Perfect Storm at the Post Office: How will it affect your direct mail marketing campaign
Written on May 18, 2007 by Susan Payton
A Perfect Storm is “Taking Shape” at the Post Office
I recently found this slyly buried article about the Postal Service changing its fee structure. Apparently, rather than charging by weight, the Postal Service will now charge by shape. So if you have a large postcard or package, you will be charged more than a heavier and smaller piece of mail. And they also assess the thickness of the letter, so forget stuffing an envelope to get a cheaper rate.
Postal Service; expect total anarchy.
I read this article after I sent both a letter and a package out, most likely incorrectly stamped. I’m sure the Postal Service will have thousands of letters with incorrect postage for weeks to come.
So what does this mean for your business? Well, if you have direct mail campaigns, you will need a PST (Postal Service Translator) to wade through the requirements, stipulations, and other frustrations. It means that if you’ve been sending out an oversized postcard that’s over 6″by 4.25″, you no longer fit in the “postcard” category with the Postal Service, and will struggle to figure out how much to pay. It also means you direct mail campaign budget (check my article on marketing with little or no money) just got inched up what could total several thousand dollars over the course of a year.
I personally don’t mind an increase in rates for postage. What I do mind is the headache that businesses (my Egg Marketing & Public Relations included) will have in trying to determine how much to pay. The Postal Service should come up with a better solution that will benefit both their wallets and our businesses.
-Susan
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