Writers of Short Sentences
by Bill Alpert
Perhaps you’re old enough to remember video of John Cameron Swayze delivering the iconic Timex slogan: Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking. Fans of the recent TV series Mad Men were recently reminded of the classic Think Small print ad campaign for Volkswagen. Both ads were conceived and penned by the legendary [...]
Parenthetically Writing
Does attention to detail in your writing make you look smarter? Does it improve your marketing skills? It’s not hard to make a case for that. Just as clean fingernails and polished shoes help make a positive impression, so does your attention to grammar, syntax and punctuation.
So here (courtesy of Empire State College, NY) is [...]
The NCOA: Postage Cops
You’ve mailed 2500 pieces at the discounted bulk mail rate, saving over $300 in postage compared to first class postage. Then you’re busted, because one solo address on your list is out of date! The postman has now discovered that your list hasn’t been run though the official NCOA (list cleanup) process.
It’s like running a [...]
Marketing by Yelling Louder
How can you find new customers in a down economy?
For more than the last 100 years its been about yelling the loudest to the largest number of people. Making them notice you. Pushing a business card in their face. Building a restaurant on a street that they pass frequently. Bombarding them with “me-too” direct mail. [...]
United States Postal Service new NCOA rules
Starting November 23, the USPS will require that all presorted mailing lists be cleaned using the National Change of Address (NCOA) directory. It’s a 95 day rule. Your list needs to get cleaned at least every 3 months. If you’re busted for sending “dirty” mail, your postal discounts will be forfeited, and you’re liable to [...]
The social side of printing!
As many years as we’ve been printing, it’s still tough to remember all of the envelopes sizes that can be used for invitations and announcements. Here’s a quick rundown, just in case your next holiday card is on tap:
Where cost is an issue, Baronial style envelopes have a great price point, but they’re usually only [...]
Mail Domination
Well, when it comes to mailing, it’s the Postal Service that makes the rules. Starting November 23rd we have a new rule to think about: the Move Update Requirement. It’s an effort to reduce waste, save cost and deliver more mail. All good ideas.
Just last week, one of our clients expressed shock at how many [...]
“Your rules are really beginning to annoy me!”
Kurt Russell’s words come to mind every time a new postal regulation comes into force, and this time around is no exception! Starting November 23, the USPS will require that all presorted mailing lists be cleaned using the National Change of Address (NCOA) directory. To see our NCOA primer and special promotional offer, click here.
What [...]
Featured Site: Brainy Zip
While working on a client’s consumer survey project I recently ran across brainyzip.com , a quick and easy way to look up a plethora of demographic information, all sorted by zip code…. Of course you’ll find the typical stuff, such as distribution of population by age group, but how about some interesting tidbits?
Postage Rates Defy Logic
It’s official: postage rates are going up again. It’s a process that seems to have accelerated in recent years. Perhaps the Postal Service didn’t get the memo about all the advertisers migrating to alternative forms of marketing.
Starting next month first class postage will hit 42 cents, postcards 27 cents, each up one cent. Standard class [...]
William Alpert is a seasoned entrepreneur and 35 year business veteran. His California based companies design and create printed and electronic marketing materials for Fortune 500s, entrepreneurs as well as advertising and graphic design professionals. He is the author of InkBlot, a weekly journal on business marketing in the internet era. 
