Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Coming to Your Mailings Soon!

IM (Intelligent) Barcodes:
Coming to Your Mailings Soon!

If you’ve ever launched a mailing and then wondered why it got delivered late or not at all, then you’ll be delighted to learn about USPS Intelligent Barcode software.

Currently, when Paul&Partners takes your mail to the post office, we can’t track what has happened to it after that point. It disappears into the USPS black hole. More than 99% of the time the mail emerges again, appearing in mailboxes just as it should. But less than 1% of the time something goes awry.

IM technology is designed to address that very vexing 1% that just go poof.

When Paul&Partners uses IM barcodes on your mail, you can track the path of every mail piece and know its exact location inside the postal system. If your mail stalls somewhere, you’ll know about it. If it whizzes through the system unscathed, you’ll know that, too!

Better yet, you can tell when your job has been delivered so you can execute radio and TV spots and follow-up phone calls, or accurately predict when your responses will start pouring in.

Using a web-based tracking system that you can access from any computer, IM barcode software gives you more control over the delivery of your mail. If a portion of your mailing has “gone missing” you can track where the problem has occurred (even to the exact piece of equipment at a specific postal facility). Armed with that vital knowledge, righteous indignation and a phone number, you can launch salvos to get your job moving again.

In May 2009—concurrent with the postal rate changes—the USPS will create new categories of mail for IM barcodes. At this time, the USPS says there will be two levels—full service and basic service—but details are not available yet. By May 2010, only IM barcodes will qualify for automation rates.

Want to know more about how IM barcodes can help make you a smarter marketer? Call Ellen at Paul&Partners. 703-996-0800.

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