WASHINGTON , May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — If they try it, they’ll buy it. That’s the message the U.S. Postal Service is sending to consumer packaged goods companies and other marketers with its Product Samples mail promotion.

Designed to re-invigorate product sampling through the mail, the Product Samples promotion — running Aug.1 – Sept. 30, 2013 — gives marketers a 5-percent upfront postage discount on qualified mailings of product samples. Qualified samples must be trial-sized.

Registration for the Product Samples mail promotion is now open.

“Product sampling has a long, successful track record of building brand awareness and product demand, especially if the consumer receives the sample where the product will be used,” said Gary Reblin , vice president, New Products and Innovation. “Oftentimes, this is the home, and the best way to get product samples into the home is through the U.S. Mail.”

Product sampling is ideal for marketers of consumable goods such as snack foods, toiletries, laundry products — anything that is consumed and needs regular replacement.

The Product Samples promotion also is designed to raise awareness of the Postal Service’s new Simple Samples pricing in Standard Mail. Simple Samples offers flat-rate pricing, volume discounts, less stringent mail-preparation requirements and eliminates the need for outer packaging. Customers can use a mailing list or send samples to every house on a route.

“Simple Samples offers value to consumer packaged goods companies targeting prospective customers with trial-sized product samples,” said Reblin. “Just like the consumers who try their products, consumer packaged goods companies will love Simples Samples once they’ve tried it.”

For more information about the Product Samples promotion and other current mail promotions, visit https://www.usps.com/business/promotions-and-incentives.htm.

SUSSEX, WI, April 2, 2013 – Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: QUAD), is strengthening its direct marketing platform and solutions this year with multimillion-dollar investments in mail processing, including creating two regional commingling centers to drive greater postal savings and efficiencies for direct mail marketers; investing in a new custom web press and other equipment upgrades in its Effingham, Ill., plant; and adding print capabilities to its Westampton, N.J., plant.

“Direct mail continues to be one of the most powerful ways to drive consumer response, and we have the solutions today’s marketers need to acquire and retain customers, and grow their business,” said Steve Jaeger, President of Quad/Graphics Direct Marketing. “With these new investments, we advance our commitment to helping direct marketers maximize the revenue from their print spend while minimizing their total cost of production and distribution.”

New Regional Commingling Centers
Quad/Graphics will enhance its well-established commingling capabilities with the creation of two new regional commingling centers: A Midwest center in New Berlin, Wis., and an East Coast center at its existing direct mail production plant in Westampton, N.J.

The commingling process merges individual mail pieces together to improve presort discounts and dropship savings, reducing postal handling and delivery time. “Postage is typically our clients’ single largest production-related expense and can be as much as 60 percent of their budget,” Jaeger said. “By consolidating direct mail volume into these two new mailing centers, Quad/Graphics will help our clients qualify for greater postal discounts.”

The Midwest commingling center will start up in May in a 225,000-square-foot building in New Berlin not far from Quad/Graphics’ other Southeastern Wisconsin facilities. “In the near future, we will add copalletization capabilities to this location to further enhance postal discounts for our clients,” Jaeger said.

The East Coast commingling center will start up later this month in the Westampton plant, and will support Quad/Graphics’ nearby direct marketing production facilities, newly acquired from Vertis.

Effingham and Westampton Plant Expansions
Quad/Graphics will add print capabilities to its Westampton plant and enhance Effingham’s platform with a new custom web offset press. In addition, equipment upgrades to other Effingham presses will allow the plant to produce promotional gaming pieces, such as scratch-off products.

The Effingham plant’s new custom web press, scheduled to start up by the end of the summer, is a highly productive and versatile, 11-unit double-web press featuring high output and maximum flexibility for producing complex mail pieces. Unique features include duplex inkjet capability so both sides of both webs can be personalized with coupons, barcodes and highly customized messaging to drive consumer engagement and elicit response. The 11 printing units allow complex combinations of PMS colors and varnish coatings. The press is modular, providing flexibility for inline finishing such as die-cutting, gluing and UV coatings that can be set up in any order depending on the job.

Two other presses at the Effingham plant, scheduled to start up in May, will be upgraded with equipment for game piece production. Enhancements to the plant’s variable imaging and inkjet capabilities are also planned, giving direct marketers more options to drive response.

The Westampton plant is in the process of adding print capabilities to complement the plant’s existing, advanced finishing operations. Quad/Graphics will relocate several laser printers and two forms presses from other Quad/Graphics’ direct marketing facilities.

“Quad/Graphics Direct Marketing is dedicated to offering the best, most sophisticated platform and direct mail solutions,” Jaeger said. “Our goal is to continually redefine the value we bring to the marketplace and be the best one-stop resource for our clients.”

