For home-based agents who rely heavily on direct-mail campaigns, there may be good news coming from, of all places, the U.S. Postal Service.
Facing huge financial losses as the economy worsens and mailing habits change, the USPS is offering inducements to bulk mailers aimed at increasing mail volume.
First, the USPS is seeking authorization from the Postal Regulatory Commission to offer a “summer sale” on postage for any increase in bulk Standard Mail volume, a form of seasonal pricing that the direct marketing industry has long requested.
According to preliminary reports, mailers would be offered discounts of 20 percent to 30 percent from June 15 to September 15 for mail volume in excess of their past mailings.
In addition, the Postal Service has announced an incentive program for saturation mailers, allowing USPS customers to earn credits on brand-new volumes ranging from 2.2 cents to 4 cents per piece. The credit will be calculated for mail volume above what the customer mailed in the previous year and paid at the end of the program year. The program will initially run from May 11, 2009, to May 10, 2010.