Articles by Kurt Ruppel Blog Archive This is Marketing: A Marketing Philosophy Built on Making Connections and Meeting Needs info Posted January 11, 2019 by Kurt Ruppel in Direct Marketing Trends I’ve been a Seth Godin fan since the days of purple cows, so I was excited to discover his most recent book, This is Marketing. In his latest work, Godin reminds us that “marketing involves very little in the way of shouting, hustling, or coercion.” Instead, he describes effective marketing as “understanding our […] + Read More What’s Ahead for Postal Affairs in 2019? All the Postal News You’ll Need info Posted December 18, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates As we approach the new year, SpeakingDIRECT will be taking the opportunity to reflect on important marketing trends from 2018 and look forward to what we might expect for 2019. In the coming days, my colleagues Karen Weil and Debora Haskel will examine ongoing trends in the evolving paper market and changes we can expect […] + Read More Postage Increase 2019: Rate Adjustment Could Mean a Rocky Road for Mailers info Posted October 24, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates When it comes to the recently announced postage increase for 2019, those of us in the mailing industry thought we were getting vanilla, but what the Postal Service served up was rocky road. Depending on the specific rates a given mailer relies on, that road can look pretty rocky, indeed. The rate adjustment filed […] + Read More Your Fall 2018 Postal News Update: New Governors, New Initiatives, and the Need for More Collaboration info Posted October 10, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates As I alluded to in my post this past June, it’s been a year of non-stop activity for postal nerds. The opportunities to learn about new approaches to postal optimization just keep coming. The fall meeting of the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) was held last week, with additional association meetings happening through Thanksgiving (even […] + Read More Summer 2018 Postal Update: Reform Appears On Hold Until Task Force Issues Report Later This Summer info Posted June 27, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Direct Marketing Trends The last few weeks have been busy for postal nerds like me. While postal issues may not get the press other topics in Washington do, there is certainly a lot going on behind the scenes—including factors impacting postal reform—to continue to keep people like me busy over the summer. Let’s take a look at what’s […] + Read More The 2018 National Postal Forum Proved Mail is the “Ultimate Closer” info Posted May 15, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates San Antonio lived up to its billing as a great place for the mailing community to gather for the 2018 National Postal Forum last week. Great history, a beautiful environment, and exciting nightlife made the city a vibrant backdrop for discussions of data-driven mail and how digital channels “need mail to seal the deal.” The […] + Read More Our Presentations Aren’t the Only Reason You Should Check Out the 2018 National Postal Forum info Posted May 1, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates The biggest postal event of the year, the National Postal Forum, kicks off this weekend in San Antonio, TX. This is a great year to be in San Antonio as it marks the 300th anniversary of the city’s founding. In addition, the Postal Forum begins the day after San Antonio’s Cinco de Mayo […] + Read More At PostalVision 2020, Pros Agree: Risk Intolerance Won’t Save the Mail Industry info Posted April 11, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the eighth PostalVision 2020 conference. This visionary gathering of stakeholders involves conversations about the future of postal services and other delivery operations. It’s a great opportunity for those of us who work closely with the U.S. Postal Service to consider what postal delivery in this country […] + Read More Bob Rosser Receives Idealliance Circle of Excellence Award for Contributions to the Mailing Industry info Posted February 16, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Announcements I had the good fortune to escape the Minnesota winter for a few days last week when I attended the Idealliance Postal Exchange Conference in sunny Clearwater Beach, FL. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and beaches for me and my associates Bob Rosser and Anne Skroch. We spent much of our time engaged with our […] + Read More Postage Rates, Reforms, Reviews, and Retirement: A Postal Update for 2018 info Posted January 19, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates For football fans at IWCO Direct, January has already been an exciting month. Our hometown teams, the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles, will meet this Sunday to decide who will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The Vikings are eager to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home […] + Read More Pages: First Page123456789101112131415Last PageLoad More Articles
This is Marketing: A Marketing Philosophy Built on Making Connections and Meeting Needs info Posted January 11, 2019 by Kurt Ruppel in Direct Marketing Trends I’ve been a Seth Godin fan since the days of purple cows, so I was excited to discover his most recent book, This is Marketing. In his latest work, Godin reminds us that “marketing involves very little in the way of shouting, hustling, or coercion.” Instead, he describes effective marketing as “understanding our […] + Read More
What’s Ahead for Postal Affairs in 2019? All the Postal News You’ll Need info Posted December 18, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates As we approach the new year, SpeakingDIRECT will be taking the opportunity to reflect on important marketing trends from 2018 and look forward to what we might expect for 2019. In the coming days, my colleagues Karen Weil and Debora Haskel will examine ongoing trends in the evolving paper market and changes we can expect […] + Read More
Postage Increase 2019: Rate Adjustment Could Mean a Rocky Road for Mailers info Posted October 24, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates When it comes to the recently announced postage increase for 2019, those of us in the mailing industry thought we were getting vanilla, but what the Postal Service served up was rocky road. Depending on the specific rates a given mailer relies on, that road can look pretty rocky, indeed. The rate adjustment filed […] + Read More
Your Fall 2018 Postal News Update: New Governors, New Initiatives, and the Need for More Collaboration info Posted October 10, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates As I alluded to in my post this past June, it’s been a year of non-stop activity for postal nerds. The opportunities to learn about new approaches to postal optimization just keep coming. The fall meeting of the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) was held last week, with additional association meetings happening through Thanksgiving (even […] + Read More
Summer 2018 Postal Update: Reform Appears On Hold Until Task Force Issues Report Later This Summer info Posted June 27, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Direct Marketing Trends The last few weeks have been busy for postal nerds like me. While postal issues may not get the press other topics in Washington do, there is certainly a lot going on behind the scenes—including factors impacting postal reform—to continue to keep people like me busy over the summer. Let’s take a look at what’s […] + Read More
The 2018 National Postal Forum Proved Mail is the “Ultimate Closer” info Posted May 15, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates San Antonio lived up to its billing as a great place for the mailing community to gather for the 2018 National Postal Forum last week. Great history, a beautiful environment, and exciting nightlife made the city a vibrant backdrop for discussions of data-driven mail and how digital channels “need mail to seal the deal.” The […] + Read More
Our Presentations Aren’t the Only Reason You Should Check Out the 2018 National Postal Forum info Posted May 1, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates The biggest postal event of the year, the National Postal Forum, kicks off this weekend in San Antonio, TX. This is a great year to be in San Antonio as it marks the 300th anniversary of the city’s founding. In addition, the Postal Forum begins the day after San Antonio’s Cinco de Mayo […] + Read More
At PostalVision 2020, Pros Agree: Risk Intolerance Won’t Save the Mail Industry info Posted April 11, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the eighth PostalVision 2020 conference. This visionary gathering of stakeholders involves conversations about the future of postal services and other delivery operations. It’s a great opportunity for those of us who work closely with the U.S. Postal Service to consider what postal delivery in this country […] + Read More
Bob Rosser Receives Idealliance Circle of Excellence Award for Contributions to the Mailing Industry info Posted February 16, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Announcements I had the good fortune to escape the Minnesota winter for a few days last week when I attended the Idealliance Postal Exchange Conference in sunny Clearwater Beach, FL. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and beaches for me and my associates Bob Rosser and Anne Skroch. We spent much of our time engaged with our […] + Read More
Postage Rates, Reforms, Reviews, and Retirement: A Postal Update for 2018 info Posted January 19, 2018 by Kurt Ruppel in Postal Issues Updates For football fans at IWCO Direct, January has already been an exciting month. Our hometown teams, the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles, will meet this Sunday to decide who will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The Vikings are eager to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home […] + Read More
