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August 15, 2011
SIMPLE GETS BETTEREvery Door Direct Mail Online Tool Gets An Upgrade
Saturation Mail with Simplified Addressing, Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) and EDDM Retail mailpieces don’t need to carry addresses like regular mail. Instead, they’re delivered to every residence and business along a route.
Customers using these services go online to use the Simplified Mailing Process (SMP) tool to select carrier routes that match the neighborhoods and demographics they want to reach.
However, just like the GPS tools in mobile devices and cars, the SMP tool needs occasional upgrades.
”The mapping portion of the tool will be upgraded twice a year,” says Dave Mastervich, manager, Saturation Mail and Catalogs. “That should help us include new streets that are missing from the previous version.”
The latest upgrade takes effect this month, and there are several improvements, including:
1. The first mapping update (effective Aug. 19)
2. Easier navigation
Also, the SMP tool now accepts 200 delivery points, allowing the tool to include small Post Offices with that number of addresses.
“We listened to our customers’ suggestions,” said Mastervich.
July 7, 2011
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MAIL
Study Finds Direct Mail Makes An Impression
 A recent study suggests that direct mail makes deeper and longer-lasting impressions on people’s brains than digital advertising.
The study was conducted jointly by research firm Millward Brown, Bangor University and the United Kingdom’s Royal Mail.
Researchers used neuroscience technology to see which areas of the brain became active when participants viewed the same marketing message as a physical piece of direct mail and digitally on a computer screen.
Their findings suggest “the brain is more emotionally engaged and is potentially reflecting more on a response” when viewing direct mail, says Graham Page, executive vice president of consumer neuroscience at Millward Brown. Also, because the brain saw mail as real, deeper memories were likely being created.
Direct mail hadn’t been the subject of any major neuroscience research until Royal Mail and Millward Brown teamed in 2009 to investigate its place in the evolving media landscape.
“We were keen to understand how direct mail would work within new emerging media,” says Mike West, head of data products at Royal Mail. At the same time, the organization wanted to be able to show businesses that were starting to switch to digital how the benefits compared with direct mail.
Page says the implication is clear — direct mail should still have a place in marketing strategies, even in the digital era.
“While there are huge benefits of taking advantage of virtual media, our research suggests that we shouldn’t be forgetting more physical media like direct mail,” says Page. “Physical, ‘real’ events like receiving direct mail add an element that virtual campaigns cannot.”
May 9, 2011
GAME ON
FLAT-RATE BOARD GAME BOX MAKES ITS DEBUT
 For board game enthusiasts and customers requiring a longer, narrower configuration for the popular USPS flat-rate boxes — it’s your turn. The all-new Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Board Game Box has arrived.
Available in packs of 25 through online ordering only, the new flat-rate box can accommodate two average-sized board games. Postage is $14.95 for the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Board Game Box — the same low price to any destination in the U.S. (and only $12.95 when shipping to military personnel at APO/FPO addresses). Postage for international shipping is $35.50 to Canada and Mexico, and $58.50 to all other countries.
“It’s perfect for board games and items requiring a longer, slimmer box to ship across the country or around the world,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “The board game box is a great addition to our portfolio of Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes.”
The Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Board Game Box was added online at The Postal Store last month. Within 24 hours of its debut, customers ordered 40,000 boxes. To date, customers have ordered more than 1 million boxes.
May 9, 2011
STAMP OUT HUNGER
SPONSORS PIN THEIR HOPES ON RECORD 2011 FOOD DRIVE
Feeding America, USPS, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA) and Campbell Soup Company will be joined by entertainer and entrepreneur Nick Cannon in the annual food drive to “Stamp Out Hunger” Saturday, May 14.
Now in its 19th year, the “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive. In 2010, letter carriers collected a record-setting total of more than 77 million pounds of food donations along their postal routes, pushing the 18-year total to more than 1 billion pounds of food.
As a hunger relief advocate and the newest member of Feeding America’s Entertainment Council, Cannon will support the food drive by urging Americans to place a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods next to their mailboxes prior to their regular mail delivery May 14.
Cannon is appearing in a television public service announcement which can be viewed on the “Stamp Out Hunger” YouTube channel and Facebook fan page.
New to this year’s food drive are 152,000 campaign buttons provided by USPS. The NALC and NRLCA will distribute the buttons to letter and rural carriers to wear leading up to May 14.
Click here for more information on the "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive
May 9, 2011
THE SIMPLE JUST GOT SIMPLER
INTRODUCING FOREVER-PRICED PACKAGING
Building on the simplicity of flat-rate shipping and the value of Forever postage, USPS has announced a shipping option that lets customers lock in future postage increases at current prices when using select Priority Mail Flat Rate packaging.
