April 28, 2011
USPS 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion
Use QR Codes in Your Direct Mail and Earn A 3% Postage Discount on Letters and Flats in July and August
The USPS will offer a 3% discount to direct mailers who display a QR code on letters and flats sent in July and August. The discount applies to permit-imprinted First Class Mail or Standard Class Mail. The goal is two-fold: to increase the use of QR Codes and encourage direct mail marketing.
An April 14 article in Post and Parcel reports quotes Thomas Foti, the Postal Service manager of marketing mail saying, “We firmly believe that mobile barcodes add significant value to mail – they help increase response rates and they help establish relationships with those that don’t have necessarily already have a relationship with mail – for instance those in younger generations.”
The 3% discount could be a golden opportunity for direct mailers looking to test new markets or increase their market range through mobile campaigns.
To qualify for the lower postage rate, mailers must display the mobile barcodes either outside or within all mailpieces in a mailing, using the barcodes to “market, promote or educate” mail recipients – rather than for internal tracking purposes.
The design of the landing page will play an important part in the campaign, so smart marketers will make sure QR code users land at an effective site. Blasé Ciabaton, blogging as The Direct Mail Man, says “If you don’t like the way your corporate website looks on a mobile device, then consider sending people to your Facebook profile, your Twitter page, or send them to a specific landing page on your blog.” Ciabaton also recommends rewarding QR code users with a coupon, discount, or useful information.
For more about QR codes, check out additional EUS Marketing blog posts here and here.
Access the Official USPS 2011 FAQ on the program here.
