In 2013 the U.S. Postal service will be releasing an annual promotional calendar to notify marketers of upcoming promotions.  This “2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar” will house 6 promos designed to produce interest in the benefits of mobile barcodes in direct mail, and become more successful in marketing campaigns.



“The promotions that are being planned for the coming year will help grow awareness of the ways in which technology can improve the effectiveness of direct mail,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “The ‘2013 Mailing Services Promotions Calendar’ also will give commercial mailers more time to plan their campaigns so that they can take full advantage of both postage savings and marketing opportunities to engage their customers with targeted, tangible and personal communications.”

These proposed promotional details are subject to review by the Postal Regulatory Commission:

The United States Post Office just announced the new folded self mailing standards that will go into effect in January 2013.  

These standards will affect many mailers on how they design the mail piece and which stock they can print it on.

Below is a link and or download option of the Folding Self Mailer Workshop Presentation that the USPS provided to assist mailers who mail Folded Self Mailers.

WASHINGTON
Beginning in early 2013, the Postal Service will be introducing a First-Class Mail Global Forever Stamp.  This new stamp will give customers the ability to mail letters anywhere in the world for only $1.10. The First-Class Mail Global Forever Stamp is only 1 of the new mailing and shipping services filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission.  

The price for First-Class Mail single-piece letters will increase by just a penny when prices change in January. The new $0.46 Forever stamps will allow customers to mail letters to any location in the United States.  Forever stamps are always good when mailing a 1 ounce letter now or in the future, even with postage increases.  

The First-Class Mail pricing Highlights, effective Jan. 27, 2013 include:

  -  Letters (1oz.) – 1-cent increase to $0.46
  -  Letters additional ounces – remain at $0.20
  -  Letters to all international destinations (1oz.) - $1.10
  -  Postcards – 1-cent increase to $0.33

Prices on all products (Mailing and Shipping services) will increase by 4%, but prices for Mailing Services, such as regular letters & advertising matter, will increase by only 2.6%.  The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) is going to analyze all of the prices before they become active January 27, 2013. These filings will be available on the PRC website at www.prc.gov and the new Mailing Service prices will be accessible at http://pe.usps.com. 

Shipping Services
Several new Shipping Services products will be available in January as well.  USPS will be offering  FREE tracking on all competitive packages, including retail Priority Mail and Parcel Post (recently renamed Standard Post).  

Customers will now have an option for a signature upon delivery when shipping Critical Mail letters and flats as part of the service offering.  

A large assortment of flat-rate boxes and envelopes for Express Mail and Priority Mail, including the padded and legal-sized flat rate envelopes will continue to be offered by the Postal Service. 

New domestic retail pricing for Priority Mail Flat Rate products will include:

  -  Small box – $5.80
  -  Medium box – $12.35
  -  Large box – $16.85
  -  Large APO/FPO box – $14.85
  -  Regular envelope – $5.60

Based on the recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Postal Service had a price inflation of  2.570 % which included the various unused price adjustment authority by class.  The average increases are below:

PROMOTIONS:  
The Postal Service asked for the approval for a total of six promotions (i.e. QR Code, etc.) to be held over the year according to a file sent to the Postal Regulatory Commission.  Customers raised a concern that they did not have enough time to take part in the promotions.  The Postal Service is addressing these concerns.  
The promotions include:

March-April 2013

-   Mobile Coupon/Click-to-Call - A promotion that pursues an increase in the value of direct mail by accentuating the integration of mail with mobile technology in 2 specific ways.  First, the promotion would encourage mailers to combine coupons in the mail with mobile-optimized platforms for redemption. Second, it will promote understanding of mail containing mobile codes with “click-to-call” capabilities.

April-June 2013

-   Earned Value Reply Mail Promotion - This promotion is designed to push the use of First-Class Mail® as a primary reply tool for their customers.

August-September 2013

-   Emerging Technology -  This promotion was created to build on the achievements of past mobile barcode promotions by promoting how innovative technology can be integrated with a direct mail strategy to increase the value of direct mail.

-   Picture Permit - The Picture Permit promotion was created to promote the use of picture permit imprint indicia to increase its view as a marketing tool.

-   Product Samples - This promotion will regain product sampling via the mail by discounting qualified product samples.

November-December 2013

-   Mobile Buy-it-Now - This promotion will encourage mailers to entrust technologies that will strengthen consumers interaction with mail, and exhibit how direct mail can be an easy method for consumers to do their holiday shopping.

Description of Prices: The 3 classes that will be focused on are:  Standard Mail, Periodicals & Packages Services.

On June 27, 2012, the Postal Service filed a Notice of Price Adjustment with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for a 2012 Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion tentatively scheduled to run November 7 – 21, 2012, with registration beginning September 15, 2012.  Pending PRC approval, the proposed holiday promotion is designed to spur mobile purchasing by putting mobile-optimized promotional offers, coupons and catalogs into their customers’ hands in time for Black Friday-Cyber Monday shopping sprees.

As technology changes the marketing landscape, the Postal Service must ensure that direct mail continues to be a relevant part of the marketing mix. This promotion is intended to show how direct mail combined with mobile technology can be a convenient method for consumers to do their holiday shopping. 

This is the third promotion the Postal Service has offered to encourage the integration of mail and mobile technology – the initial being the 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion, and the second is the Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion that begins this Sunday, July 1st.

   The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the postage price adjustment for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail letters, flats, and cards (presort and automation) that contain a qualifying mobile barcode inside or on the mail pieces.
 
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail
Manual (DMMR) 709.3 to add a new temporary promotion in the summer of 2012 for Presorted and automation First-
Class Mail cards, letters and flats, and Standard Mail letters and flats bearing two-dimensional mobile barcodes or equivalent print technology.

DATES:
Effective Date: July 1, 2012, through August 31, 2012.