” the GAO said. USPS responded that the program will give it valuable information enabling it to become more efficient but that “there is no sound financial method to specifically attribute these reductions to Intelligent Mail.”

“According to USPS, Intelligent Mail is the most complex project it has undertaken,” the GAO report said.

Tags: Advertising, Cost, delivery times, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, intelligent mail barcode, junk mail, Letters, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, NCOA, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, Philadelphia Post Office, Postage, postage increase, Savings

Corporate Social Responsibility News

4.30.2009 – 12:04pm ET
CSR News from: SustainCommWorld
News Categories: Sustainability

The Big Debate: Print or Digital Media – Which is more Sustainable?

Strategic Business Leaders with answers to address The Green Media Conference
(CSRwire) MERCER ISLAND, WA. – April 29, 2009 – Which is more sustainable, physical mail or email, a magazine page or a web page, a book or an ebook? Which has the larger carbon footprint and what is the risk to a brand if their messaging says one thing and their media supply chain choices say another?

Publishers, advertisers, marketers and supply chain professionals are increasingly being challenged to make decisions that address climate change and that are consistent with the principles of sustainability.

Carbon Dioxide has been ruled a pollutant dangerous to human life by the EPA, climate change legislation is pending in congress, and the leaders of 192 nations, including the US, China and India, will meet in Copenhagen this December to agree on a climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. With an eye to the future, what efforts can be taken to measure the carbon footprints and otherwise qualify and quantify arguments for the sustainability of print and/or digital media?

Leaders from publishing, the postal service, and printing who are addressing this issue now, will be speaking at The Green Media Conference, June 9 in Washington, DC. They will be speaking in a session entitled: The Great Debate. Addressing the audience will be:

Hans Wegner, Vice President, Production Services, National Geographic

Mike Fanning, Manager Business Development, United States Postal Service

Dave Podmayersky, Director of Sustainability, Earth Color
Quote: Don Carli, Conference Chair and Executive Vice President, SustainCommWorld and Sr. Research Fellow at The Institute for Sustainable Communication

“Sustainable supply chains and climate action are becoming mainstream priorities for leading brands and for government. Just as their governance policies, products, packaging and messages are being scrutinized, so to are their media supply chain choices – print, websites, emails, direct mail, advertising, brochures, tradeshows and events – all are being scrutinized as the next big area for improvement in sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Key questions that our speakers will address include:
What standards and best practices can be employed to assess the sustainability of your operations and your media supply chain practices?

What are the most significant challenges you face in reducing their carbon footprint and making them more sustainable?

How will your media supply chain need to change in response to these issues, and what are the firms most likely to survive and thrive going to look like?

What risks do the precarious state of the printing, papermaking and publishing industries present to government, business and society?

What risks do the energy demands of IT, e-waste and the ephemeral nature of digital media present to government, business and society?
“These conferences bring thought leaders together with a focus on graphic communication, marketing, publishing and to discuss, challenge, learn and drive implementation of best practices in the greening of print and digital media supply chains.”

With the theme of “Expanding Lean & Green Opportunities,” The Green Media Conference brings together practitioners, best practices and real world case studies on the production of sustainable media and illustrating how to make money at the same time. Attendees to SustainCommWorld events are marketing and advertising professionals who need the latest information to make sustainable advertising, printing and web decisions as well as analyses the businesses within their supply chains.

This June there will be two conferences, one in Washington, DC on June 9 and one in Chicago on June 23. Each city will have a different group of speakers addressing these issues. For more information on conference program and additional speakers, visit: http://www.GreenMediaConference.com

About SustainCommWorld

SustainCommWorld is focused on educating communication professionals from corporations, institutions and government agencies how to develop sustainable green workflows and supply chains to lower their carbon footprint. SustainCommWorld currently produces major events including The Business of Green Media Conference in cooperation with the Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department and the Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly, and The Green Media Conferences.

