Since 2011, the U.S. Postal Service® has offered mailing promotions with the general purpose of increasing the value of mail and enhancing the retention of First-Class Mail®. Building upon past successes, the promotions are designed to create excitement in mail and provide multiple opportunities for mailers to enhance the value of their mail.
The 2016 USPS® Mailing Promotions focus on providing marketers with the opportunity to engage their customers by using dynamic color, new print techniques, and mobile technology as well as traditional and innovative mail techniques.
This promotion is designed to encourage mailers to promote First-Class Mail as a primary reply mechanism for their customers and to keep the CRM/BRM envelopes in their outgoing mailpieces by providing a financial benefit when the CRM/BRM envelopes are used. Mailers who register their MID information and use eligible Intelligent Mail® barcodes (IMbs) on their reply pieces will receive a postage credit for each mailpiece that is returned to the mailer during the promotion period.
Registration Period: February 15 through March 31, 2016
Promotion Period: April 1 through June 30, 2016
Eligible Mail:
n Business Reply Mail.
n Courtesy Reply Mail.
Acceptance Period for Credits: The credits will be released when the mailer agrees to his or her volumes after the promotion ends. The volumes must be accepted by September 15, 2016; otherwise, the credits will be forfeited.
Earned Value Credits:
n $0.02 per BRM or CRM pieces counted for first time participants or those who did not meet their threshold.
n $0.03 per BRM and CRM pieces counted if the total number of CRM and BRM pieces meets or exceeds the total number of a mailer’s CRM and BRM pieces counted as part of the 2015 Earned Value promotion.
Credits are available for their use once they have been released to the respective permit(s).
Expiration Date for Credits: December 31, 2016
The U.S. Postal Service continues to encourage mailers to integrate mail with mobile technology and other new technologies. Participating mailers can earn a 2 percent discount upfront through this promotion.
Eligible mailpieces can incorporate NFC technology, or “enhanced” augmented reality experiences, that allow the recipient to engage in an interactive experience. In addition, this year’s promotion will include Video in Print as well as Beacon technology. There will also be an option for A/B testing. This promotion extends to Standard Mail® as well as First-Class Mail.
Registration Period: January 15 through August 31, 2016
Promotion Period: March 1 through August 31, 2016
Discount: 2 percent per eligible mailpiece.
Eligible Mail:
n First-Class Mail presort and automation letters, cards, and flats.
n Standard Mail letters and flats.
n Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats.
The Personalized Color Transpromo promotion builds upon the 2015 Color Transpromo promotion. It encouraged mailers of bills and statements to incorporate color messaging through a dynamically printed production process to create a greater connection to and response from consumers. As part of the 2015 promotion, mailers added marketing messaging to the recipients of transactional mailpieces. The Postal Service intends to continue this approach to grow the value of First-Class Mail and encourage mailers to invest in color print technology.
Registration Period: May 15 through December 31, 2016
Promotion Period: July 1 through December 31, 2016
Discount: 2 percent per eligible mailpiece.
Eligible Mail: First-Class Mail commercial letters that are part of an IMb Full-Service mailing.
Mailpiece Content Restriction: Bills and statements only.
This promotion provides mailers with the opportunity to earn an upfront 2 percent postage discount by integrating mobile technology with direct mail. Using technology platforms such as Quick Response (QR) Codes, Snap Tags, Watermarks, and other advanced technologies enables customers to go from the mailpiece directly to an online shopping experience. QR Codes have expanded to include dotless, visual, and voice technologies.
The Mobile Shopping Promotion has been updated to include a social media component. This year, “Buy Now” features on social media have been added as an additional eligible shopping purchase path.
Registration Period: May 15 through December 31, 2016
Promotion Period: July 1 through December 31, 2016
Discount: 2 percent per eligible mailpiece.
Eligible Mail:
n Standard Mail letters and flats.
n Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats.
Tactile, sensory, and interactive mailpieces were included in the 2015 Emerging and Advanced Technology promotion. Due to its popularity, this year we have added a new promotion solely for these applications. Advances in paper, ink, and interactive mailpiece elements provide marketers with exciting new ways to enhance customer engagement opportunities. The engagement can be achieved through the innovative use of specialty inks, sensory elements, textural papers, and the use of folds or other dimensional elements that the recipient can interact with and manipulate on the mailpiece. This promotion provides mailers with the opportunity to earn an upfront 2 percent postage discount by incorporating these features.
Registration Period: January 15 through August 31, 2016
Promotion Period: March 1 through August 31, 2016
Discount: 2 percent per eligible mailpiece.
Eligible Mail:
n Standard Mail letters and flats.
n Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats.
Program requirements, documents, and additional information about the 2016 promotions can be found at https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mailingpromotions.
— Mailing Services,
New Products and Innovation, 1-7-16
