Unaware of the issue, the developer of the FireJet 4C inkjet printer, Kirk Rudy, set out on a mission in December 2021 to develop their own brand of inkjet coated envelopes. At that time, Jim Williams, Kirk Rudy’s marketing director, was challenged by the company’s president Rick Marshall to find a paper mill and an envelope converter who would be willing to create the envelopes for Kirk Rudy, rather than buying them second-hand from someone else.

“It was a good long hard look,” said Williams. “I stumbled upon a small paper mill in Pennsylvania and an envelope converter right down the street. They gave us samples of an inkjet coated paper and it was wonderful. The image was just amazing! The converter made us envelopes and we were gearing up in February [for production].”

Jim Williams

Shortages galore
At that time, Williams wasn’t aware of the major envelope shortage that was starting to plague the industry. The situation was worsening quickly. As he visited Florida over the winter months, Williams found printers could not get their hands on commodity-grade envelopes, not for love or money. ‘We don’t care about price! We don’t care about money! Can you get us the envelopes?’ —this became the common statement linking every print shop that Jim visited.

“I went down to sell a quality envelope to these guys, and they didn’t care if it was made from toilet paper; they wanted it. It was all about availability. Then when I got back in March, I realized we couldn’t get them either,” Williams recounted.

In May, Williams found out the paper company was stopping the manufacturing of inkjet coated paper anymore. The shortage was so bad the company had switched to making commodity-grade paper.

The situation hardly made sense. Before working for Kirk Rudy, Williams had been a printer, and had never seen a shortage of envelopes. Anecdotally, he told this author that his suppliers used to run into the opposite problem, over producing envelopes to the point that Williams was able to buy them at incredibly cheap prices just to help clear out the suppliers’ warehouses. However, this year, a perfect storm of factors like the unavailability of foreign goods, the shutting down of domestic mills, and the sudden shifting of the market away from paper created this shortage of envelopes.

Pandemic’s impact
Years ago, the U.S. created and sold paper domestically, but as with many other things, when China brought their paper to market, it was significantly less expensive. As people bought more paper from international suppliers, American mills shifted to making fine quality and specialty papers. Then the pandemic happened. “All of a sudden, no paper was coming from China. At the same time, no paper was being made in America,” said Williams. “I’ve toured a couple of paper mills in my life. The paper making machine is several miles long and you don’t just shut it down. It runs continuously 24/7. When you do shut it down because of an unprecedented situation like COVID it takes several months to get it fired back up. So COVID forced mills to shut down, and several of them did not come back on line.”

Those who did reopen were faced with new demand for corrugated cardboard. Many mills chose to convert from paper to corrugated, thereby stopping a source of paper. “Now we’re not making regular paper, and we can’t get it from China anymore, so what happens? Well, the inventory began to get depleted,” confirmed Williams.

Crunch reduces
The shortage has eased a little now. This has allowed Williams to turn his focus back to sourcing out a paper mill to develop envelopes for Kirk Rudy. A couple of months ago, Williams also got a call from his envelope converter who had found a mill that was making inkjet paper. “He didn’t even wait to tell me. He bought three rolls of this paper, enough to make nine million envelopes,” exclaimed Williams. “It’s a beautiful sheet. We ran it at full speed. Windows weren’t getting caught. It’s a good envelope. We are now back in the envelope business for inkjet coated envelopes.”

With the worst of the storm behind us, Kirk Rudy and Jim Williams are confident they’ll finally be able to supply their customers continuously. “Nine million is a lot of envelopes normally, but with the demand I have, it’s going to go fast. My envelope maker already has another order in and has assured me he will have enough paper for another five million envelopes in the next week or two. So it looks like it will be continuous, but you never know. I tell people to take advantage supplies when they are.” Sound advice from an industry expert with nearly 40 years of experience.

Clint Dixon is solutions and marketing specialist at Insource Corp.

If you use Journey Builder to trigger digital communications, MailPath allows you to send direct mail as easy as e-mail.

“More and more of our clients across a multitude of verticals have been utilizing Journey Builder for triggered delivery of their digital communications but quickly recognized the gap of automating the delivery of direct mail,” explained Betsy Davis, EVP and national sales director at Sandy Alexander. “Understanding the importance of direct mail, we took this opportunity to provide the MailPath application as a solution to incorporate direct mail as another channel within their journey’s and improve their response rates.”

AMS is utilizing Rollem’s Mailstream to help produce their application of trifold mailers with a bi-directional “T” perf, folded and glued. The Mailstream operates in-line with the Advantage folder/gluer unit to feed, trim, strike perforate, fold and glue, all in one uninterrupted process in mail sort order. Rollem had AMS’s Advantage folder/gluer built to precise specifications due to the complex folds. The application is produced near-line using a sheet feeder, but can also be fed directly from digital presses, such as Xerox, Ricoh, HP, Canon and KM.

The Mailstream system processes multiple-up mail pieces and performs numerous functions in one pass. Direct mail pieces are two-sided trimmed, gutter cut, scored and perforated, plus pattern (strike) perforating to create tear-off applications in both directions. Remoistenable glue is applied followed by folding, tip-on card inserting and fugitive spot glue closure as the final step. These processes are all completed in one single pass.

Many clients are still very cautious about spending marketing dollars when they know that without a doubt, they must. They are looking for creative communication leadership and advice from their best partners, you. We are at least six months into this current crisis and must continue to adapt our business strategies and tactics to suit our clients’ changing needs. Printers need to move beyond social distancing stickers; we need to solve our client’s biggest question: “How do I stay front of mind for my best clients?”

Your response should be an emphatic, “I’m the one who can help you keep your momentum going, adjust your marketing tactics, get personal, and not disappear from your client’s minds!”

Digital first communication

We have all adapted to a world of digital first communication remarkably well in a short period of time. We’re all attending meetings and conferences by Zoom, our electronic outbound marketing (a whole separate conversation) and social media presence has grown exponentially, websites are more important, we are cooking more, drinking more, writing more. So why aren’t we printing more?

