We know, we know. We’re covering the USPS upcoming promotions quite a bit in this issue. What can we say? They’re great opportunities for mailers to save some money on postage, so we want our readers to be as educated as possible. And in that vein, there’s one promotion we want to dive into a little deeper as it could significantly benefit marketing professionals. As direct mail companies are continually embracing the integration of technology and direct mail, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is doing its part and running a new postage discount program for 2019.

What does this mean for you? From March 1 to August 31, the USPS lets all US-based direct mail companies qualify for two percent off eligible postage costs when coupling their clients’ campaigns with emerging and advanced technology.

Why Do Marketers Need to Do?

The use of technology is a proven force in the marketing landscape for today’s savvy marketing professionals. This promotion will build upon previous promotions and continue the USPS’ strategy of encouraging mailers to integrate direct mail with advances in technology to improve effectiveness and maintain relevancy.

To participate in the promotion, the mail piece must incorporate any of the following technologies: NFC technology, Video in Print (ViP), BLE/Beacon technology, an “enhanced” augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, addressable TV, integration with digital assistants, and digital to direct mail.

These technologies will allow the recipient to engage in an interactive experience using the mail piece and mobile devices, tablets, etc. (You can see the article on page 24 of this issue to explore how innovation can increase customer interaction).

The Emerging and Advanced Technology USPS postage discount program allows direct mail companies to pass on savings to their clients when they automatically integrate technologies such as:

• Call tracking
• Mail delivery tracking
• Online ads through Google and social media, such as Facebook and Instagram

Now, both direct mail companies and their clients can not only experience exponentially improved results from their campaign, they can save money at the same time! If this isn’t a win/win, I’m not sure what is.

Ferris Coates is the Marketing Director at DirectMail2.0, a fully integrated marketing solution for the clients of printers/mailers that combines the proven success of direct mail with in-demand features like online advertising and automated campaign tracking. With DirectMail2.0, direct mail companies can boost revenue and increase their clients’ response and ROI. For more information or to schedule a demo, visit www.dm20.com.

This article originally appeared in the January/February, 2019 issue of Mailing Systems Technology.