USPS Formally Announces QR Code Discount, Touts Savings from Contract
May 24, 2011
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During July and August, the Postal Service will offer a Mobile Barcode Promotion that rewards mailers launching campaigns incorporating two-dimensional, smartphone-friendly barcodes with an upfront 3 percent postage discount on qualifying Standard and First-Class Mail letters, flats or cards.
Customers receiving these special mailpieces will be able to use smartphones to scan QR codes to obtain more information or qualify for additional offers posted on mobile-enabled websites.
“This promotion is another step in our long-term strategy to ensure mail remains relevant as a key element in the overall advertising mix for an increasingly interactive marketplace,” said Tom Foti, manager, Marketing Mail. “By creating a promotion for placing mobile barcodes on mailpieces, we’re providing marketers with a compelling way to reach an Internet-savvy customer base.”
Foti says the two-month Mobile Barcode Promotion marks the first mailing industry promotion based on a multimedia approach, and is designed to demonstrate how the value of mail is increased by interfacing with technology to engage customers.
“Consumers have become more comfortable with digital devices and online technologies, and the industry should consider incorporating elements that reflect these trends into direct mail campaigns,” says Foti.
The Mobile Barcode Promotion is open to mailers—including non-profit mailers—who submit qualifying First-Class or Standard Mail letters, flats or cards electronically using a permit imprint payment method. All mailpieces must include a mobile two-dimensional barcode on the outside of the mailpiece or within the mailpiece. The marketing information relayed in the mobile barcode must be relevant to the contents of the mailpiece. A separate postage statement is required for all mailpieces with mobile barcodes. Complete details can be found online at delivermagazine.com/mobilebarcodepromotion/.
New Labor Contract Saves $3.8 Billion
The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) AFL-CIO ratified March 14 tentative labor contract agreement with the U.S. Postal Service that will save the nation’s mail system $3.8 billion over the four-and-a-half year life of the contract that becomes effective today.
“This contract serves as a testament to the commitment the American Postal Workers Union has to its membership and to preserving the future of the Postal Service,” said Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe. “We worked together to negotiate a responsible agreement that is in the best interest of our customers, our employees and the future of the Postal Service. It offers short-term cost relief, structural changes to future labor costs and enhanced workforce flexibility to adjust to America’s changing mailing trends.”
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