Before you help your clients, let’s make sure your own house is in order:

• Are your services as relevant today as they were six months ago?
• Do you provide transactional print, or do you solve your client’s communication problems?
• How easily can new prospects find your website in today’s SEO-optimized world?
• What non-traditional communication services have you added to your core competencies: design, websites, storefronts, fulfillment, packaging, promotional items?
• How do you change your traditional print service model into print communication services that align with a digital first communication strategy?

Digital first communication strategies have exploded and are exceptionally powerful, however, have you noticed the signs of digital fatigue settling in? Print can play an incredibly powerful supporting role to strengthen any digital campaign. Now is the time to have conversations about (re)introducing direct mail into your client’s digital strategy. It’s been proven time and again; the more senses you touch, users experience increased emotional engagement and stronger brand recall. When digital strategies overlap with intelligently planned, well-designed print, impressions stick.

Few people have paid attention to the fact that this recent sharp increase in online advertising is creating huge competition for paid ad word campaigns, causing many common cost-per-click search terms to increase dramatically, which really only benefits Google. All of a sudden, a $2 targeted direct mail unit cost is looking a lot sexier than a $5-per-click digital ad spend.

With this in mind, I’m shocked at how few direct mail pieces have come through my mail slot these past few months, as we now have an audience looking for thoughtful, well designed, tactile stimulation to cut through the digital noise.

Let’s make sure we understand what direct mail is, and better yet, what its potential is.

What is direct mail?

Most people, even many printers, think of ‘direct mail’ as the realtor’s postcard, pizza flyers, restaurant menus or the latest internet service offer that flops through the mail slot. The belief is that ultimately, direct mail is encouraging the reader to visit a website or store, but direct mail is so much more than that.

Work with your client to define who you are targeting:

Target Geography – cover specific geographic areas using specified postal walks, typically created with Canada Post’s Precision targeting tools drawing a defined radius around a business to create broad reach B-C campaigns. Otherwise known as ‘spray and pray’. This works effectively for your local pizza joint, new local businesses in the area, or the latest internet service provider offer.

Target Demographics – we can refine our market audience using 14 demographic categories based on driving distance from your business, household age and income, as well as the type of residence by house, apartment or business. This is great for real estate, senior living services, and home maintenance services.

Target your clients’ Contact Relationship Management (CRM) data – this is free and readily available information to leverage. In a digital first strategy, it’s likely your client has their list finely tuned and can provide it to you. CRMs contain past, current and prospective clients. This can narrow down the search for Business to Business communication. The challenge is ensuring the information is up to date. This can require a little work on your client’s part but honestly, this is their lifeblood and should be well maintained (so should yours!).

Target purchased lists – partner with your local mail shop or list broker to access refined demographic lists targeting your specific prospects. Be sure that you have an appropriate budget and the lists are valid and up to date; you’ll still need to scrub for accuracy. In today’s pandemic environment, even list brokers are scrambling to ensure their information is accurate with so many jobs paused, moved or lost.

Target influencers – Influencer kits are your laser targeted sales tool. These must be designed to appeal to a small audience that holds great social power within a very specific market segment. Who are influencers in your business? They are thought leaders who act as megaphones, spreading brand messages to potential customers. An influencer endorsement means that prospective buyers are more likely to be receptive to your brand message. This is where you show true power in print customization. Playful, exciting and Instagram-worthy, influencer kits present a product like a gift, rather than an envelope.

Here are a few statistics we know about direct mail (according to Canada Post):

• 74 per cent of Canadian consumers always or sometimes notice advertising in direct mail.
• 86 per cent of Canadian consumers open mail that’s personally addressed to them.
• Integrated direct mail and digital campaigns elicit 39 per cent more attention (time spent) than digital campaigns alone.

No doubt, these are difficult times to navigate a business. It is our job as professional communicators to guide our client’s message to market. Do not be excluded from a digital first conversation. Do not let your clients go quiet and disappear. Use your knowledge and know-how to help your clients keep their momentum going, get personal, shift tactics and get noisy.

Scott Gray is vice president of sales and marketing at Mitchell Press in Burnaby, BC. At the forefront of print communication technology through his 30+ year career, Scott is an avid lover of communication design and branding. His efforts have been credited with over twenty Benjamin Franklin Awards for offset and digital print. He has fostered the brand stories of two of Canada’s premier commercial printers, resulting in international recognition and growth in new markets. Scott is a community advocate and mentor for marketing students on the power of print and new media. www.mitchellpress.com

This article was originally published in the October 2020 issue of PrintAction.

Eight of the stamps will feature images of some of their most popular album covers: Queen II, 1974; Sheer Heart Attack, 1974; A Night at the Opera, 1975; News of the World, 1977; The Game, 1980; Greatest Hits, 1981; The Works, 1984; and Innuendo, 1991.

The set will also include stamps featuring images from live performances, with images of Freddie Mercury at Wembley Stadium, 1986; Roger Taylor at Hyde Park, 1976; John Deacon at Hammersmith Odeon, 1975; and Brian May in Budapest, 1986.

The final item in the set is a photograph taken by Johnny Dewe Mathews at Queen’s first-ever studio photoshoot.

Next year will mark Queen’s 50^th anniversary. It is one of only three music groups to have a dedicated stamp issue, following the Beatles in 2007 and Pink Floyd in 2016.

The full set of 13 stamps, available in a presentation pack, will retail for £16.00 (GBP) and will be available for purchase worldwide, starting July 9, 2020, but are available now for pre-order.

“The variable labeling height was the final development stage leading to the start of series production,” said Martin Kühl, leader of Herma’s labeling machines division. “It was accomplished with the help of the knowledge we have gained from the first test runs together with customers, which began last fall.”

The production model transfers the non-sticky label to a tamp pad, which is equipped with a box height sensor. A water activation unit performs a transverse motion underneath the label, using micro-atomized water to activate the adhesive on the label. Next, the linear transfer unit automatically moves the tamp pad with the activated label to the required labelling height for the next case in the line. The labels are adhered using Herma’s patented multi-layer adhesive 82S.

