2014 USPS Postal Promotions - Rob Nowak Feb 11, 2014

2014 USPS Postal Promotions

                Rob Nowak
                  Feb 11, 2014

Agenda
•   Why USPS continues these promotions?
•   Why would you want to participate?
•   2014 USPS Promotion Calendar
•   Promotion Details
•   Examples
•   Steps to Success
•   Q&A

Why Offer Incentive Programs?
Post Office Dire financial position
• Mail Volume Decline: 25% from 2007
  to 2012 Loosing Money
• Revenue Down $10B (13%) from '07
  to '12
• $41B of Net Losses
• In FY2012, the USPS reached its $15
  billion statutory debt limit.

Why Should you Participate?
• Save Money on postage
• Provides an opportunity to test technology at
  the expense of the post office
• Shows your consumers you’re tech savvy

Can you identify a Mobile Optimized
              Website?

Source: http://www.viedigital.com/news/blog/mobile-optimised-websites-
are-the-way-forward-for-your-business.htm

Holding your finger down invokes the copy-and-paste
     function rather than creating a hover state.

USPS Incentive Programs for 2014

Branded Color Mobile Technology
                                   (Feb-Mar)

• To encourage marketers to move beyond basic QR code and
  develop mailpieces that add marketing and creative value and
  encourage mobile engagement.
   – A discount on Standard Mail and commercial First-Class Mail letters,
     cards and flats containing a creative QR Code or digital image
     recognition.
   – Move beyond black& white & boring….A creative QR code must be
     functional and incorporate at least one of the following:
       • A: 2 or more colors set against a background
       • B: a trademark or graphic
   – Potentially include other non-visible mobile technology that including:
       • Image recognition technology
       • Watermarks
       • Standard (B&W) QR codes would not be eligible

Branded Color Mobile

Branded Color Mobile
• Steps for Success
  – Must have a mobile optimized website
  – Google “branded qr code generator”
     • Generate QR code
  – Place QR code on any page in your catalog
     • Link QR code back to your mobile optimized website
     • Add directional copy next to code
  – Register for program

Directional Copy

Earned Value Reply
                           (Apr-June)

• Encourage USPS customers to continue to provide
  Business Reply Mail® (BRM) and Courtesy Reply Mail™
  (CRM) as options for consumers to communicate with
  them.
   – Similar to the 2013 Earned Value Reply Mail promotion.
   – Mailers who BRM and CRM enclosures will earn a rebate
     credit when the reply pieces are returned.
   – Reply pieces are scanned and counted during regular mail
     processing.
   – Mailers select a permit account and rebate credits can be
     redeemed for postage for future mailings on this permit.

Earned Value Reply

Earned Value Reply
• Steps for success
  – Must have a BRC/CRC
  – Only returned cards get counted
     • $0.02/return
  – Register for program

Mail and Digital Personalization
• Both the mailpiece and PURL/website must be personalized
  to qualify for this promotion (variables may include: name,
  birthday, custom offer or different envelope, etc).
• The website or landing page must correspond to the
  physical mailpiece and enhance the overall experience for
  the consumer.
• Mobile optimized landing page is required.
• Either an URL or mobile technology (watermark, AR, QR,
  etc.) can be used.
• Must have a unique url that enables the mailer the ability
  to track and monitor individual mail recipient response and
  web activity

Mail and Digital Personalization

Mail and Digital Personalization
• Steps for success
  – Must have a mobile optimized landing page
     • Requirements don’t call for a fully functional site
  – Must use a PURL
     • Personalized QR codes
     • Personalized URL address
     • Placed any page
  – Add directional copy next to
    code/url
  – Register for program

Emerging Technology featuring NFC
          Promotion (Aug-Sept)
• Similar to the 2013 Emerging Technology
  Promotion (Other potential technologies still
  being considered).
• Potential existing or new technologies to
  highlight are:
  –   Augmented Reality
  –   Image Recognition
  –   Watermarks
  –   New paper/printing technologies
  –   Mobile payment technologies (NFC, mobile wallets,
      etc)

Augment Page(s) - How it Works!

• Upload final print-ready PDF to Dingley
• Dingley Scans page(s) - Image recognition used to
  uniquely ID page(s)
• Add page to database
• Every time the page is viewed using the Layar app
  it finds your unique page, then overlays the
  content you selected

                                              =

Key Features
• Call Us Now   Original Page

                                Augmented Page

Key Features
• YouTube video   Original Page

                                  Augmented Page

Key Features
• YouTube video    Original Page
• Image Carousel
                                   Augmented Page

Key Features
• Two Videos            Original Page
• Like us on Facebook
                                        Augmented Page
• Click to Call

Key Features
•   Like Us on Facebook   Original Page
•   YouTube video page
•   Follow on Twitter                     Augmented Page
•   Call Us Now
•   Visit our Website

Emerging Technology
• Steps for success
  – Must have a mobile optimized website
  – Must use image technology such as AR, or NFC
  – Can be on any page in your catalog
     • Add directional copy next to code
  – Register for program

Mail Drives Mobile Commerce
               Promotion
• Encourage holiday shopping by encouraging
  marketers and retailers to utilize state of the
  art mobile purchasing technology with direct
  mail and catalogs to facilitate purchases.
  – Leverage current relevant technology (mobile
    barcodes, NFC, mobile wallets, etc.)

Mail Drives Mobile

Mail Drives Mobile
• Steps for success
  – Must have a mobile optimized website
  – Generate a QR Code
  – Place on any page in your catalog
     • Link QR code back to your website
     • Add directional copy next to code
  – Register for program

Postal Updates
Earned Value Promotion
−Requirements posted on RIBBS
−Registration opens February 15
−Questions can be sent to: earnedvalue@usps.gov
Mail and Digital Personalization Promotion
−Requirements posted on RIBBS
−Registration opens March 15

Postal Updates
Emerging Technology Promotion
−Requirements posted by end of January (not posted yet)
−NFC and other “non-app” driven technology focus
−Potentially expanding promotion to include “Enhanced”
Augmented Reality
Continuing to define these parameters/requirements

Mail Drives Mobile Commerce Promotion
−Requirements posted early February (not posted yet)
−Further definitions of “enhanced mobile purchasing”
requirement (# of clicks/time to complete purchase)

Key Points
•   Technology and Mail working together
•   USPS is supplementing Tech testing
•   Don’t forget to register
•   Promotion Requirements still changing
•   Make it interesting

Q&A
Post Office Contact Info
Email: mobilebarcode@usps.gov

Fax: 202-268-0238

Mail:
US Postal Service Post Office Box
23282 Washington, DC 20026-
3282

Web:                                 Rob Nowak
https://ribbs.usps.gov/mobilebar     rob.nowak@dingley.com
code
                                     www.dingley.com
                                     443-852-4949