House Won’t Vote On Kids Safety Bill

Over the last several years, we’ve seen catalogs come and go. And we’ve seen many retailers jump into the game, spend a LOT of money (we’re talking tens of millions of dollars) and then abandon the model after a couple of seasons. This literally breaks my heart and makes me want to scream! Why does this happen? Here is my very quick opinion. These brands have a combination of the following: 1. A flawed merchandise concept that is not unique, delivered with out-of-date benefits or sent to an audience the brand knows nothing about. 2. Bad math that doesn’t take into account mail efficiencies, an understanding of their own database, mailing to bad names at the wrong time or how the catalog model fits into a cross-channel world. 3. A lack of understanding of how to create a landscape of words and imagery that truly sell off the page and drive activity to either a website or store. learn more at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/5-reasons-catalogs-work/

If one clear trend is dominating marketing, it’s personalization. In fact, personalization is now considered essential for any brand that wants to stand out with consumers and successfully nurture customer relationships. A recent study by Salesforce found that 73% of shoppers expect brands to understand their unique needs and expectations.1 The best way to demonstrate this understanding of individuality among consumers is by creating marketing messages that apply to the recipient and are engaging in their presentation. Personalized print took a big stride forward with the advent of variable data printing capabilities. At one time, simply adding the customer’s name to printed materials was impressive. Today, marketers are using much more sophisticated approaches than simple text substitution.

Yes, the forthcoming August 29, 2021 USPS rate increase is painful. But the USPS threw direct marketers a bone. Did you miss it? The USPS August rate case includes a size adjustment for first-class postcards. Marketers are no longer bound by the content restrictive size of 4.25” x 6” for First-Class Postcards. First-Class Postcards are now allowable up to 6” x 9”! August 29 pricing for this mail class ranges from $0.306/pc to $0.326/pc. Formerly 6” x 9” Postcards were required to mail at letter rates, either First-Class or Marketing Class depending on content. The new adjustment will give marketers a larger canvas to work with while also allowing them to benefit from the speedier in home delivery of First-Class Mail. more at: https://specialtyprintcomm.com/blog/ask-randy-good-news-usps/