Envelopes

There’s a wealth of compelling data highlighting the effectiveness of direct mail, not the least of which is a higher response rate than any digital direct marketing medium. In fact, direct mail generates a five to nine times higher response rate than email, paid search or social media.

In the post-pandemic “new normal,” the importance of direct mail is amplified and the need for your message to stand out is more important than ever. While direct mail involves costs – from design and paper to print and postage, there are countless ways to produce effective direct mail pieces for a wide range of budgets.

So what can we do to get the best possible return on a direct mail investment?

• Paper already has the edge over digital because it’s innately sensory. Think about how much more engaging a piece can be simply by the choice of paper. Does your brand convey luxury? Consider a premium soft-touch paper. Promoting a family-friendly vacation getaway? Consider a paper that has a sandpaper-like texture to evoke a beachside sensation. Trying to attract new customers to your bakery? Think about using scent paper infused with the aroma of cake baking or vanilla frosting.
• Specialty inks can also be a relatively cost-effective way to get noticed. For example, a photochromic ink that changes color with UV light exposure could be an effective way to make the fireworks image on your Fourth of July sale promotion more eye-catching and therefore more likely to get opened.
• Take recipients on a journey and enable your brand story to unfold with the use of interactive elements such as pop-ups, infinite folds or by using dimension. Trailing edge or shapes envelopes are cost-effective ways to achieve dimensional impact.
• Take advantage of the USPS incentive promotions for savings on postage!

USPS Tactile, Sensory & Interactive (TSI) Promotion through July 31!

One of the USPS incentive promotions currently in effect provides a 2% savings on postage for business mail that utilizes tactile, sensory or interactive features. Having more impact and saving money? That’s a win-win!

Incentive Details

Registration period runs through July 31, 2020.

Promotion period runs through July 31, 2020.

The discount for qualifying mail is 2% of eligible postage.

Qualification Requirements

Using any of the treatments listed below can qualify your mail piece for the TSI discount if they are visible and distinguishable.

• Specialty Inks— conductive inks that contain metals like copper, leuco dyes that are heat sensitive dyes or inks that change color in variation temperature, photochromic inks that change color with UV light, optically variable ink contains materials that change appearance when viewed from different angles, piezoceramic ink that changes appearance under pressure or hydro chromic inks that change appearance when exposed to water or liquids.
• Textural papers – tactile – sandpaper feel, soft touch, etc. Includes coatings
• Sensory – scratch and sniff, edible, etc.
• Dimensional elements – Trailing edge or shape envelopes
• Must be USPS Marketing Mail® letters and flats, nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats

Trailing Edge Envelopes Qualify!

Trailing edge envelopes, like the cable company example produced by our envelope converting operation and pictured below, also qualify for the USPS TSI incentive. Embossing is another qualifying treatment that’s available at MPEC.

Use Textured Papers to Qualify!

With so many great textured papers to choose from, there are multiple ways to create a mailpiece that’s not only more engaging but also qualifies for the TSI promotion based solely on paper choice.

How to Submit

All mailpiece samples must be submitted via USPS mail to the TSI Promotion Office for review and approval no later than one week prior to the mailing date. You can get all the requirements here.

Mail: US Postal Service
Attn: Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion
PO Box 23282
Washington, DC 20026-3282

For More Information

Please visit our website for information on other USPS® incentive promotions now in effect, including emerging and advanced technology and personalized color transpromo promotion.