Mailboxes. You fill them from your office and you empty them at home, but have you ever thought about them as more than just a means to an end?
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has a number of standards governing the look, use, and installation of residential mailboxes, offering a few more lessons for those of us in the marketing world. Take a look.
The policy: "You should install the mailbox with the bottom of the box at a vertical height of between 41-45 inches from the road surface, unless you have a road or curb condition that prevents this."
The lesson: The more work you do to make the USPS's work easier, the greater your reward. Developed a standard-shaped mailpiece? Great! The USPS can run it through the machine for quicker processing. Barcoded and CASS-certified your mailing? Perfect! The USPS will discount your postage.
The policy: "Advertising on a mailbox or its supporting post is prohibited."
The lesson: Take ownership of the entire direct mail process. Look at every detail--no matter how odd or obscure it may seem--to ensure the message you're sending is the message you're intending.
The policy: "Your postmaster will approve custom-made mailboxes on a one-time basis as long as they generally meet USPS standards."
The lesson: Designing uniquely shaped mailpieces may create more interest from your audience, but they may also create unanticipated costs or problems with the post office. Before you venture too far into the sea of creativity, speak with your mailhouse representative to make sure your idea not only floats, but mails.
The policy: "You can attach a receptacle for newspaper delivery by a private company to the post of a curbside mailbox used by the Postal Service as long as it doesn't extend beyond the front of the mailbox when the box door is closed."
The lesson: Adding other channels of marketing to your campaign may help you run in all of your target audience's circles, but postal mail still leads the pack. In fact, according to "Print in the Mix," marketers will spend 5.8% more on direct mail this year than last, proving, at the cost of $47.8 billion, that direct mail is not dead.