“It does not involve any solvents, heat or other activation media associated with possibly undesirable side-effects,” said Dr Thomas Baumgärtner, managing director of Herma.  “In addition, the cost is much the same as that of a conventional self-adhesive label. At the same time, the demand for genuinely sustainable packaging solutions is steadily gathering momentum.”

The InNo-Liner system will be commercially available in October 2020. However, Herma has launched an app for Apple and Android devices that uses augmented reality to show interested parties the system in action by projecting it virtually into their own operating environment on the device screen.

“SendPro C Auto is an exciting evolution of our flagship SendPro portfolio, extending the value and reach of SendPro to a wider audience,” said Jason Dies, EVP and President Sending Technology Solutions, Pitney Bowes. “It brings together our advanced engineering capabilities and design innovation in an easy-to-operate, user-friendly sending hub with some industry-leading features. Time is money for our clients, so finding new ways to boost their productivity, efficiency and reliability translates into direct cost savings.”

Further, with the Android operating system and Google GMS compliance, SendPro C Auto leverages the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, and the ability for app development to maximize savings and efficiency for the client to scale with their evolving business needs. Access to the SendPro Online shipping platform comes as standard, providing visibility of sending activity, costs and tracking history. Additional features and benefits of the SendPro C Auto include: Automatically feeding and sealing up to 120 letters per minute, up to 5/16 inches thick; reverse separation feeding technology to minimize letter jams; integrated 15 lb. scale to weigh large envelopes and packages, with options of 30 lb. and 70 lb. external scales; and access to the SendPro Online portal.

1. Know the 40-40-20 rule
This guideline breaks down which direct mail elements marketers should emphasize. Specifically, it says that 40 percent of your efforts should be devoted to your audience, 40 percent to the offer, and 20 percent to creative.

That means targeting the right people (your audience) should be a priority. Use demographics, psychographics or location-based targeting to hone in on potential customers. The key is to deliver a message that’s tailor-made for your particular audience.

Your offer is equally important, so make it compelling and relevant to your audience. Tracking mechanisms – a phone number, URL or coupon code – help determine an offer’s success. They also let you calculate the return on investment on your campaign.

While audience and offer are both top priorities, don’t neglect the creative — it’s critical to the success of the campaign too. Do the words and images convey the message you want to send? Does the design encourage interaction and inspire action? It needs to be strategically designed to get results.

2. Use formatting to your advantage
When it comes to direct mail shape and size, marketers have many choices. Each format has features and benefits that could work for you, depending on your particular campaign.

Self-mailers
• Self-mailers, including postcards, are one of the most cost-effective forms of DM. There’s no need for an envelope, since the customer address is printed directly on the piece.
•  The creative can be produced in many shapes. A pizza shop could print a paper “slice” announcing a weekly special. A real estate brokerage might send out a notice in the shape of a house. A moving company might develop a DM in the shape of a truck. With self-mailers, that level of customization is easy.
• Self-mailers are good for simple messages. Use them to notify existing customers about upcoming sales and promotions.
• Self-mailers stand out in the mailbox — the message gets seen quickly since people don’t have to open an envelope to read it.
• You need to choose durable card stock, but your self-mailer doesn’t have to be a postcard, it can have multiple folding panes.

The Air Miles Shell GO direct mail campaign, created and printed by TC Transcontinental, targeted Shell’s best customers to join the Shell GO+ program. The carrier was printed 4/4 on a Heidelberg XL + soft touch AQ + spot gloss UV on 80-lb silk cover stock, offline deboss and die-cut, while the letter was printed 4/4 variable on an HP Indigo. A matte silver foil sticker seal added to the invitation-type look.

Outer envelope and letter
• Include your pitch, announcement, offer or other message on the letter. A #10 envelope has a clear pane, so the name and address can be seen, which makes it ideal for personalizing your offer.
• The outside of the envelope provides more real estate for your message. Adding copy to this area also creates visual interest and will help your direct mail stand out.

Catalogues
• Catalogues and mini-catalogues allow you to include more information than other direct mail options. Use them to tell your brand story and to describe products in detail.
• If you incorporate aspirational photography and inspiring content, a catalogue can help re-engage lapsed customers and increase order sizes. If you use trigger marketing, you can amplify your results: send lookbooks, gift guides or other catalogues around important dates for your customers. They could be for a relevant holiday, like Father’s Day, for example; a season, think back-to-school time; or a milestone, such as a birthday. These options are more expensive than other formats, so make sure to send them to highly-targeted prospects or current customers.

3. Choose the right paper
As a printing partner, you can advise about the best paper weights and colours for a direct mail campaign. Different types of mail require different paper. For example, since postcards have no envelopes, the paper stock needs to be heavy enough to travel safely through mail sorting equipment. If you choose an outer envelope and letter combination for your campaign, you can opt for lighter paper because your message is protected by the envelope.

Catalogues and mini catalogues have weight and size requirements, and you need to consider the binding as well. The binding is the part along the seam — will it be stapled or glued? Your answer will impact the paper you can use.

When it comes to outer envelopes and letters, paper colour lets you show a little personality by choosing a brand colour, for example, or something other than standard white. Colour also affects legibility — make sure there’s enough contrast between your paper and ink colours for the address to be read properly.

This article was originally published on the Canada Post blog and recently republished in the October 2019 issue of PrintAction, now available online.

The workflow software, Xante says, will allow printing companies to import their clients’ mailing list, scrub, sort, and update it for change-of-address within seconds. The addresses process quickly through iQueue’s Cloud servers containing the USPS CASS and NCOALink databases. Additionally, the iQueue software will generate and print the USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb) on every piece for maximum discounts and assurance of accurate delivery, it explains. All required USPS documentation for the mailing is created and filled in with the mail preparer’s information and pertinent data about the mailing. The preparer may submit the documentation electronically to the USPS data processing network directly from a link within iQueue.

