Direct Mail

Printers and direct mailers in New Jersey and across the Tri-State region have united in opposition to a bill that would create a "do not mail" list in the Garden State.

The bill, sponsored by state assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak, would create an opt-out similar to the "do not call" list established in New Jersey in 2004.

But the measure could cost tens of thousands of jobs and hurt the economy in a huge ripple effect, said organizations representing printers, direct mailers and graphic artists—all of whom are planning to lobby against the bill.

A frequently challenged marketing myth is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to reach young people via traditional marketing. Many marketers are seemingly convinced that Generations X and Y simply won't respond to traditional marketing tactics. From TV and radio to direct mail, the reality is that the most effective ways to reach Gen X and Y are surprisingly traditional. Yes, there's social media, email, and several other digital platforms; there's also traditional direct mail marketing.

Postal reform still sits in Congress' dead letter office, but politicians are doing something to keep the U.S. Postal Service afloat: They're spending millions of dollars on direct mail this election.

The Center for Responsive Politics reports the Postal Service has been paid $17.5 million so far this election cycle for delivering political direct-mail pieces, ranking it No. 4 on the center's list of political vendors. This revenue won't close the Postal Service's fiscal gap—it lost $2 billion last quarter—but every little bit helps.

Direct mail is one of the most viable marketing channels available, and it produces some of the high

If you think an employee of yours might be too quick to gripe or prone to exaggerated complaints, there are proper ways to handle that situation. Among those accepted methods is not falsely telling others that he's a terrorist and that he'd threatened to blow up your building.

This is why the U.S. Department of Labor has sued U.S. Postal Service in federal court on behalf of a maintenance employee at the St. Louis Network Distribution Center.

The employee says it all began when he told his supervisors about a suspected carbon monoxide leak. 

While a number of different retailers continue to struggle in building mobile apps that keep people coming back, Victoria's Secret's college-focused Pink is taking a different approach by integrating its efforts with more traditional marketing tactics.

The lingerie retailer's iPhone and Android app uses a smartphone's built-in camera to scan images and pieces of marketing collateral.

Victoria's Secret has been at the forefront of mobile commerce for quite some time and actually rolled out a similar mobile feature to its main collection last year.

Heaven knows the USPS needs an overhaul: It's losing customers and billions of dollars per year, in part because electronic communication has rendered its traditional business model—first-class mail—obsolete.

It was in that depressing context that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House committee that oversees the Postal Service, heard testimony this month on the Obama administration's ideas for reform.

Growll, a one-stop-shop for high quality printed material based in Greenville, S.C., has launched a new website featuring a fully automated direct mail service that may revolutionize online printing.

According to a 2013 Direct Marketing Association (DMA) study, 79 percent of consumers react to direct mail immediately, and 56 percent of those polled think printed marketing is the most trustworthy of all communication channels.

North American Communications (NAC), an international leader in direct mail marketing, announced that it is planning to add up to 100 local new jobs before the end of 2014. In addition, the company announced the launch of its new Supplier Diversity Program that began on April 2.