At some point, those involved in the direct mail industry have heard a story about a direct mail project that took a
costly turn at the moment of mailing because someone failed to check if the format and content of the mail piece met post office direct mailing
requirements.
Like my non-profit client who had a showpiece brochure printed before letting me review. The address panel placement did not meet the Address Standard
for Commercial Flat Size mailers. They had 3 options:
1) Print and insert into an envelope,
2) Apply an address label over the misplaced address panel or
3) Pay the first class postage for the direct mail piece.
Because the image of the piece was critical, they had no choice but to pay the higher postage at 3 times the rate they had budgeted
for their direct marketing campaign.
A simple email during the initial design stage would have allowed me to identify the costly issue.
Now more than ever, due to the USPS effort to improve processing efficiencies as well as identify additional revenue opportunities, a clear
understanding of postal regulations is crucial to insure that direct mail packages are designed for optimal postage savings. No one can afford to
absorb expensive re-work in direct marketing budgets or delays that could sabotage the project.
Whose responsibility is it to check the rules... the designer, the printer, the lettershop or the mail owner? Ultimately, it's the responsibility
of the mail owner to make sure their design meets postal regulations. Should they be expected to know all the rules? No.
I work at the direct marketing services company DCG West in Seattle (
www.dcgwest.com) that has over 100 years of
combined postal regulation experience and we still get stumped occasionally.
So, what's the best way to check the rules? Contact your account service person at your mailhouse, like DCG West. They will do the legwork for you and
find the answer. Be sure to get the response documented so that you are not caught in a he said/she said argument later on.
I would strongly recommend that you take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with recent significant changes in postal regulations at
www.USPS.com. The staff at DCG West can also assist you with any questions.
If you want your DM project to mail on time and on budget, MIND THE RULES!
For more information on direct mail print, database marketing, lettershop, mail services and postal regulations, visit
www.dcgwest.com
