Sorry for the postal-speak in this, but I wanted to pass it on quickly.
This comes from a memo from a local Postal Customer Council:
The US Postal Service today asked the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to expedite consideration of the Postal Service's plan to make its operations more efficient, reduce costs and ensure the long-term affordability of mail.
The request filed with the PRC asks it to issue a non-binding advisory opinion on planned Postal Service network and service standard changes by mid-April 2012. The current moratorium on the closing of any Post Office expires on May 15, 2012. The USPS voluntarily agreed to the moratorium in response to congressional requests in the hope it would help to create comprehensive postal legislation.
The Postal Service had laid out a plan to return to profitability while meeting the changing needs of its customers. The plan includes reducing the number of mail processing facilities from 460 today to less than 200 by 2013, and revising mail delivery service standards. This would provide more predictable and reliable service, and is part of a broader effort to stabilize Postal Service finances, and continue to provide affordable, universal service for generations to come.
The PRC issued a schedule last week that guarantees it will not issue its non-binding advisory opinion until July 10, 2012, at the earliest. The Postal Service would like to move forward with its planned network and service standard changes with the benefit of the advisory opinion, which it would need to have well before May 15.
The Postal Service believes that more than four months, from Dec. 5, 2011 to mid-April 2012, is adequate time for the PRC to evaluate and comment on these proposed operational changes.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit www.posthastemailing.com, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.com
USPS 2012 Rate Hike is Kind to Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit organizations can breathe a little easier concerning the 2012 postage rate increase.
An early look at the rates, scheduled to take effect January 22, 2012, show that nonprofit postage is going up only a fraction of a cent, and in several cases, will actually decrease.
Of course, the key to claiming the lowest rate is to ensure your mailpiece is machine-compatible. Just download this handy guide on our website before designing your mailpiece. Confused? Just send us a PDF and we'll be happy to do the checking for you.
Here are a few examples of the upcoming January 2012 postage rates:
And although flat-sized automation postage went up, the increase is negligible:
If your organization takes advantage of carrier route rates, the new rates will be .001 - .003 per piece higher than our current prices.
To see or download all the new postage rates and fees, click here.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit www.posthastemailing.com, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.com
An early look at the rates, scheduled to take effect January 22, 2012, show that nonprofit postage is going up only a fraction of a cent, and in several cases, will actually decrease.
Of course, the key to claiming the lowest rate is to ensure your mailpiece is machine-compatible. Just download this handy guide on our website before designing your mailpiece. Confused? Just send us a PDF and we'll be happy to do the checking for you.
Here are a few examples of the upcoming January 2012 postage rates:
Auto Letters | Current Rates (non SCF) | New 2012 Rates |
Mixed AADC | .168 | .166 |
AADC | .152 | .150 |
3-Digit | .150 | .148 |
5-Digit | .132 | .130 |
And although flat-sized automation postage went up, the increase is negligible:
Auto Flats | Current Rates (non SCF) | New 2012 Rates |
Mixed AADC | .355 | .356 |
AADC | .345 | .346 |
3-Digit | .289 | .290 |
5-Digit | .213 | .214 |
If your organization takes advantage of carrier route rates, the new rates will be .001 - .003 per piece higher than our current prices.
Carrier Route Letters | Current Rates (non SCF) | New 2012 Rates |
Basic | .191 | .194 |
High Density | .123 | .125 |
Saturation | .110 | .111 |
Carrier Route Flats | Current Rates (non SCF) | New 2012 Rates |
Basic | .191 | .194 |
High Density | .146 | .149 |
Saturation | .120 | .122 |
To see or download all the new postage rates and fees, click here.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit www.posthastemailing.com, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.com
Printing and Direct Mail: It's Fine for the Environment
The other day I read this at the end of someone's email:
It is perfectly fine to print this email. Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of men and women. Working forests are good for the environment, providing clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. When you don't need it anymore, be sure to put it in a bin designated for recycling, and it will come back as new paper!
And it started me wondering. Can printing and direct mail actually be good for the environment? I had to check it out.
I learned that only about 14% of the 3.3 billion cubic meters of wood consumed worldwide each year is for paper production and much of this wood comes from wood chips and other "leftovers" from sawmill operations. On the other hand, over half of the wood harvested in the world is used for fuel, mostly for cooking and domestic heating. The second-largest wood use is for lumber and plywood in home building.
Of course, some of our paper is made from trees (and not wood by-products), but not from old-growth forests. These days, tree farms are planted and grown specifically for paper, just like any other crop. As one area of trees is harvested, another is planted in a cycling, continuous-growth farm.
Thanks to these sustainable practices, the amount of forests has grown significantly in recent years. We have more forests in the U.S. now than we did 50 years ago, and about the same forestland as we did 100 years ago (U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends). Put another way: our use of paper has convinced tree farmers that it's a worthwhile crop.
It is perfectly fine to print this email. Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of men and women. Working forests are good for the environment, providing clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. When you don't need it anymore, be sure to put it in a bin designated for recycling, and it will come back as new paper!
And it started me wondering. Can printing and direct mail actually be good for the environment? I had to check it out.
I learned that only about 14% of the 3.3 billion cubic meters of wood consumed worldwide each year is for paper production and much of this wood comes from wood chips and other "leftovers" from sawmill operations. On the other hand, over half of the wood harvested in the world is used for fuel, mostly for cooking and domestic heating. The second-largest wood use is for lumber and plywood in home building.
Of course, some of our paper is made from trees (and not wood by-products), but not from old-growth forests. These days, tree farms are planted and grown specifically for paper, just like any other crop. As one area of trees is harvested, another is planted in a cycling, continuous-growth farm.