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, our current expectations about the Company’s future results, financial condition, goals, strategies, revenue, earnings, free cash flow, margins, prospects and/or outlook and are indicated by words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “believe” and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company’s expectations and judgments and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control.

The factors that could cause actual results to materially differ include, among others: the impact of significant overcapacity in the highly competitive commercial printing industry, which creates downward pricing pressure and fluctuating demand for printing services; the inability of the Company to reduce costs and improve operating efficiency rapidly enough to meet market conditions; the impact of electronic media and similar technological changes including digital substitution by consumers; the impact of changing future economic conditions; the failure to renew long-term contracts with clients on favorable terms or at all; the failure of clients to perform under long-term contracts due to financial or other reasons or due to client consolidation; the failure to successfully identify, manage, complete and integrate acquisitions and investments, including the integration of the operations of Vertis Holdings, Inc.; the impact of changes in postal rates, service levels or regulations; the impact of fluctuations in costs and the availability of raw materials; the impact of increased business complexity as a result of the Company’s entry into additional markets; the impact of regulatory matters and legislative developments or changes in laws, including changes in privacy and environmental laws; the ability of the Company to make the significant capital expenditures needed to remain technologically and economically competitive; the impact on Quad/Graphics class A common shareholders of a limited active market for Quad/Graphics common stock and the inability to independently elect directors or control decisions due to the class B common stock voting rights; and the other risk factors identified in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as such may be amended or supplemented by subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Except as required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Quad/Graphics
Quad/Graphics (NYSE: QUAD), a leading global printer and media channel integrator, is redefining print in today’s multichannel media world by helping marketers and publishers capitalize on print’s ability to complement and connect with other media channels. With consultative ideas, worldwide capabilities, leading-edge technology and single-source simplicity, Quad/Graphics has the resources and knowledge to help its clients maximize the revenue they derive from their marketing spend through channel integration, and minimize their total cost of production and distribution through a fully integrated national distribution network. The Company provides a diverse range of print solutions, media solutions and logistics services from multiple locations throughout North America, Latin America and Europe.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Quad/Graphics, a leading global printer and media channel integrator, was recognized by the U.S. Postal Service this week for excellence in driving technology innovation and supporting growth for the mailing industry. Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick R. Donahoe presented the inaugural Partnership for Growth award to Quad/Graphics at the annual National Postal Forum. Read the rest of this entry »

Ben Choi, co-founder and CEO at Coffee Table, sits down with Tim Parry, senior content manager at Multichannel Merchant, at NEMOA directXchange 2013. In this video, Choi discusses the role catalogs – digital and paper – are playing as ecommerce drivers, the habits of cross-device shoppers, and how insight and data about mobile shoppers can be applied toward the catalog industry.

Read more: How Digital Catalogs are Changing Ecommerce Behaviors #NEMOA #video @ShopCoffeeTable.

From USPS News Link:

Doing business with USPS has become an even better deal thanks to new promotions targeting direct mailers.

With the Direct Mail Mobile Coupon/Click-to-Call promotion, business customers receive an upfront 2 percent postage discount when they integrate mobile coupons or click-to-call technologies into their direct mail campaigns.

“Direct mail coupons that can be redeemed on a mobile device are a great way to get consumers to interact with brands and drive business results,” said New Products and Innovation VP Gary Reblin. “It’s the perfect combination for customer acquisition and retention.”

Click-to-call is a Web-based communication tool that allows consumers to make a phone call by clicking a button, opening images or text on websites, or enabling use of other Internet-connected icons such as 2-D barcodes.

Registration now is open for the Direct Mail Mobile Coupon/Click-to-Call promotion, which runs March 1-April 30, 2013.

A second promotion, Earned Value Reply Mail, provides First-Class Mail business customers with a 2-cent credit for returned reply pieces that can be used to pay for postage on future mailings.

Registration also is now open for this promotion, which runs April 1-June 30, 2013.

More information on both promotions is available on usps.com.

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MailPOW issued the following:

Strange but true: greeting cards are going negative. The United States Postal Service has recently agreed to promote talking cards to deliver political attack messages to voters. MailPOW ensures that anything you say can and will be mailed against you. USPS is now featuring MailPOW in a media marketing kit developed for political consultants to use in this election. According to company founder Crystal Martin, of Yuba City, Ca, “MailPOW leaves an impression that POWers voters from the mail box to the ballot box.” Read the rest of this entry »

The US Postal Service has announced that its Every Door Direct Mail market test has been a success, and the product will become a permanent offering in January 2013. From today’s Federal Register notice:

In December 2010, the Postal Service announced a new market test to begin in January 2011, to enable customers to mail saturation flats with simplified addresses to all types of delivery in an even more simplified manner. The USPSTM developed a Web Tool to assist customers in determining which routes cover certain delivery areas and the number of residential, business, and total deliveries for each delivery route or Post Office BoxTM section. The USPS also waived permit imprint application fees and annual presort mailing fees for mailers paying postage at the time of mailing while entering mail up to 5000 pieces per day at the office of delivery. In addition, mailers do not maintain a trust account for postage payment, instead paying at the time of mailing and using a simplified postage statement.

