Sheppard Envelope

Michael Phelps wasn’t the only headline maker at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In fact, the arguable unsung hero of the games, ensuring attendees from around the globe were able to cheer on their respective homeland, was a mere 0.3 square millimeter chip boasting 50 microns in thickness. It is known in the industry as the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip. According to the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, more than 16 million tickets were embedded with RFID chips, marking the technology’s first-ever appearance in the Olympic Games. The goal: to prevent the occurrence of counterfeit door tickets, thereby simplifying the event ticket

Suppliers offer product suggestions and production advice for better returns on direct mail investments. Except for commercial printing, direct mail probably takes more of distributors' time and energy than any other type of sell. Linc Spaulding, president of Sheppard Envelope, Auburn, Mass., and Mike Weinzierl, president of Sewickley, Pennsylvania-based Professional Graphic Communications, shared tips to help make it all worthwhile for everyone along the value chain. Return to Sender For instance, Spaudling discussed his company's two-way Boomerang mailing system—a low-cost, environmentally friendly product that dramatically reduces paper usage while stimulating high recipient response rates. Spaudling pointed out that "most successful direct mail campaigns