In the world of direct mail, there are many agencies which can create a beautiful piece of advertising. Talented graphic artists with innovative ideas and attention-grabbing art can help give you a leg up. The printer goes to work and produces magic, and you send out a mailer or postcard or letter which will produce a great result for you.
They can also cause delays in the mailstream, get your pieces rejected by the post office and cost you thousands of dollars.
The unglamorous but essential job of knowing postal regulations can make or break your project and sadly, most printers are unaware of many of them. The USPS produces a “Direct Mail Manual” which is long, tedious, and reads like the tax code. It contains a vast number of regulations, and it also contains benefits for your business which can save you money and make your mail flow more smoothly, get to its destination faster, and be tracked along the way.
CASE STUDY #1: We produced postcards for a client who was giving an annual event. They had sent postcards for years using other printers, not knowing that they were entitled to a discount on pre-sorted standard mail as a non-profit entity. Because no other printer had ever asked them “are you a non-profit organization?” (it was not obvious from their company name), they paid postage in excess of their obligation every time. In this particular mailing, the difference in postage was about $300.00. Imagine how much they could have saved over the years!
CASE STUDY #2: Another project came our way in the late stages. A creative agency/printer had designed a catchy, clever appeal for an important client, and they needed our help to seal the mailer for them. One look at these mailers with a practiced postal eye spoke volumes. At least five errors had occurred in their design and production process. The construction and fold of the piece made it non-machinable. Incorrect placement of the address and barcode made it non-automated. Every aspect drove up the cost and slowed down the pace of the mailing, and yet it was too late. They made the decision to “send it out anyway”. Extra postage cost to their important client would run around $1,000.00.
Knowledge is power, and in the direct mail business, knowledge of postal regulations has the power to save your project lots of money, hassles and delay. Go with a pro to get the job done right the first time and every time.
