In Case You Missed It… USPS is Driving Marketers to Make Print Interactive!

The first time that someone thought to write on a tablet that could be lifted and hauled rather than writing on a cave wall, print became the ultimate portable media. Today, mobile media devices such as smartphones and iPads have become a primary source of portable media from which we can obtain information and communicate with one another. In fact, the average consumer has three things with them at all times-car keys, a wallet/purse, and a cell phone.

According to comScore, the U.S. saw a 55% increase in smartphone subscriptions between 2011 and 2012. There were a total of 98 million smartphone subscribers during 2012, accounting for over 40% of all U.S. mobile users. Meanwhile, ScanLife reported that QR code scans increased by 300% between 2010 and 2011. Nellymoser, a Massachusetts-based mobile marketing and technology company, indicated that QR code usage jumped 617% from January 2011 to December 2011 in the top 100 magazines.

There were a total of 98 million smartphone subscribers during 2012, accounting for over 40% of all U.S. mobile users.

The USPS is Driving Mobile Marketing

On October 29, 2012, the U.S. Postal Service released its promotions calendar for 2013-offering discounts on first-class and standard mail by integrating mail with mobile and emerging technologies. There is a clear drive on the part of the USPS to make print integral to the direct marketing mix by making it interactive. The 2013 USPS promotions include direct mail mobile coupon and click-to-call, emerging technology, and mobile buy-it-now. All of these promotions are pending approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Direct Mail Mobile Coupon and Click-to-Call Promotion
This promotion encourages mailers to integrate direct mail with mobile technology. The USPS is offering business mailers two ways to participate and achieve greater value in the mail that they create and produce. To be eligible for a 2% postage discount, mailers can use a mobile barcode or other technology on their mail pieces, leading the recipient to a digital coupon or a site that initiates a one-touch phone call on a mobile device. According to the promotion description, high growth in digital coupons (mobile/online) is expected to continue as Internet and smartphone adoption increases, consumer comfort with technology rises, and newspaper circulation declines. This promotion seeks to drive awareness and increase the value of direct mail coupons in today's digital world. The physical mail piece must be a coupon. The promotion runs from March 1 through April 30.

The 2013 USPS promotions include direct mail mobile coupon and click-to-call, emerging technology, and mobile buy-it-now.

Click-to-call is a web-based communication tool in which a person initiates a phone call by clicking a button, image, or text to connect with another person. Click-to-call can be initiated by hyperlinks on websites and e-mails or through any other Internet-connected object including 2D barcodes. This promotion runs from March 1 through April 30.

Emerging Technologies Promotion
This promotion is designed to build on the goals of past mobile barcode promotions and to continue to promote awareness of how innovative technologies (e.g., near-field communication, augmented reality, and authentication) can be integrated with a direct mail strategy to enhance the value of direct mail. This promotion runs from August 1 through September 30.

Mobile Buy-it-Now Promotion
As mobile technology continues to evolve, the USPS seeks to reinforce direct mail as a relevant part of the marketing mix and to ensure the long-term value of the product. This strategy provides substantial advantages and opportunities for innovation in future years. The USPS is seeking to demonstrate how direct mail combined with mobile technology can be a convenient method for consumers to do their holiday shopping. This promotion, which runs from November 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013, provides business mailers with an up-front 2% postage discount on standard mail and first-class mail letters, flats, and cards (presort and automation) that include a two-dimensional (2D) barcode or print/mobile technology that can be read or scanned by a mobile device. The technology must directly lead the recipient to a mobile-optimized webpage that allows the recipient to purchase an advertised product through a financial transaction on the mobile device.


This heavy focus by the USPS provides evidence that integrating print and mobile technology has a place in the U.S. market. I firmly believe that the marriage of print, QR codes, and mobile technology are the ultimate in multi-channel communications. While some are running away from print and putting all their eggs in the online basket, savvy marketers will consider going offline and getting their brands in front of the consumers on the street. They will reach consumers who are unchained from their home computers and connect with them via signage, packaging, interactive magazines and newspapers, catalogs, and direct mail. Graphic communications service providers need to understand how to harness the energy around mobile marketing and make print interactive!

Contributor:  Barb Pellow
November 2012