After processing the list through the USPS network for address and change-of-address accuracy, the commercial print provider can incorporate the list into an existing job through iQueue’s Variable Data engine and printing can begin. The new version includes a selection for CASS-certified variable data and automatically formats an address block, including the IMb barcode. Placement of the variable data on the piece is a “drag and drop” operation within iQueue. The iQueue-powered Xante digital press prints the entire list in the required order (or reverse order) for sorting into trays or sacks depending on the job. A separator page can mark the divisions between each tray or sack.

After scrubbing the list, iQueue 13 allows the mail preparer to review and correct any addresses that were either partially or completely incorrect. A link to Google search is embedded in the same window with the returned address results.

Use of the mail preparation features of iQueue 13 will be available to Xante customers free of charge for 12 months from date of first use. The subscription will include unlimited use. iQueue 13 runs on any Windows 7 PC or later and is compatible with Xante products.

In 2015 they became the biggest generation in the Canadian workforce, accounting for roughly 35 percent, and by 2025, they will make up 75 percent of the global workforce and will be the most vital demographic for retailers to attract. So the big question on most marketers’ minds is, how do I attract them?

Millennials are the first generation to grow up immersed in digital technology, so most marketers believe email and digital advertising is the best way to break through to them. Digital channels are important when it comes to reaching out to them, but research suggests a digital-only approach may not be the most effective way to connect.

Direct mail should be in your millennial marketing strategy
Direct mail might not be something you are considering adding to your millennial marketing strategy, but it should be. Here are a few compelling reasons why you should incorporate it into your next campaign.

Millennials’ inboxes are full
Millennials are bombarded with advertising from every angle online, and they’re not amused. In fact, they’ve become highly efficient at weeding out unwanted marketing. According to eMarketer, a whopping 46 percent of them use ad blockers on their desktop, 17 percent use them on their mobile device, and 14 percent use them on both their desktop and mobile device.

Their mailbox isn’t
Sending direct mail creates an opportunity for a brand or business to be welcomed into the homes of millennials. Despite what you might think, they value it. In fact, most of them pay attention to it – almost all of them think it’s reliable, over half of them have made purchases based on direct mail offers – and the majority of them say they like receiving it, according to an article by the U.S. Postal Service.

Millennials pay attention to direct mail
Millennials are more responsive to direct mail than older generations. The U.S. Postal Service article notes millennials are more likely to scan it, less likely to discard a piece without reading it, and tend to organize and sort what they get. They also take more time to read the mail, and enjoy showing what they receive to others.

Digital mail and direct mail work better together
Canada Post conducted Neuromarketing research that revealed direct mail and digital are stronger together. When paired with digital advertising in integrated campaigns, direct mail optimized consumer action, emotional engagement and brand recall. People paid 39 percent more attention to integrated direct mail and digital campaigns than to single-media digital campaigns, and consumers had 40 percent higher brand recall when direct mail followed email. Better brand recall improves the odds that a customer will trust a particular company, associate the brand with a product, and ultimately buy from them.

By reaching out to millennials both digitally and through physical mail, marketers can send a stronger message. This two-pronged approach can increase brand recognition and recall, and garner more attention for a campaign than sending an email alone.

Sending direct mail to reinforce an email campaign targeted to millennials is a great way to ensure that your email actually gets opened. The recipient will be more likely to recognize your brand, and therefore more inclined to open and read what you send.

^{Sobeys Best Clients 2016, printed by Groupe PDI, won gold for direct mail at the 2017 Canadian Printing Awards for its focused IGA holiday promotion.}

Five tips for better direct mail marketing
If you’re ready to explore direct mail marketing for millennials, here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating and sending your campaign.

Tip #1: Send something entertaining
Be real and engaging with your messaging and presentation. The more authentically you present your brand, products and/or services, the more they will resonate with millennials who crave authenticity. Millennials also respond well to experiential marketing and love to be entertained — that’s why many of them go to big events, conventions and festivals. Make your campaign fun and interactive to drive better results. Be as creative as possible and think beyond the letter.

Tip #2: Send something personal
Millennials respond well to personalized marketing materials. If you target them as individuals, you can show each customer that they are more than just another name on your list. A personalized direct mail piece can show your customers that you ‘get’ them, you know what they want, and you’ve got it ready and waiting. To get personal with your marketing, you need to keep thorough data on your customers. Good data will help you tailor your communications to each customer, and enable you to share enticing special offers with them based on their shopping preferences, purchase history, and search history.

Tip #3: Send something tactile
An extension of tip #1, explore the tactile nature of direct mail to engage and entertain millennials. They respond well to highly visual and tactile communications, so send something that might catch their eye and engage their senses. Thanks to advancements in print technology, marketers can send pieces enhanced with exciting things like scented ink and textured paper.

Tip #4: Send something worth saving
A huge advantage of direct mail is the fact that people like to hold onto it. According to The Private Life of Mail, a whitepaper from UK Royal Mail, advertising mail is kept in U.K. households for an average of 17 days. Because it tends to linger in the home, a piece of mail can have a pretty significant impact on a recipient over the course of days and weeks. Increase the odds of your mailer sticking around by sending something useful or informative. A product catalogue is a great example of a direct mail piece that has a good chance of lingering in a millennial’s home. According to a Quad/Graphics whitepaper, Millennials: An Emerging Consumer Powerhouse, more than 50 percent of millennials enjoy and look forward to receiving retail catalogues; 49 percent wish certain companies had a catalogue and 40 percent buy more from companies when they receive a catalogue.

Tip #5: Send your campaigns to millennial influencers
Millennials are big fans of peer-to-peer marketing. They greatly value reviews and referrals, especially when purchasing expensive items. Instead of mailing ads to a large volume of recipients, consider trying your hand at an influencer marketing campaign. Reach out to millennials who have a significant following who might like your products. Mail them a special selection of your products for a review or giveaway. Encourage them to create content around your products, or to offer their followers a special discount code or rate. You can also tap into peer-to-peer marketing by mailing a refer-a-friend offer to your customers or prospects. A campaign like that will help you attract new leads for your business, and keep your customers happy with a discount.

Millennials may be the most important consumer group to attract to your business. Use these tips and insights to break through to them with your marketing campaigns.

