Monday, May 22, 2006

Star-Telegram | 05/22/2006 | Bulk mail is bouncing back

Star-Telegram | 05/22/2006 | Bulk mail is bouncing back: "Bulk mail is bouncing back
By J.G. DOMKE
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM

The no-call list, spam blockers and other regulations that limit unsolicited solicitations, such as blast faxes, may be giving junk snail mail new life.

The U.S. Postal Service and the bulk-mail industry are using new technology to lower costs and improve responses to mailed solicitations for sales, memberships, sales coupons and surveys.

Instead of fading away like the horse-drawn carriage, 'snail mail' is growing. And it has advantages that those in the industry are quick to point out.

'You open it when you want to read it,' said Kathy Hinton, a sales representative at Ridgway Mailing. That gives direct mail a longer 'lifetime value' than e-mail."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Reed, thanks for the interesting post.

I would like to add: According to the USPS, 5,828,250 tons of bulk advertising mail was delivered in 2005, compared to 2,184,950 tons of first class mail last year. Also, the USPS refers to bulk advertising mail as "standard mail"--the title seems to fit.

In 2005, first class mail brought in nearly twice as much revenue as junk mail did. Bulk advertising mail is a cow, but certainly not a "cash cow".