This blog isn’t an attempt to convince you Direct Mail works. It does! (see previous blogs here and here.) Below is simply an easy to understand overview of what type of Canada Post delivery service to use for what kind of communication.
Neighbourhood Mail (NM) allows you to target a specific geographical area.
Postal Code Targeting (PCT) allows you to target customers in areas with similar qualities as your target audience and allows you to not mail those you do not wish to target (e.g. suppress existing customers on an acquisition campaign).
Personalized Mail (PM) targets the specific mailboxes you want to hit and call them by name .
Lettermail is
used to send transactional communications (invoices, statements,
change-in-terms, etc.).
(see Canada Post website)
Publication Mail is a separate service from Canada Post for the distribution of periodicals.
SmartMoves is a service from Canada
Post that allows businesses to target recent movers
(see Canada Post website)
Precision Targeting is a CPC Tool that allows you to target postal codes across the country using up to 100 unique demographic, geographic and lifestyle variables
(see Canada Post website)
DM OPTIONS – QUICK GLANCE
MARKET TO MANY – REACH EVERY MAILBOX
CPC Service: Neighbourhood Mail (NM)
Purpose: Acquire new customers and build awareness
Audience/Target:
- Solution A – geographically selected neighborhoods or towns that have potential customers to whom you want to communicate with
- Solution B – geographic and demographic targeting, allowing you to target neighborhoods that closely match your ideal target market
Description: NM consists of non-addressed mail pieces. They can be printed material such as postcards, oversized cards, flyers, letters, die-cut cards, etc. or non-printed matter such as product samples. Mail sent NM can arrive to all 15.7 mailboxes in Canada or as few as an individual letter carrier’s route. Recipients can be homes or businesses or both.
Need to Know:
- Canada only
- Minimum volume = a letter carrier’s route (500 homes on average)
- Absolutely no addressing can be present
- Must be sorted by letter carrier routes by a MSP or at Canada Post upon delivery
- Every home within the route will receive the mailer – no opportunity to omit any
- Least expensive averaging around $0.16/ea. depending on client annual volume
- Overall speed to market can be fairly fast as every piece in a selected area is the same
- Delivery time is slow – upwards of 11 business days from date of mailing
MARKET TO MANY (BUT BE SURGICAL ABOUT IT) – REACH SIMILAR “LOOKING” MAILBOXES
CPC Service: Postal Code Targeting (PCT)
Purpose: Grow your customer base by targeting only new audiences (suppress existing customers)
Audience/Target: Using almost 100 geographic, demographic and lifestyle variables, you can target postal codes of prospect homes that closely match your ideal target market
Description: PCT provides customers the ability to surgically target a specific geographic / demographic group at the 6-digit postal code level (as few as 20 addresses). Ideal targets can be generated by analyzing your own lists or finding postal code regions that meet your individual geo, demo, and lifestyle parameters. Then, you can suppress existing clients focusing all your marketing effort and budget on prospects only.
Need to know:
- PCT is Canada only
- Must meet Canada Post specifications for weight and size
- Minimum volume = 100 (roughly 5-7 postal codes less suppressions
- 2D bar-code addressing is done; no names are present on DM mail piece
- Mail must be processed by a MSP
- PCT mailer must be machinable (post-card or letter) and needs to be designed with 3 separate “quiet zones” or “no print zones”
- Moderate expense averaging around $0.32/ea. depending on client annual volume
- Overall speed to market takes more time than NM but is fairly fast
- Delivery time is fast – 3-5 business days from date of mailing
MARKET TO SOME – REACH ONLY THE MAILBOXES YOU WANT TO REACH
CPC Service: Personalized Mail (PM)
Purpose: Connect one-on-one with customers with acquisition intent or to support loyalty, retention and cross-sell initiatives
Audience/Target: Using your own house list or purchased list meeting the marketing objectives set out by you
Description: PM can help you acquire new customers, deepen connections with existing ones and build customer loyalty via your own house list or procured list. PM mail is personalized and can be individually tailored to each recipient. It must be marketing in nature and illicit some form of action by its recipients. All items have the same purpose and goal, even if the content is not identical.
Need to Know:
- PM is Canada only
- Must meet Canada Post specifications for weight and size
- Minimum volume = 100 and can range across the country
- Mail must be processed by a MSP
- Mail can be metered or have an Indicia
- Moderate expense averaging around $0.49/ea. depending on client annual volume
- Overall speed to market takes similar time as PCT
- Delivery time is fast – 3-5 business days from date of mailing
MARKET TO CONSENTED – REACH THE MAILBOXES THAT HAVE SUBSCRIBED
CPC Service: Publications Mail (Pub)
Purpose: Connect one-on-one by sending magazines, newspapers and newsletters
Audience/Target: Using your own house list of individuals who have agreed (and possibly paid) to receive periodic communications.
Description: Pub mailings are defined as mailable items, that are:
- magazines and newspapers in print form containing news and miscellaneous information, such as articles, features and advertising
- are newsletters in print form, non-promotional in nature, containing news or information relevant to a membership, special interest group or association and are usually in the form of printed sheets, pamphlets or small newspapers (newsletters may include some advertising)
- contain a maximum ratio of 70% advertising to 30% news/editorial (including editorial content sponsored by an advertiser) in no more than 50% of the issues in any 12-month period (enclosures and samples are not included in the 70/30 ratio)
Need to Know:
- Pub can be sent within Canada at discounted rates and Internationally at full postage rate
- Must meet Canada Post specifications for weight and size
- Must be minimum 30% articles
- Delivery time is fast – 3-8 business days from date of mailing