| VOL 4 NO 13 |  |
| Is your direct mail program vaccinated?
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Fall has arrived, which means that flu season isn’t far behind. While you’re waiting in line for your flu vaccine, think about your direct marketing program (I know, it’s not your typical daydreaming topic, but bear with me). When was the last time your direct mail had a checkup? I don’t mean taking its temperature and testing its reflexes, but you can think of it as monitoring its vital signs. Where might you be hemorrhaging precious pennies from your budget? Start with three evaluations: 1. List hygiene. Minimizing the amount of money you lose on undeliverable and misdirected mail starts with regular 2. Postage rates. Are you mailing at the lowest possible postage rate suited for your program? Do you traditionally send your mail at full first-class when standard would work just fine and possibly save you $0.15 per piece or more? 3. Piece dimensions. Subtle (but oh-so-significant) differences divide letter-rate mail from the rest of the pack. Dimensions that fall outside the accepted ranges and ratios can push your piece into flat or parcel rates and/or nonmachinable postage categories. Not only do you want to keep these guidelines in mind when evaluating your piece’s design, this knowledge may help you save some money as well. For instance, some catalogers have altered the dimensions of their catalogs to fit into letter categories (the new size is often called a "slim jim"). When Jockey debuted its new catalog in May, the piece fit into this description. (Talk to your direct mail experts before blindly switching.) These three checks will go a long way toward improving the health of your direct mail. A simple bandage may be all you need, or it may call for more serious surgery. Call us for a second opinion. |
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