The new pressure-sensitive sheets product (HM1971) is developed specifically for direct mail marketing applications, which are once again becoming an effective and upwardly trending form of brand advertising. MacMail is digital toner fusion and offset printable, and features a 9-pt. thickness, the company explains. Additionally, it features Mactac’s lay-flat technology, designed to result in jam-free printing, and its formulated non-ooze permanent adhesive boasts “exceptionally clean converting.”

“Printed pieces are impactful, interesting and powerful – offering the perfect addition to integrated marketing efforts,” said Nate Gill, product manager, Mactac Distributor Products. “Mactac’s new MacMail sheets product gives printers and designers a foundation for producing creative and functional pieces for their customers.”

The testing platform, called Accelerated Insights, is a virtual platform that can test up to 20 content variables in one pass that uses a persona matrix that combines demographics with emotional characteristics to predict what factors motivate someone to act on an offer, Quad/Graphics explains, noting that all of this can be accomplished without a physical mailing.

“Marketers have been following the same testing methods for decades, many times with disappointing results,” said Scott Harvey, Quad/Graphics Senior Vice President of Marketing Solutions. “This technology creates a roadmap for campaign creative that tells marketers exactly what is most important to customers and prospects.”

In addition to the persona matrix, the Accelerated Insights testing platform relies on a vetted pool of millions of survey respondents, differentiated based on hundreds of characteristics. The technology draws from that pool to create survey panels that mirror direct marketers’ target consumers.

The panels are presented as mailing packages that each have multiple variables. Based on the panels’ responses, a proprietary algorithm predicts which combination of format, offer, messaging and imagery will be most successful. With that information, marketers can determine the most cost-effective package before sending out a single piece of mail. The Accelerated Insights testing platform has been in limited release for the past two years, used by customers in a range of business categories including financial services, insurance, healthcare and retail.

With Barometric’s Device Graph, marketers can view their online and direct mail campaigns as one cohesive unit in order to see how they work together and understand consumer shopper behaviour across all environments. Barometric’s Device Graph allows users to unify the many online and offline IDs of their customers into a single user/household. As customers go through marketing touch points across media, channels and devices on their digital and physical path to purchase, Barometric’s conversion data aims to give marketers the ability to better understand whether and when they’ve reached the same consumer on multiple devices, platforms and screens.

Additionally, the Barometric Direct Mail suite allows for the customized targeting of a user who has digitally or physically engaged a brand. For example, when consumers open shopping carts and do not complete their purchases or fail to complete a form submission on a brand’s website, the Barometric Device Graph is able to match the consumers who abandoned their carts or online forms to their household addresses and re-engage these consumers offline with direct mail to increase brand interaction and drive form completions.

According to Neopost, the MACH 6 represents Neopost’s next evolution in its short-run, digital colour printing portfolio. With a new design that includes a seven-inch colour touchscreen interface, electronic media thickness control and a wider feed throat, the MACH 6 can run a range of materials, the company explains.

In addition to traditional applications such as envelopes, stationery, greeting cards and special event invitations, print providers can use the MACH 6 to produce various items, including stuffed envelopes, chipboard, corrugated cardboard and folding cartons up to 3/8-inches thick.

According to Bloomberg, the new workers, called Combination Drivers, may be the solution to union concerns about its members being forced to work weekends or overtime. These drivers could also help generate more full-time opportunities for current part-time employees.

Bloomberg reports Combination Drivers will be limited to 25 percent of the total number of regular delivery drivers, who will work Monday through Friday. If UPS needs additional weekend staff, the higher-paid regular drivers will have first choice to take the days, while being the last ones forced to work Saturday or Sunday.

“Our members know that they work in a changing industry, driven by e-commerce and the ‘Amazon effect,’ where consumers want fast delivery and weekend delivery,” Denis Taylor, director of the Teamsters Package Division and co-chairman of the Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committee, said in a statement last week.

Lawmakers, according to Federal Times, are currently trying to limit postal-service cuts, but the USPS still plans to reduce its workforce by up to 15,000 more employees and close up to 82 more processing centres over the next year. USPS, which closed 141 processing facilities in 2012 and 2013, estimates it could save $750 million annually from its new round of planned cuts.

The Hill, meanwhile, reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a democrat from Nevada, joined the effort to block the USPS from making its next round of large-scale cuts. The Hill suggests Reid’s involvement increases the odds of a congressional debate over postal reform sometime this month.

In mid-August, USPS reported its third quarter results (ended the June 30, 2014) with a net loss of US$2 billion, compared to a net loss of US$740 million for the same period last year. The USPS has recorded a loss in 21 of the last 23 quarters — the excepted quarters being the two in which Congress rescheduled the Retiree Health Benefits prefunding payments.

Third-quarter revenue improved, according the USPS, as a result of its January mail price increase, sales and marketing initiatives, and a growing package business. Total operating revenue for the third quarter of US$16.5 billion increased by US$327 million, or two percent.

USPS’ shipping and package revenue was up 6.6 percent for the third quarter, while Standard Mail revenue was up 5.1 percent, driven by a 0.9 percent increase in volume and the January 2014 price increase. First-Class Mail volume was down 1.4 percent.

Joseph Corbett, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of the USPS, stated the organization will be unable to make the required US$5.7 billion retiree health benefit prefunding payment to the U.S. Treasury, due by September 30, 2014.

“Due to continued losses and low levels of liquidity, we’ve been extremely conservative with our capital, spending only what is deemed essential to maintain existing infrastructure,” said Corbett. “To continue to provide world-class service and remain competitive, we must invest up to $10 billion to replace our aging vehicle fleet, purchase additional package sorting equipment, and make necessary upgrades to our infrastructure.”

Federal Times article

The Hill article

USPS stated its losses continue to mount due to the decline of higher-margin first-class mail, stifling legal mandates, and its inflexible business and governance models.

“The Postal Service is doing its part within the bounds of law to right size the organization, and I am very proud of the achievements we have made to reduce costs while significantly growing our package business,” stated Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe. “We cannot return the organization to long-term financial stability without passage of comprehensive postal reform legislation.”