For more information, visit the EDDM page at USPS.com.

US Postal Service press release:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Mobile barcodes and direct mail will drive retail sales this holiday season, so marketers looking to boost revenue while saving money should consider the 2012 Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion — now open for registration at the RIBBS website, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

The 2012 Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion is designed to drive online product purchases by putting mobile-optimized promotional offers, coupons and catalogs into consumers’ hands in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the busiest shopping time of year. The promotion will offer online merchants an upfront 2 percent postage discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, flats and cards (presort and automation) that include a mobile barcode or print/mobile technology — such as a Quick Response (QR) code — that can be read or scanned by a mobile device and leads the mail recipient to a mobile-optimized shopping website. The promotion will run Nov. 7- Nov. 21.

“Direct mail has always been an effective way to reach consumers with product information,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. “And direct mail combined with mobile technology is a really convenient way for consumers to do their holiday shopping, a convenience that will continue to grow.

“This is the third promotion we’ve offered to demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating mail and mobile technology, and we’re convinced that once marketers try it, they’ll make direct mail and mobile technology a regular part of their marketing mix,” said Reblin.

Mailers may also qualify for an additional 1 percent postage rebate on their discounted mailings if a portion of their product orders are fulfilled via Priority Mail between Nov. 9 and Dec. 31.

“With no extra charges for Saturday delivery, Priority Mail provides added value that our customers can pass along to their customers,” said Reblin.

For additional information on the 2012 Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion, go to RIBBS. Program registration continues through Nov. 21. Participants must agree to participate in a survey about the promotion.
 

Rancho Santa Margarita, CALIF. – Melissa Data, a company that specializes in providing data quality and address management solutions including mailing lists and much more, has just released statistics that show how Personalized Saturation Mailing Lists can be an extremely effective way for business owners to reach local residents.

According to Greg Brown, vice president of marketing for Melissa Data, highly personalized color direct mail was found to typically generate a 6.5 percent response rate—which is over three times higher than the usual 2.0 percent response rate that occurs as the result of non-personalized direct mail.

Read the rest of this entry »

LIVONIA, Mich., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Valassis (NYSE: VCI), one of the nation’s leading media and marketing services companies, announced today that it made this year’s InformationWeek 500, an annual listing of the nation’s most innovative users of business technology. This is the third consecutive year Valassis has been named to this prestigious list. The company was recognized for the development of its Advanced Booking Engine (ABE), a solution that optimizes ad placement requests for its clients in a fraction of time with a 98% improvement rate.

The ABE has resulted in better ad placement for Valassis’ shared mail advertising clients, providing them:

• date flexibility;
• the option for alternate date placement;
• the ability to make changes later in the process; and
• reduced lead times.

This efficient solution automates what was a manual process and cuts the process time by more than half. Additionally, it provides analytics for current and future planning that previously was not available.

“As a company, we operate with speed, urgency and energy and we applied those competencies to this project,” said Steve Carrington, Valassis Chief Information Officer. “We were able to develop an innovative solution by applying proven technology to our unique business situation and deliver an application that enhances both our business and that of our clients.”

Utilizing a cross-functional team, a plan was developed to improve speed and agility that would contain the intelligence to systematically optimize ad placement, while incorporating established business rules, allowing more selling time and decreasing the amount of time needed to process the request.

“The InformationWeek 500 has recognized the most innovative users of business technology for 24 years, and this year’s innovations were particularly impressive,” said InformationWeek Editor in Chief Rob Preston. “What the editors looked for are unconventional approaches — new technologies, new models, new ways of grabbing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with IT.”

The annual list was revealed last night at a gala awards ceremony at the InformationWeek 500 Conference which took place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, Calif. InformationWeek identifies and honors the nation’s most innovative users of information technology with its annual 500 listing, and also tracks the technology, strategies, investments, and administrative practices of America’s best-known companies. Past overall winners include PACCAR Inc., The Vanguard Group, CME Group, National Semiconductor, Con-Way, and Principal Financial Group. The InformationWeek 500 rankings are unique among corporate rankings as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders.  Additional details on the InformationWeek 500 can be found online at www.informationweek.com/iw500/.