Postal News, Vision, Information & Commentary » Advertorials

When Uncle Sam Has Something To Say, Uncle Sam Heads For The Nearest Post Office

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:44:45 +0000

Whether the subject is taxes, health information, census tallies, registering voters, or news from a senator or representative, when Uncle Sam wants to reach the American public, his messages go by advertising mail.

The officials who make Uncle Sam tick use advertising mail because they know that while the “electronic superhighway” may hold promise for tomorrow, only the mail reaches 148 physical million addresses today. And it doesn’t matter whether those addresses are in rural communities or big-city skyscrapers, the cost is the same everywhere.

It’s not surprising that government is a major advertising mail user. Mail is unmatched by other media when it comes to targeting, efficiency, public acceptance, and results that can be tested and measured.

Little wonder that government officials — like businesses, charities, and environmental groups — know that when a message is important, it belongs in the mail.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: addresses, electronic superhighway, government, mail, Uncle Sam

There’s More to Mail Than Meets the Eye

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:43:28 +0000

There’s no shortage of clever messages and great ads. From the moment we arise to the time we turn off the lights, life is filled with commercial messages that compete for our time and attention.

But not all messages are the same. Some break through the clutter, catch our interest, and cause us to respond.

For generations big companies that were once small — and small companies that wanted to grow — have known that advertising mail offers values that are special and unique.

Advertising mail stands out. It can be targeted to reach just the right folks with just the right interests. It can produce results that are clear, immediate, and measurable. It is the medium that delivers DVDs to see, samples to try, and coupons to save.

People trust advertising mail. It’s a form of communication that has been used to transmit values, share concerns, and build support for more than a century. Little wonder that marketing trends come and go, but advertising mail is successful year after year.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: acceptance, advertising, clutter, mail, small business

Every Day Can Be Special When You Shop By Mail

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:41:52 +0000

Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, a birthday, a graduation, a promotion, a new job, Valentine’s Day, an anniversary — there’s a lot to celebrate, something important almost every month.

And being in the holiday spirit — no matter which holiday is at hand — means having the right gift at the right time.

Little wonder that when it comes to special days, more and more Americans avoid the hassle of traffic, mall prices, and limited store hours to shop the easy way. By catalog.

More than 10,000 catalogs bring a world of goods and services to your front door. Clothes, furniture, electronics, books, jewelry, gift items, tools — you name it, and there’s a catalog that’s got it.

For more than 100 years mail-order catalogs have been the consumer’s best friend, an American tradition that means selection, value, and low prices. And today, when time is precious, catalogs allow consumers to shop at home, pay at home, and get delivery at home.

So the next time one of those special days is on the horizon, be prepared. Sit down, put your feet up, order by catalog. And let the world come to you.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: catalogs, choice, gas, mail, malls, shopping, traffic

It Means Too Much To Be Called “Junk”

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:40:45 +0000

Advertising mail gets a bum rap, especially from those who call it “junk mail.”

“Junk” suggests that advertising mail benefits no one, that it is useless and without worth. But the truth is that advertising mail provides important values. It fuels economic growth by generating sales. It provides jobs for people in every state. It’s vital to charitable, educational, consumer, ecological, political and medical causes nationwide. It brings coupons and catalogs to millions of Americans each day, including the elderly, the rural and the disabled.

Advertising mail supports our universal mail delivery system by lowering the cost of postal services. In fact, without advertising mail, the price of a first-class letter would soar.

Why? The Postal Service has fixed costs for people and facilities. Advertising mail represents about half of all mail volume. Take away advertising mail and to keep universal postal deliveries nationwide, six days a week, you still need most of the postal facilities and people now on the payroll. Fewer users sharing largely the same fixed costs means only one thing — vastly higher rates for the postal patrons who remain.

Don’t let anybody fool you. Advertising mail is many things. But it’s not “junk.”

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: catalogs, coupons, economy, growth, labels, mail, Mail & Jobs, Mail & Jobs, value, values

How Do You Stuff A Shopping Mall Into A Mailbox?

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:39:09 +0000

The average shopping mall is a big place with lots of stores and acres of parking. But even the biggest malls can’t match the array of choices you’ll find each day in America’s mailboxes.

Fact is, more than 10,000 catalogs are produced every year. They’re created by businesses in every state and used by families and firms nationwide.

Just about everyone orders from catalogs and those orders mean jobs. Jobs America needs. Jobs we can’t afford to lose. Jobs that represent buying power for households, economic growth for our nation, and tax revenues for government at every level.

Catalogs keep gas in your tank, where it belongs. With catalogs you can avoid extra trips, parking hassles, crowds, limited inventories and missed sales and discounts.

