When it comes to political direct mail...size matters
With regards to mailing for direct mail, we have discussed the weight of paper and the two general measures used, U.S. Basis Weight and GSM. So onto thickness and size. Both of these are characteristics of printing papers that can affect mailing costs and mail-ability.
I was reading a printing blog the other day in which the writer was emphasizing how printers should be selling themselves to designers, so that designers know the newest trends and are able to make cost effective decisions based on new technology. I was reminded of the book Youtility by Jay Baer. This was a book The Campaign Workshop read in a recent company retreat. This book focused on the future of marketing, customer support, and the importance of being useful to your clients. This got me thinking about our company and my position as a production manager.
The USPS is starting to clean up their data and streamline mail entry so that it is not as manual and paper based. One part of this is that companies don’t need to open up permits at every facility location where their mail is verified, and can instead utilize a “Mail Anywhere” service. Entering mail is all being streamlined to a digital process where fewer eyes look at it and fewer hands touch or physically verify.
Die-Cuts Are a Great Way to Ensure Your Mail Stands out and Reinforces Its Message
Two things off the bat to consider are costs and timing. First, die-cuts add costs, so it's not something to suggest on every campaign. Second is the time factor, die-cuts do add time to the production of the piece, so this needs to be worked into the schedule.
Everything You Were Afraid to Ask About Political Direct Mail Printing—Part 2
In part one of this series we talked about the characteristics of a good printer for political direct mail printing and how to find them. This week we’re going to talk about schedules and paper.
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