Direct Mail Part of Economic Recovery

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:42:35 +0000

Highlights Political parties spending more on mail Credit card issuers ramping up mail 1/3 of world’s mail is U.S. direct mail

People have been predicting the demise of direct mail for the better part of a decade now. And it’s true that the current economic situation has hurt both mailers and the postal service. But as individual sectors of the economy are beginning to emerge from recession, advertising [... Continue reading]

Schoolmaster Makes the Grade for Postal Innovation

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:02:00 +0000

First Stamp

Ask an American to name a person responsible for creating the modern postal service, and “Ben Franklin” is the answer you’re likely to get. But while Franklin, our first postmaster, deserves credit for establishing an effective postal system early in our history, the creation of the USPS is not an example of Franklin’s famous capacity for innovation. The innovations that would [... Continue reading]

National Stamp Collecting Month

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:54:57 +0000

Highlights Franklin D. Roosevelt John Lennon Ronnie Wood

Did you know that the USPS designates October as National Stamp Collecting Month? Every fall the postal service kicks off the month-long celebration of philately by unveiling a new collector stamp series for the youth market.

Stamp collecting was once the most popular hobby in the world, and is still enjoyed by many today. In the days before television and the Internet, [... Continue reading]

New Stamps Released

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:22:41 +0000

Gary Cooper makes “Legends of Hollywood” series.

The postal service issued 40 million stamps bearing the likeness of Gary Cooper on Sept. 10. The Cooper stamps are the next release in the Legends of Hollywood series, which honors film icons from Hollywood’s “Golden Age.”

Cooper’s stamp features a portrait by California artist Kazuhiku Sano, which is based on a 1940 George Hurrell photo of the star. [... Continue reading]

Direct Mail Compliments Social Media Marketing

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:45:12 +0000

One of the more prominent forms of branding today is getting your customer base to personally identify themselves with your product or service. For example, every time you see a car with one of those Apple stickers on it, you’re seeing branding at work. That person is saying, “not only do I love my Mac, I consider it a part of my own identity. Hello, I’m a Mac.”

Fun times at WordCamp Dallas ‘09

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:01:32 +0000

WordCamp Dallas'09 Logo

Like many other blog pages, ours is powered by WordPress software. While we are no strangers to the world of online media, we like keeping up with things and learning new ways to make use of communication technologies. So when we found out about WordCamp Dallas ’09, we wasted no time in registering for it.

Now I will admit that at first I [... Continue reading]

Personalized mailings offer exciting capabilities

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:56:10 +0000

Highlights Open a dialog with customers Next step in targeting markets Develop/strengthen brand loyalty

One of the chief advantages of using direct mail is the ability to target your message to a very specific audience. Even better, modern print technology has enhanced that advantage by allowing the mail pieces themselves to be custom-tailored for individual recipients.

Personalized mail has become a hot trend in direct marketing, and for good [... Continue reading]

Mail survey results may surprise you

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:12:32 +0000

Highlights Younger consumers still check mail Security of mail a plus Coupon mailers doing well

Despite declining mail volume over the last few years, consumers have indicated that they still like to get things in their mailboxes. That is the conclusion Pitney Bowes’s most recent mail preference survey came to in 2007.

The study found that mail is overwhelmingly preferred for confidential information, such as bank statements, with 86 percent [... Continue reading]

It’s a good time to mail

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:03:09 +0000

Highlights Fewer pieces vs. fewer campaigns No spam filter Tangible message in hands

Remember that old saying about dark clouds and silver linings? Sometimes I think a businessman must’ve coined it, because it seems that opportunity presents itself even in unfavorable economic circumstances.

Near the end of fiscal year 2008, the United States Postal Service projected a decline in mail volume of about 9 billion pieces from the year before. [... Continue reading]

Putting mail to work for you: Dimensional Mail

Shaun Swegman Jr. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:43:36 +0000

Part 4 in a series on the benefits of different mail media.

Highlights Cuts through mail clutter Starts conversations Always gets opened

Dimensional mail is the one kind of direct mail that is universally loved. Successful mail marketers know that boxes and packages always get opened. Who doesn’t like getting a surprise gift in the mail?

Dimensional mail is among the most costly mailing options, however that does not mean it [... Continue reading]