Catalogs also mean convenience, value, access, and choice. A mall in the mailbox for everyone, including the elderly, the rural, and the disabled. After all, the best America has to offer should be available no matter who you are or where you live.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: catalogs, choice, coupons, Mail & Jobs, mail order, selections

Before You Can Raise Hearts and Minds, You Have to Raise Money

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:59:10 +0000

Money is the “Mother’s Milk” of American politics. Good ideas, hard work, and wondrous visions are important, but the plain fact is that it takes cash to succeed in modern electoral politics

With thousands of local legislators throughout the country — plus 100 U.S. Senators, 435 U.S. Representatives, the President and Vice President of the United States, state governors and lieutenant governors — politics is a big business. Like most businesses, those who communicate best are most likely to come out on top. Pro or con, right or left, liberal or conservative, whether a platform is based on four freedoms or a thousand points of light, the best message in the world is without value if it does not reach the voters.

Little wonder that year after year elected officials — and those who would like to be elected — use advertising mail to reach current supporters and to attract new ones. Like businesses and non-profit organizations nationwide, politicians know that nothing beats advertising mail for targeting, affordability, and proven results.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: elections, mail, office, politics

Even With The Internet, We’ll Still Need A Modern Postal System

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:38:46 +0000

We read about it everywhere. The age of the information superhighway is here, and we are now able to store, manipulate, and move data in ways that were impossible just a few years ago.

But even though e-mail, fax machines, and 800 numbers are entirely common, nothing can replace the value and utility of a system that delivers mail and packages to more than 148 million homes and businesses each day.

Fact is, it will take billions of dollars and many years to complete the information superhighway and even then physical deliveries through the Internet will remain impossible. Meanwhile, as this vast and important network is “under construction,” we must assure that our mail delivery system does not suffer neglect or disrepair.

Even as communication patterns change, we’ll still need a modern, efficient, and competitive postal system. Because until the day comes that the information superhighway reaches every home and every business in every state — and until you can have a pair of socks delivered through a modem — only mail will have the power “to bind the Nation together.”

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: addresses, delivery, Internet, mail

We Speak Your Language No Matter What Language You Speak

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:34:02 +0000

America may be a melting pot, but many of us continue to use and enjoy languages from all over the world.

English is a second tongue for more than 47 million Americans — individuals who buy and invest, vote for candidates, support causes, and donate to charities. To reach this vast and diverse marketplace, you need to use the right words in the right language — messages delivered most effectively by advertising mail.

Advertising mail allows you to communicate in the language of the marketplace, whether the marketplace uses one language or many. And because advertising mail makes linguistic differences an asset rather than an obstacle, messages stand out, have meaning, and produce results.

You can target advertising mail to specific audiences, and you can gain credibility and understanding when you do. Because in today’s world, “reaching out” means more than reaching out in English.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: advertising, buy, language, mail, second tongue, sell, vote

The Wonderful Thing About Green Is That It Comes In Different Shades

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:28:58 +0000

Few matters generate more controversy than environmental questions. Honorable people with deeply-held convictions routinely debate a host of issues, everything from owls to elephants and from old forests to new ones.

But debate is healthy. It’s a sign of activity rather than stagnation, a chance to test ideas, and an opportunity to build consensus.

Through debate and discussion we’ve come a long way since the first Earth Day in 1970. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the net volume of trees set aside for growing stock increased from 516 billion cubic feet in 1953 to more than 925 billion cubic feet in 2007.

The crusade to reduce, re-use, and recycle has been accepted nationwide. Small, inefficient landfills are being replaced by larger and safer facilities. In fact, many states now have fewer landfills — but more landfill capacity. Paper, envelopes, and catalogs that use recycled fibers, water-activated adhesives, and soy-based inks are increasingly common. Significant efforts have been made to clean the air and water, and the results can be seen in every state.

There is surely more to do, but as we celebrate Earth Day each year, let us all consider that while environmental purity and absolutism produce headlines, discussion and common sense produce results.

Mail. The Medium that Delivers.

Technorati Tags: Ecology, environment, environmental, green, mail

Free Newspapers — Who Ever Heard Of Such A Thing?

PGM — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:06:13 +0000

Each week in the United States more than 100 million free newspapers are delivered to homes and businesses. Consumers love free newspapers, if they didn’t then the local companies and small businesses that advertise in such publications would not get such terrific responses to their ads and coupons.

Free newspapers are delivered individually, carried by local stores and sent through the postal system — in fact, as many as 40 million free newspapers are delivered by letter carriers each week.

So-called “shopper publications” make it easy and inexpensive for local businesses to reach small neighborhoods and specific households. With shopper publications advertisers pay for circulation they need and save money by not advertising in markets they don’t serve.

When a local hardware store, pizza shop, dentist or dry cleaner wants to reach the neighborhood they turn to shopper publications. When a small business with several local outlets needs to have different messages for different communities, they turn to shopper publications. And when small businesses want to avoid monopoly advertising costs, they turn to shopper publications.

Shopper publications — an advertising medium that’s effective, targeted, local, well-established and less expensive than the competition.

Call us today. We make things happen.

Mail. The Medium That Delivers.

Technorati Tags: choice, free, mail, newspapers, options, postal, shoppers, targing