Thanks to these sustainable practices, the amount of forests has grown significantly in recent years. We have more forests in the U.S. now than we did 50 years ago, and about the same forestland as we did 100 years ago (U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends). Put another way: our use of paper has convinced tree farmers that it's a worthwhile crop.
You might say that not using paper to "save a tree" is like not eating your greens to save a vegetable.
If "saving trees" isn't an issue, why bother recycling paper at all? To save landfill space. Plus, paper is easy and inexpensive to recycle. It can be remade into products like corrugated boxes, packaging, newsprint, tissue and new paper. According to the EPA, direct mail currently accounts for only 2.4% of landfill waste; and the recycling recovery rate of direct mail has grown nearly 700% since 1990.
None of us likes to be wasteful, so here are some effective ways to help the environment in your next direct mail campaign: Target your mailing to avoid mailing to prospects with a lower likelihood of response. Keep your mailing list up to date, and pass it through NCOA (National Change of Address) regularly. Ask your printer to use vegetable or soy-based inks (shameless plug: Post Haste Direct Mailing already uses these) rather than petroleum-based inks. Use recycled paper or paper produced through responsible forestry.
So go ahead and print that email. Or this blog article. And feel good knowing you're saving a tree.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit www.posthastemailing.com, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.comIf "saving trees" isn't an issue, why bother recycling paper at all? To save landfill space. Plus, paper is easy and inexpensive to recycle. It can be remade into products like corrugated boxes, packaging, newsprint, tissue and new paper. According to the EPA, direct mail currently accounts for only 2.4% of landfill waste; and the recycling recovery rate of direct mail has grown nearly 700% since 1990.
None of us likes to be wasteful, so here are some effective ways to help the environment in your next direct mail campaign: Target your mailing to avoid mailing to prospects with a lower likelihood of response. Keep your mailing list up to date, and pass it through NCOA (National Change of Address) regularly. Ask your printer to use vegetable or soy-based inks (shameless plug: Post Haste Direct Mailing already uses these) rather than petroleum-based inks. Use recycled paper or paper produced through responsible forestry.
So go ahead and print that email. Or this blog article. And feel good knowing you're saving a tree.
A USPS Closure in Your Area?
On July 27, 2011, The USPS filed for an opinion on closing some 3,652 post offices, stations and branches nationwide (about 11 percent of its retail network).
Texas and Illinois top the list of possible USPS closures, and Delaware is the only state with no facilities on the list.
The USPS must consider these closures because of society's changes in communications (i.e., email and bill paying via the internet), the questionable need for traditional brick-and-mortar stores, and the USPS' current economic condition.
Of course, postal union members aren't very happy about this, in addition to customers in small towns who consider the local post office a meeting place.
Wonder if your post office is on the list? You can look at a map here.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit http://www.posthastemailing.com/, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.com
Texas and Illinois top the list of possible USPS closures, and Delaware is the only state with no facilities on the list.
The USPS must consider these closures because of society's changes in communications (i.e., email and bill paying via the internet), the questionable need for traditional brick-and-mortar stores, and the USPS' current economic condition.
Of course, postal union members aren't very happy about this, in addition to customers in small towns who consider the local post office a meeting place.
Wonder if your post office is on the list? You can look at a map here.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit http://www.posthastemailing.com/, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.com
Here's to Direct Mail
A thoroughly biased look at direct mail versus other types of advertising.
I’m going to be honest. I’ve never been fond of the U.S.
Let’s look at how it compares to other types of advertising:
Television – you have a 15- or 30-second spot that is on and gone so fast no one can buy anything the first time they see your ad. That means repetition, literally drilling your product into the viewer’s mind. That comes at a high cost, and is usually annoying to the viewer (another commercial?) because – let’s face it – most TV ads aren’t very entertaining. Even my must-watch TV of the year – Superbowl ads – have IMHO gone downhill in recent years.Radio – similar to TV, typically only listened to during drive time. Radio made jingles famous, and even today that’s what many advertisers use to (hopefully) make their brand memorable. I can still recall portions of jingles: “call 1-800 something something and away goes trouble down the drain.” The trouble is, when I had to repipe my entire house, I didn’t sing a jingle to find a plumber. I hunted through some saved direct mail, did a little online research, and ended up with a great company.
Telemarketing – need I say more? Somehow in spite of legislation, telemarketers are still calling us during dinner. When my daughter was a teen, I had a way of dealing with them. I would simply hand her the phone and she would start talking. About her day, school, grades, boys, swimming, shoes, friends, the unfairness of life, you name it. Until the poor telemarketer hung up (probably with a newly renewed allegiance to bachelorhood).
I really miss having her around.
Email – Email came on strong due to its extremely low cost. But it wasn’t long before the word “spam” was created, and we all bemoaned our overflowing in-boxes. Unfortunately, legitimate emails are often lost in the avalanche of discount pet meds, little blue pills and requests from Nigerian princes. Although I don’t mind occasional email marketing from some businesses, I get annoyed if they over-email me. I’ve also found myself thinking “gee, this didn’t cost them much to send. Do they really value me so little?” Sometimes cheaper and faster are not the advantages people think they are
.
Direct mail – It’s colorful, carefully targeted, less expensive than radio and TV, and it won’t interrupt dinner or your favorite show. You can touch it, save it (for when you actually need a plumber), act on it now or later. You can respond by phone, internet or mail. And it pairs beautifully with email for a one-two marketing punch.For those who say direct mail kills trees, consider this: trees are grown and harvested much like any other crop, and tree farming has become a huge industry in the U.S.
So go out and direct mail. Because it works.
For more information on Post Haste Mailing Services, visit http://www.posthastemailing.com/, or email us at: info@posthastemailing.com
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