SustainCommWorld staff consults with institutions and enterprises on issues related to sustainable communication – the production of sustainable media and the associated business challenges and opportunities that face the graphic arts community, enterprise marketers and those involved in media production. Senior executives are frequent speakers at conferences around the world.

To further spread their green message, SustainCommWorld produces a bi-monthly newsletter Green Media Newsletter, Communicate Green Radio, a radio show debuting next fall and sponsors GreenMediaConnect, a social networking site featuring forums, blogs and resources. For more information visit, http://www.sustaincommworld.com

For more information please contact:

Lisa Wellman, CEO
SustainCommWorld
206 275 9992
206 236 0354
www.greenmediaconference.com

Tags: Advertising, digital media, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, going green, junk mail, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, PCC, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Post Office, postage increase, postmaster

People Try Twitter One Month, Then Fly

From PC World Wednesday, April 29, 2009 4:22 AM PDT
It’s good to know I am not alone: Many other people use Twitter a few times and can’t think of a good reason to come back. With all the hype about Twitter’s 140-character version of living, I’d gotten the impression that I’m the only one on Twitter who doesn’t get why Twitter matters.

Not so, according to Nielsen data that shows 60 percent of people who use Twitter one month, even at its peak popularity, don’t come back the next. While it used to be that 70 stayed away that improvement is not much to brag about–Twitter’s customer retention is prone to peaks and valleys.

Twitter needs to be concerned about this, especially since both MySpace and Facebook have failure to return rates only about half that of Twitter. Put another way, 60 percent of MySpace and Facebook users come back the next month, about the same percentage that do not return to Twitter on its best months.

It is easy to think of reasons for this. Twitter is a one-trick pony. If you do not like tweeting or reading the tweets of others, there are not a whole lot of reasons to return.

Both MySpace and Facebook, for all their problems, offer more services than Twitter. It is easy to see how places where users can do more things could make the two services “stickier” than Twitter.

This does not surprise me. Twitter feels really light to me. Some people, obviously, become addicted but large numbers of others just walk away. That is not such a big deal right now as Twitter is in major growth mode. Growth hides all manner of sins.

However, if that growth mostly results in new users sampling and leaving, the growth will not last. Worse, it may be hard to get those unhappy users to return should Twitter ever expand its product features.

It is not clear whether Nielsen’s measure of Twitter’s return rate counts people, like me, who use a third-party application for their twittering. I do not return to Twitter nearly so much as I return to TweetDeck.

Today, it would be much easier for TweetDeck to make money off my use of Twitter than it would be for Twitter itself. Again, I do not see how these social networks ever make the big money that investors are betting they will.

To be honest, I am using Twitter mostly because I think “it’s good for me,” like some sort of social network vitamin. Like most good intentions, it will be interesting to see how long that lasts. Nevertheless, I am pretty certain to make it into next month.

I’m sure Twitter will be happy.
David Coursey tweets occasionally, and reached by e-mail using www.coursey.com/contact.

Tags: Add new tag, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, Jack Potter, junk mail, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, one code, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings

Young Professionals are Nutty for Nutter!

By: Roseanne Cappacio

I had the opportunity last week to attend a networking event as part of the Young Professionals Network (YPN), sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, at St. Joseph’s University. It was a great opportunity to get to know my fellow peers and also get a more in-depth look at the state of the city from the Mayor himself.
Mayor Nutter spoke to a room of over 150 young professionals as well as addressing any questions we brought to the table. He explained in more detail his plans to raise the property tax for the next two years: up 19% from this year’s rate in 2010 and then just 14% in 2011 from the 2009 rate. Then it should return to the 2009 rate in 2012. He assured us that this has been written as part of the legislature that the 2009 rate will return! Only time will tell. He did also mention that if you are a first time home buyer and buy new construction you have a 10 year tax exemption and the rate increases will not affect you! He encouraged first time home buyers to buy away!
He answered an array of questions from, “What is your opinion on how the Parking Wars TV show depicts the city of Philadelphia?” to “Why should we send our children to Philadelphia Public Schools?” He even took suggestions from the group on how we can keep our young professionals living and working in the city most of us call home.
The Mayor was very personable and even stuck around afterward to speak with anyone who had additional questions for him. I found the event very informative and also realized that we as young professionals do have a voice and the Mayor wants to hear it! So if you have an issue you feel strongly about or just want to express your opinions on a topic feel free to write the Mayor or you can even post your comments here for discussion.
It’s important for all of us to be heard so don’t be afraid to speak up as you never who might be listening!

