Postal Issues Updates
Blog Category
Postal Service Announces January Postage Pricing and Upcoming Mailing Promotions
On October 7, the Postal Service filed its proposal to adjust postage pricing for Market Dominant products in January 2023 with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The PRC has 45 days to review the proposal, so we should know their decision on whether to approve the proposal just before Thanksgiving. The effective date for the new postage prices is Sunday, January 22, 2023, and the overall average proposed price increase at the class level is 4.2%, but we all know the devil is in the details for price changes like this. Let’s look at a few of them:
USPS Mailing Promotions: A Win/Win for Performance and Postage
I’m a big advocate for USPS Mailing Promotions. Not only do they encourage all of us to be more effective marketers, but they also help us take better control of postage costs. And after the postage rate increase earlier this month, who isn’t looking for more ways to control postage spend? Why Use Mailing Promotions? […]
IWCO Direct Presents Live at NPF “Direct Mail: The Key to Marketing Success”
Wow! Who would have thought when the postal community gathered in May 2019 for the National Postal Forum (NPF) in Indianapolis that it would be three long years before our community could get together in-person again? That’s why this admitted “postal geek” is so eager to reconnect with his mailing industry friends at this year’s National Postal Forum at the Phoenix Convention Center, where the theme will be “Facing the Future. Together.”
Postal Reform Becomes Law as USPS Announces 2022 Postage Rate Increase
March and April have been eventful months for the mailing industry and marketers. The President has signed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 into law. The Postal Service also filed a proposal for a 2022 postage rate increase with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), with rates set to increase in July.
USPS Mailing Promotions Make Your Direct Mail More Compelling and Reduce Cost
At IWCO Direct, we spend a great deal of time thinking about what drives the success of our clients’ marketing programs, which includes taking advantage of available promotions that can help marketers drive more robust response at a lower cost. As my colleague Marcus Johnson discussed last week, direct mail remains an essential part […]
Digital Commingling: The Next Step in Postage Optimization
Optimizing postage spend is built into IWCO Direct’s DNA. In our announcement last week on the addition of seven new HP digital presses we discussed how our new equipment will drive shorter production cycles with less time from data to delivery for our clients. Another benefit this expansion of our industry-leading digital print platform offers is the ability to further optimize postal qualification and manage postage spend through a process called digital commingling.
To the USPS: Focus on Mail Volume Growth, Not Postage Rate Increases
After the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) released its 10-year strategic plan, Delivering for America, I shared my thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the plan. Two of my largest concerns were the limited focus on growing mail volume and the plan’s reliance on price increases to drive financial stability. Since the plan was released, the USPS has proposed the largest postage rate increase in 15 years.
USPS Promotions are Becoming More Important Than Ever
With a significant postage rate increase on the horizon, the postage discounts that can be earned from participating in USPS promotions have become increasingly important to many marketers. As an added bonus, these promotions encourage marketing techniques that can make the direct mail portion of multichannel campaigns more relevant and engaging for the recipients, driving higher response and greater return on marketing investment (ROMI). Here are some key details and dates for the more popular mailing promotions:
IWCO Direct’s Postal Optimization Strategies Can Help You Offset the 2021 Postage Rate Increase
The U.S. Postal Service—despite its promise to “apply judicious and prudent strategies” in the use of additional rate authority it recently acquired from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC)— has proposed a postage rate increase averaging 6.8% for First-Class and Marketing Mail, which if approved will take effect August 29. This represents the full amount of […]
Breaking Down the USPS Strategic Plan – Areas of Support and Concern
Last week, the U.S. Postal Service released its long-awaited 10-Year Strategic Plan. The plan, entitled Delivering for America, outlines how the Postal Service proposes to achieve financial stability over the next ten years. As with any plan of this scope and scale, there are aspects many postal stakeholders can support and other aspects that may cause stakeholders concern.