Without such legislative change, USPS expects to default on another required US$5.7 billion retiree health benefits prefunding payment due by September 30, 2014, because it will have insufficient cash and no ability to borrow additional funds at that date.

In the event that circumstances leave the Postal Service with insufficient cash, the Postal Service would be required to implement contingency plans to ensure that all mail deliveries continue. These measures could require the Postal Service to prioritize payments to its employees and suppliers ahead of some payments to the federal government, as has been done in the past.

“We grew revenue by over $300 million through aggressive marketing and improving service, and we reduced operating costs by $574 million in Quarter 1, partially due to the separation of approximately 22,800 employees in 2013 under a Voluntary Early Retirement program and improved efficiency in our workforce,” stated Joseph Corbett, CFO and Executive VP, USPS.

In its 2014 first quarter, the USPS had mail volume of 42 billion pieces compared to 43.5 billion pieces in the corresponding 2013 quarter. First-Class Mail volume declined 4.6 percent; Standard Mail volume declined by 2.8 percent; and Shipping and Package volume increased 10.3 percent.

Canada Post introduces a Five-Point Action Plan in an effort to return to financial sustainability by 2019, which includes the elimination of door-to-door delivery and 6,500 to 8,000 jobs, but opens up new private-business opportunities.

The first pillar of the crown corporation’s plan is built on converting the entire nation onto a community mailbox delivery system, effectively eliminating, over the next five years, the door-delivery service still enjoyed by around one third of all Canadian households. Canada Post expects this measure alone to save $400 to $500 million per year once fully implemented, which makes up the majority of savings within its Five-Point Action Plan.

In total, again once implemented in five years, Canada’s new postal system is expected to save anywhere from $700 to $900 million per year on its bottom line, relative to the current system.

This plan comes around eight months after an April 2013 study by the Conference Board of Canada that projected Canada Post’s financial loss would reach $1 billion by 2020 unless fundamental changes were made. In its 2012 Annual Report, Canada Post reported that Canadians mailed almost one billion fewer pieces of domestic letter-mail in 2012 than they did in 2006.


Canada Post’s second pillar of the 2019 action plan is a new approach to pricing domestic letter-mail, which is presented as the second most-effective new financial measure, expected to add $160 to $200 million to the bottom line. Beginning March 31, 2013, Canada Post is to introduce a new tiered pricing structure for domestic letter-mail, with stamps costing $0.85 each when purchased in booklets or coils and $1 each when purchased individually.

As its third pillar, Canada Post plans to open up more franchise postal outlets in retail businesses across Canada, particularly within smaller communities. This franchise post office approach is expected to contribute $40 million to $50 million to the bottom line.


Canada Post will continue to operate its corporate post offices. Some Canadians will have the option of steering their Canada Post deliveries to lock boxes held within registered private businesses. The initial neighbourhoods slated for community mailbox conversion in the second half of 2014 will be announced once plans are finalized.


Streamlining operations is the term used to described Canada Post’s fourth new pillar, which aims to create a more efficient flow of parcels and mail through the network and to customers. These internal changes include technology updates, such as faster computerized sorting equipment, consolidation, such as processing mail and parcels in a central location, and running more fuel-efficient vehicles. This fourth pillar is expected to save $100 to $150 million, annually.


The fifth pillar of Canada Post’s five-year plan is to address its cost of labour, which largely relates to the four preceding initiatives. The crown corporation expects to reduce its labour force by between 6,000 and 8,000 positions. The average age among current Canada Post employees is 48 and it expects nearly 15,000 employees to retire or leave the company over the next five years.


Soon after the Conference Board of Canada’s April 2013 study, Canada Post began to consultant Canadians about the future of their mail delivery. From mid-May until September 2013, senior managers of the crown corporation travelled to 46 communities across Canada to hold such conversations. Canada Post also invited Canadians to share their views online and by writing letters. As of October 15, 868 letters had been received.


Five-point Action Plan


Consultations with Canadians



“To return the Postal Service to solvency requires a comprehensive approach, which is reflected in our updated five-year business plan,” said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe. “The plan provides an achievable road map to restore financial stability and preserve affordable mail service for the American public. The major elements of the plan must be pursued and executed within a short window of opportunity.”

The Postal Service stated that it needs to save $20 billion annually by 2016 and many of the savings cannot be achieved without the following legislative action:

– Require a USPS Health Care Plan (resolves the Retiree Health Plan prepayment issue),
– Refund the FERS overpayment and adjust the FERS payment schedule,
– Adjust delivery frequency (six-day package/five-day mail delivery),
– Streamline the governance model,
– Allow USPS the authority to expand products and services,
– Require a defined contribution retirement plan for future postal employees,
– Provide instructions to arbitrators to consider USPS’s financial condition in interest arbitration awards, and
– Reform workers’ compensation.

The Postal Service has already reached its debt limit of $15 billion. It also has defaulted on $11.1 billion due for retiree health benefits in 2012 and also expects to default on an additional $5.6 billion on September 30, 2013. In addition, the Postal Service owes an estimated $17 billion on future workers’ compensation claims.



“These obligations of nearly $50 billion and continuing losses highlight the need for immediate legislative reform to give us the latitude to execute on our Five-Year Plan and improve our ability to repay these obligations and return to profitability,” stated Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett.

In the 2013 second quarter, USPS work hours were reduced by approximately 7 million hours, a 2.4 percent reduction compared to the same period last year. “Even with a 6.2 percent volume increase in Shipping and Packages compared to the same period last year, we were able to reduce these work hours to increase efficiency,” Corbett added, noting that work hour reductions have been the single largest contributor to the ongoing achievement of savings targets.

The number of career employees decreased by approximately 25,000 in the second quarter and by 46,000 in the last year. The USPS now has the lowest number of career employees since 1966.

The Postal Service Board of Governors, citing the inability of U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive postal legislation, has been discussing accelerated cost cutting and directed management to accelerate the restructure of Postal Service operations.

The board approved specific restructuring initiatives and also instructed the USPS to revise its 2012 five-year comprehensive plan to account for current financial and liquidity conditions.

