Japs-Olson Co.

At the inaugural 2013 Inkjet Summit last week in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, attendees were treated to non-stop activities: keynotes, panel discussions, case studies, user conversations and more, providing a near constant flow of information. The enthusiasm of attendees and sponsors alike was very high, with many compliments going to organizers for bringing the two groups together in such an intimate setting, which included scheduled one-on-one meetings and case history presentations by segment.

Last fall, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced its 2013 Mailing Service Promotions calendar. Much to the delight of on-the-go consumers, a number of the promotions incorporate discounts for the use of mobile-based technologies. Tom Foti, manager of direct mail and periodicals for the USPS, provided some insight for each promotion, with an extended look at the mobile-based offerings.

Direct mail is still considered the marketing channel of choice by a vast number of marketers across verticals ranging from telecom and utilities to nonprofit, publishing and financial services. According to the Direct Marketing Association's “2012 Response Rate Report,” the rates for letter-sized direct mail (3.4 percent) were 30 times higher than those for email (0.12 percent). The belief that direct mail is dead or dying will have to be suspended for the time being.