“Prepaid Forever Priority Mail Flat Rate packaging” is a ground-breaking approach to shipping, designed to make it easier to do business with the Postal Service and address the core strategy of increasing the USPS share of the package market. Available for online ordering, Prepaid Forever Priority Mail Flat Rate packaging is the only prepaid packaging option currently available in the domestic shipping market.
January 13, 2011
Nine Contract Post Offices Open On Holiday
Postal Services in addition to dispatch and processing of pre-paid Priority Mail will be available on Dr. M.L. King holiday, January 17th at the following locations:
1. “Get Your Paint On” located at 3398 Forum Blvd in The Forum shopping center located east of I-75 on the north side of Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers. Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
2. “Sun Harvest Citrus” located at 14810 Metro Pkwy. Ft Myers. Hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
3. “Alico Self Storage” located at 7600 Alico Rd, Ft Myers. Hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
4. “The Shell Factory” located at 2787 Tamiami Trail, N Ft Myers. Hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
5. “Two for $1 Cards” located at 13971 N Cleveland Ave, N. Ft Myers. Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
6. “Cedeno Plaza” located at 307 N Del Prado Blvd, Cape Coral. Hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
7. “Sip N Send”, located at 2517 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral. Hours are 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
8. “Shipping & Mailing” located at 838 Neopolitan Way, Naples. Hours are 8:45 am to 4:45 pm.
9. “Paradise Card Shop” located at 13500 Tamiami Trail N. Hours are 8:00 am to 6 pm.
In addition to retail services at the above locations, pre-paid Priority Mail shipments can be deposited at all of the above locations for dispatch and processing on the holiday. Contract post offices provide postal services at postal pricing with no surcharges! Due to the holiday there will be no mail delivery or collections from blue boxes. Express Mail will not be delivered.
Automated Postal Centers are located at Page Field Post Office, Ft Myers; Cape Coral Central Post Office, Cape Coral; Coco River Post Office, Naples; Vanderbilt Beach Post Office, Naples; Naples Main Post Office, Naples. Addresses for these locations can be obtained from www.usps.com or by calling 1-800-275-8777. Mail deposited at automated postal centers will be collected and dispatched on the holiday.
January 13, 2011
Cape Coral Cup Mini Golf Tournament
The Vecciarelli-Bartlett family, Cape Coral residents were the winners of the family team trophy for the 10:00 tee time at the Cape Coral Cup Mini Golf Tournament held Sunday Jan 9th at Mike Greenwell's. Austin Vecciarelli was also the top golfer in the child category for that round.
January 13, 2011
Special Program For Snowbirds - Plethora of New Stamps For 2011
It happens every year. Snowbirds fly north and fail to file the proper documentation for forwarding of their mail. The USPS Consumer Advisory Council will sponsor a program to educate snowbirds (as well as all customers) on the proper procedure to make sure their mail will follow them wherever they might travel. This FREE program will be offered on Tuesday, February 22nd at South County Regional Library located at 21100 Three Oaks Pkwy, Estero, Fl 33928 and Friday, February 25th at Cape Coral Library located at 921 SW 39th Ter, Cape Coral, Fl 33914. Both programs will begin at 2:00 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. The program is open to the public and registration is not required.
You proved that you like them – so now, they’re going to be permanent! Forever stamps, that is. Beginning in January 2011, all one-ounce, first-class commemorative postage stamps issued will be considered forever! That’s right . . . forever! No matter how much postage increases, these stamps can always be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps were purchased.
The U.S. Postal Service has a wide variety of stamps that will be issued in 2011, beginning with the Lunar New Year—Year of the Rabbit stamp. This stamp will be followed by Kansas Statehood, Ronald Reagan, Jazz Appreciation, Latin Music Legends, and Neon Celebrate.
Others to be issued include Helen Hayes, Civil War, Gregory Peck, Purple Heart, Mercury Messenger, Garden of Love, Indianapolis 500, and Pioneers of American Industrial Design.
Still other new stamps will be American Scientists, Mark Twain, Owney the Postal Dog, U.S. Merchant Marine, Edward Hopper, Flags of Our Nation (Set 5), Send a Hello, Wedding Roses, Barbara Jordan, Romare Bearden, and Holiday Baubles.
The Postal Service has also issued one-ounce, first-class Lady Liberty/Flag Forever stamps in a pressure-sensitive adhesive coil of 100 stamps. The stamps feature photographs of world-recognized symbols of the United States: the Statue of Liberty and the American flag.
For more information about purchasing stamps, stamps by mail, postal regulations, a free subscription to USA Philatelic magazine, Post Office events, the location of the nearest postal store or contract unit, or for answers to your specific Postal Service questions, contact USPS at 1-800-275-8777, or visit www.usps.com. For detailed information on selection criteria for stamps visit http://www.stamps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm. To schedule a presentation for your community, club or group on how the Postal Service brings the Post Office to your home or office computer, call 239-573-9638.
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