Since 2006, the Postal Service has reduced its annual cost base by approximately $15 billion and reduced the size of its career workforce by 168,000 or 24 percent.

In fiscal year 2012, the USPS defaulted on $11.1 billion in mandated payments to the U.S. Treasury, which contributed to a recorded loss of $15.9 billion. 

The Postal Service continues to seek legislation to provide it with greater flexibility to control costs and generate new revenue, and is encouraging the 113th Congress to make postal reform legislation an urgent priority.

Bill C-6 was passed by the Senate on Sunday and will officially come into effect this evening. Postal staff have already started to return to work at sorting stations. Delivery staff will resume tomorrow morning.

In the end, the legislation provides for a lower wage increase than the final offer from Canada Post. Talks broke down last Wednesday and the two parties could not reach a consensus in a meeting on Saturday.

According to the CBC, representatives from the CUPW said its members would return to work, however would continue to fight for the postal workers’ rights under the “draconian” legislation.

UPDATE June 21: Canadian Postal workers remained locked out of their jobs as the strike enters its third week. Last Wednesday, Canada Post shut down urban postal operations. Pension and social security cheques are being delivered as part of a prearranged agreement between the union and Canada Post.

Back-to-work legislation will be debated at the House of Commons today. The bill will include wages that are less than the latest offer from Canada Post. Under the bill, employees will get a wage hike of 1.75 percent in 2011, 1.5 percent in 2012 and two percent in 2013 and 2014. The latest offer from Canada Post offered a 1.9 percent increase each year between 2011 and 2013, with a two percent increase in 2014. This move is to push the CUPW to settle, or get less than what was offered if they are legislated back to work.

“Imposing wage increases that are lower than Canada Post’s last offer punishes postal workers for a
disruption that was caused by the corporation’s national lockout,” said CUPW National President Denis
Lemelin.

The bill is not expected to pass until Thursday, from there it would still require royal assent before coming into effect.

UPDATE June 14: CUPW’s rotating strike action has reached two of the largest markets today, with workers in Toronto and Montreal walking off the job for 24 hours.

Last week, due to shrinking mail volumes as a result of the strike action, Canada Post announced deliveries in urban areas will be reduced to three days a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The CUPW is now distributing leaflets claiming they want to deliver mail, but Canada Post won’t allow them and urging supporters to contact Minister of Labour Lisa Raitt to stop Canada Post’s cuts.

UPDATE June 13: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has issued a statement accusing Canada Post of aggressively trying to force postal workers out
on a full-scale national strike in order to secure back-to-work
legislation from the majority Conservative government.  

“Canada Post is doing everything it can to provoke the union into a
national walkout in the hope that the government will intervene,”
said CUPW’s National President and Chief Negotiator Denis Lemelin.

CUPW claims it offered to suspend its rotating strikes and go back to
work, provided that the expired collective agreement is reinstated in
order to protect members on the work floor, Canada Post management has
refused. CUPW says its offer to call the strike off still stands.  

“They are not interested in negotiating with us to end this strike. They
want to force postal workers to take concessions,” said Lemelin. “To
that end, they are suspending postal service across the country, even
where no picket lines are up.” 

Today the following locations went on strike action:

• Breton, NS  (Sydney, North Sydney, Sydney Mines, New Waterford and Glace Bay)
• Fredericton, NB
• Mauricie, QC
• Sherbrooke, QC
• Corner Brook, NL
• Cornwall, ON
• Windsor, ON
• Niagara Falls, ON
• Regina, SK
• Nanaimo, BC

UPDATE June 9: Canada Post has announced that due to the rotating strike situation, it will be reducing its services, delivering mail only three times a week in some instances. Daily mail volumes at Canada Post have fallen up to 50 per cent since the union started rotating strikes on June 3rd.

According to Canada Post:

• Staffing levels at mail processing plants across the country will be
  reduced to adjust to the reduction in mail volumes at each facility.
• Letters and Admail will be delivered three days a week (Monday,
  Wednesday and Friday) in mostly urban areas where delivery is performed
  by letter carriers.
• Most small packages and documents will also be delivered three days a
  week. Every effort will be made to continue to deliver priority items
  five days a week.

Unaffected areas include:

• Delivery of mail to rural mailboxes and community mailboxes will
  continue five days a week where service is provided by Rural and
  Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMCs) who operate under a separate collective
  agreement than urban employees.
• Post Office operating hours and access to post office boxes will remain unchanged.
• Pick-ups from qualified customers and mail collection at street letter boxes on major streets will continue as usual.
• Delivery of all parcels will continue as usual.

UPDATE June 7: Victoria and Moncton are the latest to be hit by the rolling strike.

UPDATE June 6: After failing to reach an agreement with Canada Post, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has enacted a rolling strike system which has so far seen disruptions in Winnipeg, Hamilton and Montreal. The Union has not announced the target of its upcoming strike locations, but each location has suffered 24 hours of strike action each.

According to the CUPW, the latest Montreal location was chosen “to highlight the problems experienced by postal workers
who are dealing directly with the new technology and work methods resulting from Canada Post Corporation’s $2 billion
mechanization program.”

UPDATE May 30: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers
announced that it given its 72 hour strike notice, meaning that unless an agreement is reached with Canada Post, postal workers will walk off the job starting at 11:59pm on Thursday. The Union has not revealed the type of strike action it is planning, whether it is a rotating strike or a complete job walk off.

The last postal strike in Canada occurred in 1997 and lasted for two weeks.

Despite the union claiming the negotiations were, for the most part, not about wages, it remains a sticking point between the two parties. According to the Toronto Star, CUPW is demanding wage increases of 3.3 percent, 2.75 percent, 2.75 percent and 2.75 percent in each year of a four-year deal. Canada Post is currently offering 1.9 percent, 1.9 percent, 1.9 percent and 2.0 percent.

UPDATE May 24: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers announced Sunday that it does not intend to hold a strike action on May 25th while it continues negotiations with Canada Post. The Union is required to give 72 hours notice before any strike action.

