The general intent of all the 2014 promotions is to increase the value of transactional and direct mail and sustain its long-term growth. These promotions create excitement about mail by encouraging our customers to embrace best practices while discovering new technologies. By participating, mailers will have the opportunity to receive postage discounts. These promotions encourage innovations and keep mail in the minds of marketers, while showing customers we want their business.
These promotions build upon previous promotions and continue our strategy of encouraging mailers to integrate direct mail with mobile technology using best practices in mobile marketing:
n Branded Color Mobile Technology Promotion.
n Emerging Technology Featuring NFC Promotion.
n Mail Drives Mobile Commerce Promotion.
These promotions leverage the value of innovative direct mail techniques that are less widely used, but have been shown to increase the effectiveness of mail campaigns:
n Color Print in First-Class Mail Transactions Promotion.
n Mail and Digital Personalization Promotion.
These promotions are intended to slow the declining volume trends for First-Class Mail®. As technology continues to disrupt the mail volume, the Postal Service™ will ensure reply mail, transactional mail, and First-Class Mail advertising remain a relevant part of the First-Class Mail marketing mix:
n Premium Advertising Promotion.
n Earned Value Promotion.
This first promotion for 2014 is the Branded Color Mobile Technology Promotion (February 1–March 31, 2014 — Registration currently open). This promotion encourages mailers to push the envelope and expand their mobile technology usage beyond basic QR codes. Through participation, mailers will have the opportunity to receive an upfront postage discount on qualifying mailpieces that use creative elements, such as color and/or graphics, in their mobile print technology.
All qualifying mail must contain a mobile barcode or equivalent mobile print technology that, when scanned by a mobile device, leads to a mobile-optimized experience.
The mobile barcode must be functional and incorporate one of the following:
n 2 or more colors (other than black, white, or gray).
n A trademark or graphic that includes a color or multiple colors (other than black, white, or gray).
The mobile technology could also potentially incorporate other non-intrusive options that do not interfere with the creative value of the printed mailpiece. A color image embedded with a digital watermark or intelligent print image recognition would meet this requirement.
Premium Advertising Promotion (April–June 2014) This promotion encourages existing high-volume mail advertisers to use First-Class Mail as a marketing vehicle by offering an upfront discount on First-Class Mail presort postage for mailpieces composed entirely of marketing or advertising content.
Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion (April–June 2014) This promotion encourages mailers to use First-Class Mail as a primary reply mechanism for their customers. Mailers earn a credit on each reply piece returned during the promotion period. At the end of the promotion, the credit amount will be applied to the mailer’s Permit account for use in future mailings of First-Class Mail Presort and automation cards, letters, and flats, and Standard Mail letters and flats.
Mail and Digital Personalization Promotion (May–June 2014) This promotion enhances the value of mail by encouraging mailers to increase relevance to individual mail receivers through customized mailpieces and web pages. Both the mailpiece and PURL/website must be personalized or highly customized to qualify for this promotion.
Emerging Technology Featuring NFC Promotion (August–September 2014) This promotion encourages the integration of mail and cutting edge mobile technology by providing an upfront discount on mailpieces using Near Field Communication (NFC) and other qualifying emerging technologies that lead to a mobile experience.
Color Print in First-Class Mail Transactions Promotion (August–December 2014) This promotion encourages producers of bills and statements to create a greater connection and response from consumers by using dynamic or variable color ink on bills and statements. The color messaging must be for marketing or consumer information purposes, and be printed within the bill or statement contents, not on an addendum or separate page.
Mail Drives Mobile Commerce Promotion (November–December 2014) This promotion encourages marketers and retailers to use mobile purchasing technology with direct mail and catalogs to facilitate state-of-the-art mobile purchases. This promotion also includes features that encourage businesses to use USPS shipping products.
For more information on the 2014 Mailing Promotions Calendar, visit: https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mobilebarcode.
— Direct Mail and Periodicals,
New Products and Innovation, 1-9-14
