May 2003
Sticky Notes On Your Envelopes
Called Repositionable Notes by the USPS, sticky notes are the familiar brightly colored, 3x3 note pads
we've used around the office for years. And for some time now, direct marketers have found that they can
produce a greater draw by strategically placing repositionable note on an insert
inside the direct mail piece.
Recently, the USPS has approved the use of repositionable notes on the outside of the envelope. Some
marketers have already begun applying sticky notes to their direct mail and are reporting great success.
Of course, to keep the piece machineable, the post office has some requirements you must meet in
order to use sticky notes on the outside of your envelope. One of those requirements is that the
repositionable note must be applied by machine only. CCI can supply you with all the
requirements and even a sample. Call us at 800-279-2505 or email info@mailCCI.com or
contact us at http://www.mailCCI.com/contact.asp for more information
about how you can use repositionable notes on your next direct mail project.
Steady Rates Until 2006
After discovering its retirement fund was overfunded, the USPS had asked Congress to approve lower
contributions. President Bush has signed into law the Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding
Reform Act of 2003 making it possible for the USPS to save over $5 billion over the next
2 years.
Postal officials say that the savings will be used to pay off the $11 billion in debt over 3 years. Also, the
USPS does not expect to file for postage rate increases until 2006. The reform law includes a mandate
from Congress that the savings from lower pension contributions not be used for executive
bonuses.
Why You Need MCAP
In 2002, the USPS processed 200 billion mail pieces and nearly 5.5 billion were not deliverable. That's
nearly 3 percent of all mail that never gets delivered to the intended recipient. There's no refund for the
ones that do not make it. Each one of those undeliverable mail pieces cost their mailer.
While postage is the most substantial cost in undeliverable mail, it's not just a matter of postage. All the
costs of the mailing are in the undeliverable pieces also, including printing,
data processing, processing,
and handling. All that cost for zero chance of a return on investment. There will be no response for your
effort since the offer will never make it to the addressee.
The answer is obvious: Just don't mail the undeliverable pieces. Don't pay to have them printed. Don't pay
to have them inserted and addressed. And don't pay the postage on a piece that will not be delivered. If
your lettershop is not offering this service to you, please contact CCI right away. You may be mailing too
much and paying too much.
Free Demonstration: CCI is offering a free demonstration of our MCAP Mailer Savings
plan. With MCAP, we eliminate the unnecessary costs of processing and mailing undeliverable
pieces. There are many other services included in the free MCAP plan that help you make the most of your marketing
dollar.
Learn about the free MCAP demonstration at http://www.mailCCI.com/direct_mail_proof.asp.
News Poll
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Send your vote to mailto:webmaster@mailCCI.com or vote
online. Visit http://www.mailCCI.com and in
the Interactive menu choose Today's Survey.
Do you mail more or less than the average 3% of undeliverable mail pieces?
____ More
____ Less
We'll post the poll results here in next month's e-newsletter.
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Results of last month's poll:
Has the war in Iraq inspired any changes in the copy or design of your mail piece?
52% Yes
48% No
See the results of other surveys CCI has conducted online at http://www.mailCCI.com/data/surveys.asp.
www.mailCCI.com
May's Employee Spotlight features a former USPS employee who
offers years of insider knowledge and experience to CCI clients. Pam Fleming is one of only 500 Certified Mail and
Distribution Systems Managers (CMDSM) in the country.
Pam enjoys the challenge of CCI's MCAP Plan by trying to
find ways to reduce mailing costs while maintaining or even increasing direct mail return on investment.
Many lettershops can offer you discounted services, but CCI can reduce all your direct marketing costs
and retain your response rate.
Contact Pam Fleming for more information about CCI's MCAP
and other direct mail marketing services at 800-279-2505 or email at pfleming@mailCCI.com or at
http://www.mailCCI.com/contact.asp.
Learn how we reduce ALL your direct mail costs with the exclusive MCAP plan at http://www.mailCCI.com/direct_mail_proof.asp.