Among the points of contention are wages for new employees, which Canada Post propose to be dropped from $24 per hour to $17.50 an hour. Other points proposed by the union cover health and safety issues as well as hiring practices.

A new agreement would last until July 31, 2014. Unlike many postal systems around the world, including the U.S. Postal Service which has seen losses of US$2.2 billion in the last quarter, Canada Post has remained profitable in the last 16 years.

Pensioners and those on social assistance can expect to receive their checks even if a strike does occur through the use of volunteer post carriers.

UPDATE May 19: Canada Post announced that it will know Sunday whether or not CUPW intends to commence strike action on May 25. Meetings between Canada Post and CUPW continue. Customers can receive the latest information immediately via email or SMS message by registering at www.infopost.ca/customer.

Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of striking if necessary to gain its demands. The earliest date the CUPW could go on strike is May 25.

“A 94.5 percent strike vote sends a clear message to Canada Post,” said Denis Lemelin, CUPW National President. “CUPW members want a collective agreement that recognizes our work is behind the increases in profits and productivity. They want management to share, instead of attacking our wages, rights and working conditions.”

The CUPW represents more than 50,000 postal workers in Canada. The last collective agreement was signed between CUPW and Canada Post in 2007 and expired on January 31, 2011.

“Canada Post remains optimistic that a negotiated settlement can be reached just as it has in each round of collective bargaining with CUPW since 1997,” said the Corporation in a statement.

“We are confident that we will reach a negotiated settlement because we are offering employees annual wage increases, a secure pension and continued job security. Under the new collective agreement that has been proposed, members of CUPW will continue to enjoy some of the best wages and benefits in Canada.”

“As a convenience to our customers and to minimize service disruptions, we arranged to accept mail destined for Canada as long as possible,” said Giselle Valera, VP of Global Business for USPS. “We will continue to closely monitor the strike situation, and once Canada Post resumes operations, the U.S. Postal Service will again begin accepting mail for Canada. We also will then resume processing any Canadian-destined mail currently held in our network.”

While Canada Post officials told its U.S. counterparts that they expect the strike to last until sometime this week, based on introducing a back-to-work bill, USPS does allow customers to send letters and packages to Canada via its Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) service. Delivered through FedEx Express, GXG is a premium-shipping platform.

Updates on USPS’ Canadian mail suspension can be found on a dedicated Webpage.

Mail destined for the United States will go up three cents while International pieces will rise five cents to $1.75 (with a six cent increase for pieces between 30 and 50 grams to $2.50).

The Crown Corporation in July 2010 has issued $1 billion in long-term debt in order to enact postal transformation. The modernization plan is expected to generate $250 million in annual cost savings by 2017.

Canada Post employs 71,000 employees and operates 6,500 post offices. In 2009 the company delivered 11-billion pieces of mail to 15-million addresses, generating $7.3 billion in revenue. It has remained profitable for the last 15 consecutive years.

The next walkout, planned for Friday, will involve 78,000 delivery and collection staff.

Royal Mail will remain open, using managerial and contract workers to keep mail moving at reduced service. Special Delivery and Royal Mail Tracked pieces will be prioritized, but will also be slowed.

The workers are threatening an escalation of mail service by striking three days next week if demands are not met. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is complaining about worsening job conditions and job losses due to Royal Mail modernization.

UK Mail workers last went on strike in June of 2007 over pension plans and caused major disruptions through rolling job stoppages. According to the government, almost one million working days have been lost due to industrial action at Royal Mail since 2000.

Royal Mail says the cutbacks are necessary: “Mail volumes are down by around 10 percent year on year as competition from email and the web accelerates, with every one percent decline costing Royal Mail around £70 million in lost revenues.”

The legal action centres on three U.S. patents: #7,478,140, “A System and Method for Sending Electronic Mail and Parcel Delivery Notification Using Recipient’s Identification Information”; #6,690,773, “Recipient Control Over Aspects of Incoming Messages”; and #7,058,586, “Information Delivery System for Providing Senders with a Recipient’s Messaging Preferences.”

In 2008, Pitney Bowes invested more than US$200 million into R&D, claiming much of that spend was directed at software products. In a statement about the Zumbox filing, Pitney Bowes’ VP of Strategy and New Business Development, Bernie Gracy, commented, “Pitney Bowes has been active in the acquisition, development and deployment of multi-channel messaging solutions, including those based on the platforms acquired from Alysis in 2000, Group 1 Software in 2004, and Emtex in 2006.”

The uniqueness of the XYZ is its relatively simple operation with few moving parts. By the way of a single sucker, the machine pulls down the corner of a signature and then it is slid onto a “sword gripper” and moved at high speed down the machine. The machine processes up to 30,000 copies per hour and runs from two to 96 pages in various stock thicknesses. Pockets of the machine can be removed by hand without the typical assistance of a crane in about two minutes.

The XYZ is designed to be retrofitted to a variety of high-speed binders on the marketplace. Feuiltault Solution Systems states all that is required for maintenance is lubrication at a few points each month.

According to FedEx, all orders through this application will be processed, shipped and delivered within seven business days via FedEx “with no delivery charge.” Most of FedEx’s so-called Office Print and Ship Centers in the United States now feature a Design & Print Center kiosk.

“Professionally printed products such as business cards and stationery make a powerful statement, and with FedEx Office Design & Print Center, custom design printing has never been easier,” said Enrique Ramirez, vice president, Marketing, FedEx Office. 

FedEx Office, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., is based on a network of more than 1,900, connected store locations around the globe. The group also recently expanded into the printing of large-format signs.

“After reviewing the research and listening to our small-business customers, we realized there is a real need in the marketplace for an online printing platform which is easy to use, provides functionality geared for small business, and is supported by a convenient network of physical locations,” said Stuart Mathis, president of Mail Boxes Etc, franchisor of the UPS Store brand. UPS acquired Mail Boxes Etc. in 2001 for US$191 million, the majority of which have been rebranded The UPS Store.

Users can preview documents, select finishing options and even save documents for future printing using the new system, which is currently only available to U.S. users.

The company currently has over 340 stores in Canada that offer printing and document services, but via email or FTP transfer.