Tags: Add new tag, Advertising, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, junk mail, Letters, Mailing, mailing services, Money, move update, Move Update Requirements, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Post Office, Postage, postage increase, postmaster, Savings, USPS, usps regulations for flats

Survey: CMOs Not Happy With Digital

April 18, 2009
By Todd Wasserman

CMOs see digital as the medium of choice in this economy, but aren’t getting what they want out of it, according to a new survey from Heidrick & Struggles.

In December, the Atlanta recruiting firm polled 111 senior marketing executives at firms with $1 billion or more in annual revenues about their digital strategies. The impetus, said Lynne Seid, partner in the firm’s global consumer practice, were comments from H&S clients expressing frustration over the fact that so much information exists online about consumers—like their search and social media behavior—and yet marketers felt they were accessing it poorly.

Information on existing customers is especially valuable since in the current down economy, many are focusing on retaining such customers, and cross-selling and up-selling to them, in addition to trying to win over new customers.

Respondents to the survey found their current ability to access ROI and metrics on their digital marketing lacking and rated their companies behind the curve. Many said they would have to look outside the company for help, whether that means hiring new employees or relying on ad agencies—though the marketers said they weren’t happy with their current agencies either.

Time after time in the survey, marketers expressed an awareness of digital’s potential along with a recognition that they weren’t close to tapping it.

For instance, one of the selling points of digital media is its ability to let marketers respond quickly to new opportunities, but only 16 percent of respondents rated themselves “very satisfied” with their ability to do so. Fifty-one percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.”

On a more granular level, the respondents rated marketing ROI, Web behavioral analyses and CRM as the most important parts of their digital marketing mix. Not many marketers thought that they were good at those functions at this point. Only 18 percent said they were “very satisfied” with their ROI analysis, only 13 percent said the same of their CRM program and 19 percent were happy with their search engine optimization.

There was also some debate over who has responsibility for analytics like Web traffic and usage reports. Most marketing departments are currently handling those functions, but they would like to fob it off on IT. Though search marketing also scored high, pulling up the rear on that list were blogs, social networking tools and mobile advertising.

On the bright side, most respondents thought they had Webinars down pat and they were fairly confident in their ability to execute online surveys and contests. On the other hand, most rated their ability to pull off mobile ads and video ads fairly low.

For what ever reason, marketers think their companies are behind the curve on digital marketing, but they don’t see themselves that way. “That’s called ‘irony,’” Seid said. Their agency partners are another story. Fifty-five percent disagree with the statement: “We trust our ad agency partner to provide us with the digital marketing expertise that we need.”

Seid said the big takeaway from the survey is that there’s still enormous room for improvement for most companies’ digital marketing strategies.

“What I’m hearing anecdotally is there are now sometimes half a dozen digital agencies and suppliers specializing in social media and search,” Seid said. “We don’t have anyone managing, integrating and demanding best practices in those areas.” Seid envisions a “digital CMO” taking responsibility for managing those disciplines. Said Seid: “That will be the CMO of the future.”

Tags: Add new tag, Advertising, Cost, delivery times, Direct Mail, Direct Marketing, direct marketing association, intelligent mail barcode, Jack Potter, junk mail, Letters, Mail, Mailing, mailing services, Move Update Requirements, new postal regs, non profits direct mail, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Post Office, Post Office, postage increase, postmaster, Savings, social media, USPS, usps regulations for flats